A legend among Devils
by theLawbringer
Summary: The devils face a power vacuum thats divided the species in two with the death of the originals. with this, The Underworld is consumed into a Civil war that threatens the eradication of the very species itself. however, a new arrival appears at the peek of the conflict, a man with potential far beyond imagination... (Civil war timeline/OP OC/Harem/Canon time line coming soon...)
1. Arrival

**Disclaimer: i own nothing...**

* * *

 **ARRIVAL**

 **-XxXxXxX-**

 _Life..._

 _A series of events uncoordinated or coordinated in seemingly good or bad instances'... while others consider it to be beautiful, others consider it evil and unforgiving..._

 _...Both are wrong_

 _There is no defining term for the word... 'Life'_

 _Life is like a coach, constantly throwing shit at you with only mild pauses in between so it can rest its arm or simply continue with the other, what it throws at you is random, some are tests while others gifts and in the worst case scenario?_

 _Sudden. Unexplained. Bullshit_

 _Like the good ol Gump once said_

" _You never know what your gonna get"_

 _And I sure as hell didn't..._

 _I remember my last days in my original world, cold and snowy like the good all frozen north with just me, my sister and my parents, one simple life unnoticed by the numbering millions around us, those were easier times_

 _However I didn't notice at the time life was winding up_

 _How it happened I can only remember small bits, another mildly warm day in the snow, bright light and then..._

 _ **FALLING**_

 _I was falling_

 _Like a comet in the sky I fell..._

 _And when one falls... You tend to land_

 **-XxXxX-**

 **[Sometime in the future]**

"General Gremory, all forces have converged on the castle and have engaged at will while the caster brigades await further instruction" a young Devil was seen kneeling respectfully before a crimson and gold encampment tent. briefly a sudden gust of wind rolled through the area, forcing the tents loose ends to flutter open before the entrance way parted suddenly, revealing a finely dressed man wearing ornate gold and crimson armor along with a blackened cape; an intrinsic design of a _crimson rose_ embroidered on its center. the Devils face was handsome in appearance; his blood red hair - shortly cut into messy spikes - flowed gently paused before eyeing the messenger briefly with serious teal eyes.

"Relay commands to the caster brigades to focus fire on the central most portions of the castle, keep the ground forces away and secure the outer most walls of all stragglers, I want this castle striped of Old-Satan extremists" commanded the man coldly. the messenger, worn in simple armor with no sign of a crest, nodded firmly at the larger mans words and dipped his head low before responding.

"Yes my Lord" with a brief flash of azure light the man quickly vanished from view, intent on doing as instructed.

The Lord didn't even acknowledge the stiffened salute of his elite guard as he strode to the hills peak after speaking with the messenger, the hill in which he now stood before over looked the castle in the far distance. Fire and smoke billowed from within its black stoned walls while multicolored arcs of energy were seen flying from both inside and outside the castle in tandem, evidently showing him the firing lines of both his men and his enemies.

 _A meager defense for such a massive castle_

The man watched as volleys of magic attacks suddenly shift inward towards the larger towers and walls within, which garnered a number of harshly issued orders and a number of detonations as well. The change seemed to bring a small modicum of a smirk to the devils handsome face before it was masked behind a serious scowl quickly after; his resolve hardening as he watched the castle's massive gated walls topple inward; crushing a healthy number of black armored knights within.

 _It won't be long now_

the castle in question was known as _Castle Halphes -_ simply named for convenience sake - and had been owned by the devil family _Halphes_ once upon a time. however now it acted as a strong hold for Old-Satan loyalist's and resent reports of mysterious activity in the area had landed on the crimson devils lap sometime ago After multiple reports regarding a _meteor_ being seen landing in the _M_ _alphes_ territory a few dozen miles from here, bringing him to this very location. after further reports were sent in, the red haired devil had learned of large troop movements in the territory of Halphes, yet what he saw only seemed falsify the reports.

Just before the assault on the castle itself, the crimson Devil had noted the sudden decline in numbers on the opposing forces as even now his advisers were flooding him with information regarding the resistance his men were currently facing. Most of the resistance force within the castle were mere interrogator-class inquisitors linked to the _Marax_ family and a small contingent of higher ranking _inquisitors_ numbering in the small hundreds while his force of 3,000 converged on the front gate while a good number of his caster brigades held slightly elevated positions and rained down heavy artillery fire. normally a castle this size would be protected by a larger contingent of infantry.

for whatever reason, the castle was mostly maned by officer class inquisitors and a large number of interrogator specialists _,_ which baffled him to no end. even if castle Halphes was miles from any kind of known civilization, it did however sit upon a resource bed good enough to help the Old-Satan forces for a number of months.

however, even with the slightly confusing lack of defenses, the resistance was noticed but ultimately ignored a moment later. The only thing that seemed to catch his eye more then that was the sheer number of interrogators within the castle, reminding him that the report had numbered them in the hundreds and while the number was normal for a castle this large it was still a sign to be looked into further.

 _Interrogators usually meant POW's_

lips thinning, the crimson devil frowned at the thought before he made a simple hand gesture to the small number of Elite guards behind him. upon his gesture, a devil fully outfitted in black matted armor and adored in a crimson fur cape strolled forward and kneeled.

" _ **Your orders, general**_ " the knight prostrated, voice oddly morphed and deep due to the imposing helmet worn over his head.

"Join the main assault force and scour the main castle for any dungeons, reports has listed the majority of those inside to be interrogators which means some of my men and woman are in there... break them free; no exceptions, dead or alive" commanded the crimson haired devil as he eyed the castle with furrowed eyes.

Like the messenger before him, the heavily armored elite guard merely dipped his head before vanishing in a crimson magic circle; his fellow brothers - 12 of them - following soon after in a similar fashion, leaving the highly decorated devil alone on the plateau over looking the large scale invasion. For a moment the man stood there watching from the hills peak, his eyes following the sudden shift in artillery fire towards the inner sanctum and the subsequent return fire of those within before a sigh escaped him...

 _even now he could let them fight alone... and even now he couldn't sit back and wait..._

immediately after that thought, the crimson devil known as _Sirzechs Gremory_ vanished from where he stood... intent on joining the fray, and eagerly seeing to the operation's end.

 _there was more to this operation then what let on after all..._

* * *

Within the castle, a great battle occurred between two opposing forces, a battle that weighted heavily in the odds of the attacking force. On one side was the anti-Satan faction, whose numbers far exceed their adversaries – the Old-Satan faction - who could only cull the downfall of the castle to a mere slumbering pace but each side knew the outcome of this battle was inevitable. While the main forces of the Anti-Satan faction closed in on the central plaza - killing all who opposed them - the Old-Satan faction mustered all defenses as possible in order to buy enough time for those inside. Even as the fires raised high before billowing out - fuel running dry to continue burning - the fighting spirit of the defenders remained forever tenacious; their quickly casted spells of demonic destruction only adding more pillars of flame and lightning to the countless pyres dotting the court yard, but even then it was still hopeless.

While the remaining defenders died off - protecting their ideals to their dying breath - the Anti-Satan forces trekked onward, never ceasing in their advance.

Among the large number of able body attackers, twelve red magic circles - bearing the insignia of a Gothic rose - suddenly appeared just before the main line of Attacking knight's; halting the advance momentarily with the appearance of the twelve massive pillars of vermilion light. Soon after the appearance, the imposing forms of Sirzechs Gremory's elite fighting force - the _Praetorian's -_ soon stepping forward into perfect view _._ hefting a variety of weapons in their hands that ranged from spears, to long swords and finally, a war hammer, The 12 Praetorian knights stood stock still before their lord's army; their mighty backs towering over their more common allies while the lead praetorians large fur cape billowed in the soft wind. to many among the Anti-Satan forces, the sight of a praetorian was nothing short of awe inspiring, as their heavily detailed armor - crafted by the finest of smiths and forged out of the finest materials, and graphed to cover the majority of the whole body - only created an imposing image of the most dangerous fighting force within the Anti-Satan's infantry ranks.

 _silence only followed their arrival..._

 _...The sound of a proverbial nail being hammered down echoing out in the distance._

None moved in the face of the elite knights as only fear encompassed the Old-Satan inquisitors, leaving them completely frozen in terror...

After a moment of eerie silence, the twelve praetorians surged forward with control grace; the deep crimson glow coming from within the eye slits on their helmets visor only accentuating the sheer might they produce upon their charge, further scaring the remaining inquisitors down to their cores.

 _all was lost now..._

Like a scalpel they cut away the feeble defenses of the Old-Satan faction like a knife through air. No resistance met their charge for non could match the praetorians strength and speed which allowed the fur caped praetorian the first blood. With a powerful swing of his large double sided hammer, the lead praetorian sent 2 men flying back, their bodies broken by the sheer force applied while the others tallied a fearsome number of kills within seconds; their magic resistant armor protected them from the hastily casted spells with but no sign of damage. An encampment of casters was uprooted by one praetorian wielding a long sword. Rushing with trained speed and precision, the knight vanished into the hastily built trench which was soon followed by the wailing screams of surprise and pain before the sound of tearing flesh trailed behind. within a moment the knight re-emerged from the other side of the trench, blood dotting his once clean armor and finely polished sword before joining his brothers and sisters in a final push towards a bunker just in between a set of forked marbled steps; the bodies of dozens of inquisitors lay dead behind them. soon after and the last remnants of the Old-Satan's defenses was squashed away within seconds, leaving the entire plaza baron of Inquisitors.

" _ **Resistance destroyed, scour the castle"**_ with barely a moment of pause, the twelve elite knights continued on, leaving behind a large number of stupefied devils in their wake.

The vanguard units watched as the twelve black armored figures vanished into the castles main entrance way; the faint sounds of surprise and conflict soon echoing out before it was silence again. Before the vanguard could continued on, they froze in place before dropping to kneel in a seemingly robotic fashion however a moment later and a larger red magic seal appeared in front of them, bearing the same insignia as the praetorian knights which revealed their commanding general - Sirzechs Gremory - the man's Crimson red cape swaying gently behind him.

Once the light died down a ranking officer approached sirzechs from behind and then dropped to a kneel. glancing behind himself momentarily, sirzechs eyed the man casually before returning his gaze back onto the castle in front of him.

"Report" he commanded calmly.

"All resistances has been quelled my lord, the Praetorian guard has neutralized the remaining resistance and has continued on inside" the man's report was quick and fluid, which only caused the General to nod meagerly at the mans reply before turning to eye the officer.

"Good, have the bulk of our forces retreat and bring the rear guard in to help secure the prisoners and then secure the rest of the outer perimeter; no one goes inside" Sirzechs said before he noted the fatigue on the officer.

It was expected considering the lengthy campaign they had just run to get to the targeted castle. It angered him mildly that his advisers had requested him remain behind during the last attack in case of a possible ambush, but it wasn't needed after all as not a single report had said the possible presents of a high-class or Ultimate-class adversary which meant his advisers had worried over nothing. In any case, he could give the vanguard a small break before their return; it was the least he could do.

"What about you my Lord?" questioned the officer.

"I will continue, my guard is still present and im afraid some of them might feel lonely without me" the officer dipped his head - either not getting his humor or simply ignoring it - before standing tall and following his orders. A few barked orders and the bulk of the vanguard retreated, leaving him nearly alone in the vastly destroyed courtyard. with that done with, he eyed his surroundings briefly; taking not of the demolished fountains and cobble stoned roads while mildly cringing at the burnt gardens along the large stone walls.

' _such a waste'_ he thought casually before trudging forward towards the main entrance, his hold on his power slowly releasing as he did so...

* * *

Deep within the massive castle Halphes, dozens of noble devils and inquisitors scurried around rapidly, nearly avoiding falling debris from distant artillery fire impacting the castle's inner sanctum, while many higher ranking inquisitors issued orders to the numbering units in the area; hastily commanding a full escort of the nobles deeper inside. However before the officers could distribute their orders, a massive signature of demonic energy sprung up outside; carrying with it a dense pressure that weighed down on all inside, effectively giving those inside a deep sense of dread into the hearts of all present. Those to cowardice voiced their terror while the inquisitors guarding the few more important ones only stood by calmly, already resigning themselves to their inevitable end.

" _Ruina Nex_ is here!" yelled a heavily dressed man, his aristocratic attire utterly ruined by smoke and debris

"All is lost!" another yelled just as vehemently

At the proclamation of their end, many began to cry out their despair however it was dispelled by a wave of wrathful demonic energy that staunched the descending inner sanctum. From within the large cathedral-like room, the massive doors at the entrance were blasted open by an unseen force while two beings strode in casually, exuding a form of confidence and power that seemed to ease the loyal back into the relaxed state, however their nervousness only remained present from the cold expression on one of the new arrivals... her eyes boring holes in all those present.

A young looking man was seen walking to the front most portion of the Massive room, his silver hair held in a long braid down his back swayed with each step, his finely crafted shoes echoed off the walls while his colleges lighter taps echoed behind him; her equally silver hair dancing with a feminine grace non present had even seen before, while her sharp eyes scanned the room like a hawk, eyeing each one present with a very cold glare.

As they approached so too did a third nobleman; the man's appearance was elderly but he carried himself with a nobleman's pride, back straight and stride poised before they both stopped just before the podium area, the silver haired devils red eyes boring into the slightly shorter nobleman's blue.

"Have the evacuation seals been stabilized?" asked the silver haired man, as he lightly scanned the room.

"They will be within a few minutes, you'd have to understand the flow of energy within the territory is incredibly unstable, we have no idea why but it won't stand as a permanent issue, I can assure you Lord Lucifuge" replied the third nobleman as he shakily eyed the devil know identified as 'lord lucifuge'

Lord Lucifuge merely smirked at the news before replying. "Very good, and I'm aware your backing of our cause has been assured today? I'm sure you've seen the barbaric savagery the traitors at our door step have shown, such behavior is... a sign of desperation... wouldn't you agree?" Lord Lucifuge said, his eyes shining with an odd light that seemed to trigger an immediate reaction from the Elder noble.

"Y-yes, you and all your allies will have the full backing of the _Valefor_ clan" replied the nobleman nervously

From behind the two devils, the silver haired woman's similarly crimson eyes locked onto the back of lord Lucifuge; a scolding glint laden within. "I'd advise you little brother, to not underestimate them... the fall of this castle is a clear sign of their abilities so it'd be wise to acknowledge the danger they possess" the icy tone the women spoke caused many present to slightly shiver, yet the expression on the younger silverette merely took the words lightly, almost considering them yet ultimately ignoring the advise a moment later.

"Of course... anyway I was gonna ask you later but how goes the issue with our prisoner? Is he secure for transport?"

The woman's eyes narrowed briefly at the man before she nodded briskly, forgoing the devils dismissal for the moment. "He is" she replied firmly before glancing off to the side.

Lord lucifuge smiled brightly at the news before his eyes regarded the woman closely. "And what about the other rabble?"

"... Disposed of" came the moderately delayed reply.

"excellent! The new Lucifer would be pleased to have a new pet, I'd say his abilities are something of a trump card of ours, how long would it take to bend him to our cause?" Lord Lucifuge's tone sounded almost giddy at the topic while the elder noble standing behind him actually directed a deeply disturbed gaze towards him; obviously taken off guard by the devils question.

At the silver haired devils question, the women's head instead shook negatively at the question, a slightly annoyed glint shining in her crimson eyes. "I cannot say... He's lasted far longer than any that have come before him, breaking him would take more than a year and even then that's not taking into account his particular abilities, physical abuse is near useless, starving him seems pointless, sleep deprivation has no effect on him the only thing that did was isolation but that's not nearly as useful, then to make matters even more problematic we have no records of him, no birth date, no territory origin nor a house"

Lord Lucifuge blinked at his sisters words "Oh? I'd never thought I'd hear the day a low born would actually outlast your specialty, let alone a phantom commoner" his grin slightly widened at his sisters sharpened glare

"Know your place _Euclid_ , or I'll remind you"

"Heh" _Euclid_ chuckled before slapping his sister's shoulder playfully. "You are so easy to tease" he blatantly ignored the low growl from his sister before he turned back to the unnamed nobleman. "Anyhow, will you be remaining here or –"

"Lord Lucifer has a few errands he wishes for me to complete upon delivering the child to him; so no, I'm not remaining here... that much should be obvious" interrupted the silver haired women, Euclid made to reply but stopped when he felt a new presence make itself known...

" _Leaving so soon? Good thing I got here in time then"_ echoed a voice within the cathedrals walls

Before anyone could start searching, a hooded figure fell from the support beams from above; landing low amidst the many pews within the cathedrals hall before rising up, eyeing the two with a playful smirk...

"Hello there"

Within seconds the remaining inquisitors within the room sprung to action and placed themselves between the lone figure and the lucifuge siblings. As this was happening, the Lordess Lucifuge quickly placed on a faceless visor over the upper portion of her face - covering her identity completely - while her younger brother refrained from placing his on. Euclid Lucifuge instead stepped toward the intruder confidently, a small smirk playing on his features as he eyed the man with a degree of arrogance that it slightly annoyed Sirzechs completely.

"My aren't you a Bold one" Euclid stated calmly, an air of arrogance erected from the man as he eyed the figure, and seeing as the figure had covered himself almost completely all the man could see was the man's returning smirk

Without replying the figure reached over to his left hip and unsheathed a crimson red long sword, the blades shape was elegant and blood red which seemed to glow with a suppressed excitement, the man eyed the blade for a second before lowering it lazily to his side, Euclid hummed at the gesture before he nodded his head to one of the knights

"Kill him and be done with it"

As one, the Inquisitors stiffened before launching themselves towards the hooded figure, three were intent on taking him low while the remaining two aimed for the neck and torso. Within seconds they were upon him, blades poised to take while the figure simply stood by, blade held at his side lazily.

That was until a good portion of the ceiling collapsed onto the five attacking knights, crushing all but one who was lazily killed with a small flick of sirzechs' wrist, decapitating the lone survivor with a single ounce of effort.

!?

Many of those present hadn't expected the outcome; the only two who were only slightly surprised was the lucifuge siblings, the now masked female only stiffened at the turn of events while Euclid's smirk dropped almost instantly. Stepping away from the pile of rubble and blood, sirzechs casually whipped the blood from his blade with a piece of cloth found on one of the flag poles in the pile before dropping it at his feet

"Well that was...I don't even have a comment on that" he humored, a small snicker escaped his lips. "guess that's what happens when you underestimate what stands before you, _Euclid Lucifuge_ " the mentioned devil's eyes widened briefly at the casualness the figure spoke his name but unfortunately Euclid had no idea who the figure could be; a mistake soon realized.

Instead of waiting for a reply, sirzechs raised his hand and pushed the hood off of his head, revealing his short Crimson hair and piercing gaze

"General Sirzechs Gremory" he breathed out, the man sighed before smirking again "I should have known it was you, I'd have been surprised if word of our _Guest's_ didn't reach your ears"

The now identified Sirzechs only frowned at his words "Torturing those who disagree with your ideals isn't something we devils should be doing"

Euclid's eyes brightened at his words "I agree, what we should be doing is uniting and finish what our lords started those hundred years ago"

Sirzechs shook his head "Still a slave to your master, if Rizevim ordered you to kill yourself you'd do so laughing, what he wants is not glory, its extinction" Sirzechs made no move when Euclid's feature contorted in rage

"Be silent _Gremory_ " growled the silver haired devil

All Sirzechs did was make a mock show of terror "Ooohh... scary, if the forces of heaven didn't terrify me Euclid, then the bark of a small dog won't, you should quit while your ahead"

At that point the silver haired devil was far beyond words but before he could do what Sirzechs was obviously trying to do the youngest Lucifuge was stopped by his sister's hand on his shoulder

"It seems brother, you are also very easy to tease" she said calmly before squeezing her brothers shoulders "Calm yourself before you get yourself killed" Euclid made to retort but paused when he met her features, though masked she was it wasn't hard for a sibling to see the tell tale signs of seriousness in his sisters features and chose to wisely refrain from his previous choice of action

Not without words though

"Be sure to watch your back _Gremory"_

Sirzechs only smiled brightly at his words "Thanks for the advice, I'll be sure to do that" the red haired devil had to suppress a chuckle at the man's continued growl before he turned to regard the mask female with a more serious gaze "I don't think we've met" he started before stabbing his sword to the marble floor and leaning on its pommel "from the looks of things I'd say you're the eldest lucifuge here, tell me... where can I find this _child_ you spoke of before?"

The women only shook her head at his words "your arrogance has reached newer heights –"

"You didn't answer the question, Where is the boy?" pressed Sirzechs, barely moved by the women's cold condensation he bore into her visor with a deep frown

"- he is in our care, I wouldn't worry about the life of a small child general Gremory as he is unimportant, worthless and weak" Sirzechs' frown only deepened at her words before he shut his eyes and sighed

"You can drop the act Lucifuge, I already know of his particular abilities due to _someone_ having a loose set of lips" he paused to glance at Euclid who slightly flinched at the implication, if the women was at all surprised by his reveal then she showed it in her silence, seeing as the two were forced silent

"Tell me, why is it you think I came to this territory? Why I brought such a large force for a strategically unimportant castle so far from the main battle?" his questions were met with silence but he pressed on anyway

"Six months ago a phenomenon occurred... a fallen star nothing like any fallen angel I'd have ever seen, burned through the sky like a white orb of light" he paused before jutting a thumb behind him "I do believe there is a new canyon some miles behind me to hint as to where that phenomenon landed and to why the magical level in that zone is so it high its practically white hot to even approach, so lady Lucifuge, if the child is so useless and weak" he pointed directly at them both "Why are you here?"

He paused, hand landing back onto his swords pommel "the Child isn't weak, nothing weak can leave that much destruction with that much fall out to last nearly half a year, and considering the last time something fell from Demonic skies was named _Lucifer_ really contradicts the term 'worthless' as you put it, letting you walk away is off the table, either you give me what I want-" his raised his sword and released his power, flooding the blade with a menacing crimson glow "- or I start redecorating this room"

At the implication both devils tensed, ready to defend themselves at any giving movement and for a stiff minute the three stood ridged still, eyeing the other with in-human accuracy, however before they could attack, a small penny sized magic circle appeared over Sirzechs' ear, halting his planned advance

" **My lord, we've have located a prisoner, it appears to be a young boy in the dungeons below you"** the voice of the captain forced a small smile to the generals lips

He replied by tapping the magic circle, activating the reply function "Very good, defend the cell and wait for me" he said while sheathing his sword, the crimson light within the blade faded as it entered the scabbard, he then addressed the two devils before him, a mock bow for added insult

"I do believe that's my queue to leave, while I do wish to punish you for torturing and killing my men, I will allow mercy to halt my blade" he paused before looking back to the devils, eyes glowing red with intent " _But next time there won't be a conversation_ "

His tone was low and dearly threatening as the small flinches from the two indicated the message was crystal clear to both, standing and turning the general of the Anti-Satan factions crimson legion walked out the massive room's door, barely showing any hint or care at his leisure's pace or the fact he'd turned his back to two arguably powerful devils, yet the two made no attempt at the obvious bait

As the devil left the two other devils made two very different reactions to the turn of events, one of them voiced her findings "He played us for fools, he was the diversion this whole time"

Euclid, meanwhile was trying very hard to destroy the door way with his glare alone, but stopped to look at his sister "when'd you figure that out?"

The women sighed at her mistake "The moment he asked us why he'd come here, more importantly why he'd come to a unimportant territory deep within our lines, this castle is miles from any form of trade route or other clan house, the Halphes clan was always so secluded from the other's, the only reasons we have it is based on quick action, poor choice it may have been"

Euclid only hummed disapprovingly at his sisters words before she continued "we expected Sirzechs to be a hotheaded general, had we'd considered him more intelligent we might have been able to avoid this assault entirely but we were reckless, the boy should have been transported the moment we caught him"

"I heard that didn't go as planned, something about a blast of power, vaporized the capture team completely" Euclid had heard the rumors about the targeted child; he'd never seen him considering he was just another prisoner, why waste his time looking? But now he wished he did, his sister had jumped at the moment the phenomenon landed, which was normally, the lucifuge house was extremely loyal to Lucifer, what Sirzechs had said was correct, no fallen angel other then Lucifer had ever fallen from hell's skies. Ever, which hinted to the possibility of the Fallen star of God to be still alive, wounded yes but alive none the less

The rest was history, the boy was eventually captured and Euclid let his sister (the professional in persuasion) do her job, which led all the way up to this point

"Should have expected his target to be this obvious, he may be hotheaded but he isn't a war hero for nothing" continued the women; Euclid popped an eyebrow at his sister questioningly

"You know a bit about him?"

"You were too young to truly live in a time of war brother, during that time not a single devil, angel or fallen would live a day without hearing his name, so yes brother – I do know of him – it would be foolish to ignore the devil before us, he wasn't nicknamed _"Ruina Nex"_ for nothing" upon finishing her words she turned towards the alter where the mass teleportation seal was, its function having fully charged, the large mass of Noble's passed through them, far too eager to leave the castle with the enemy closing in

Euclid stood by and watched his sister vanished in neon blue light for a second, his mind running a few thoughts on the red haired devil they had nearly fought but moments ago, while most of his thoughts were running wild, a mild fearful thought crept up his spine at the prospect of facing that devil in combat and just how close they had almost done just that, he'd seen his sister battle before, seen her clear a room full of stuck up cowards with a look alone, face large numbers of opponents at neither hesitation or fear, she was a beauty among her peers not only in looks but in lethal elegance, not a moment or situation had gone by where she'd tense up like she did just moments ago, then the fact that she'd just upped and left, no pursuit or anything

If he had not known the danger the devil posed then chasing him would have been his choice, they had spent too much time here for the target to just be handed to the Rebel's without question but then he'd thought that idea through, how his sister must have seen things rather than his, powerful child or not, he was but one man, both his sister and himself held more importance in the long run then a potential pet

No, they could have the brat for all he cared, as long as his lord had him and his sister they'd do just as fine

With a smirk and a renewed confident gait, Euclid Lucifuge joined his sister on the other side of the portal, already forgetting of today's loss to look towards tomorrow's victory

* * *

Sirzechs' nose crinkled as he descending the castle stairs leading to the dungeon his elite knights had converged on. He'd gotten the directions from his praetorians on where the _child_ was, so he'd followed their signatures towards the lower level of the castle, down to the inner most portion of the basement which was mostly a decrepit dungeon that bleed off into stable area. The cobblestone walls were old – visibly so – due to the large build up of mildew and undergrowth; the caretakers had most likely been done away with since the execution of this castle's lord months ago and the flooring was horrendous, the once pristine purple rug was caked in small traces of blood, dirt and mud.

 _However the worst was the smell_

Most common traits dungeons possessed was that most didn't have bathrooms to speak of, so he could only guess what the smell was which was also mixed in with drying blood and decay. Month old corpses of his men and women lied within individual cells framing the dungeons hall - only adding to the wretched smell within the dungeon - which then led down towards an open side room filled with various items meant specifically for cleaning wild animals while other item's were of the obvious 'torture' variety. The sight was easy to read, as anyone could image the terrible events that had occurred within the walls of castle halphes' dungeon and if Sirzechs had to guess, then this was a Familiar stable retrofitted to house Prisoners and subsequently torture them. in the end, his men had died in extremely poor conditions, most likely being seen as nothing more then garbage.

His fist clenched tightly

Ignoring his sudden regret at letting the lucifuge duo go, he pressed towards the light source at the end of the hall; passing by more bodies as he went. Even if one was still alive he'd have been happy, but no, not a single one looked capable of surviving the wounds that had been inflicted upon them and it angered him even more as he pressed on. by now he'd passed the older bodies, leaving the ones seen now to be sporting fresh wounds to the neck and spine with only seconds - maybe minutes of death. Some had died quick while others not so much and it only further pressed his growing fury. however he sighed as he approached the loading section of the Dungeon, sensing his elite guard just around the corner. once he turned the corner however he spotted a single carriage – one that his guard would not approach – within the single bay loading dock.

His vision was taken momentarily by surprise however at what he saw _around_ the single carriage. Surrounding the carriage was a massive build up of energy which looked transparent in nature that fit over the carriage in a Dome. _T_ he sheer level of rage oozing off of the carriage was a dead giveaway as to why his praetorian guard – men who stood in his proximity daily – stood so far from it; meaning it was nothing to ignore, nor underestimate.

"What is this?" he asked, garnering the firmed attention of one of the knights close by

" **My lord, the energy is not like anything we've seen before; no one can approach without suffering its wrath"** spoke the praetorian as he lifted his left hand to show the Crimson devil the damage it had done.

Sirzechs' eyes slowly rose at the sight of the Praetorian's severed hand. by the look of it alone, it appeared as if it had been practically _erased_ off, which only solidified the danger currently present. sirzechs had to handle this solo it seemed. "Get to a medical tent and see if you can acquire a prosthetic... I'll handle this" the knight in question did a hardened salute at his words - obviously thankful for his consideration - before the squad of praetorian's left, knowing perfectly well their lord was much more powerful than they were.

For a moment Sirzechs stood still all the while masking his power as a sign or show of submission, it may have been unheard of for a devil to submit to a lesser power or submit in general but a raging unknown power wasn't to be trifled with or further enraged, any devil who'd do so was a fool in his eyes. So instead he dropped his power, hoping the child within the carriage understood his motives

For a painful minute the power surrounding the carriage remained, until a second minute passed and it started to lower ever slowly

For now, sirzechs had to play this slow and calmly as patience was needed and time was going to be his most important resource. The power that was cooling down was _very potent_ and if the fact one of his knights had lost a hand by merely trying to _touch it_ only thus further proved the importance of caution. Any sudden moves or words could cause the unknown force to suddenly spike and he knew what it was like to hold power in his hands; if the child suddenly recast the powerful barrier just moments after lowering it, then it could possibly sling shot out into a massive explosion.

 _He should know, he'd down it before..._

With trained grace, the Powerful devil strode calmly towards the right side of the carriage, making sure his footing was soft and not forceful. Once he'd made it to a small bench at the side of the room, he paused as the energy slowly declined in pressure. he hadn't noticed it before, but the room was oddly dense; the air felt heavy and his movements felt sluggish. It was an interesting discovery – one he'd probably look into later – but right now he only dashed the thought to the side before he sat down at the bench.

 _"I can still sense you Devil, there is no place you can hide"_ came a voice that sparked sirzechs attention. It originated within the carriage but it boomed off the walls all around him, and it surprised him momentarily at the sheer authority the voice carried. Had this been the child speaking? It sounded much older than one and it seemed calmer then he had expected.

Obviously the _"Child"_ could sense him easily, so seeing as how his slow approach was not needed any more, he stood up calmly and walked towards the carriage and paused just a few feet from the carriage door. A small open glass window by the door of the carriage was slightly tinted so he couldn't see who he was now conversing with, but regardless of the setback, sirzechs kept his eyes on the blackened window.

He shrugged at an idea before replying. "I like to make it clear that I'm not like the ones before...the ones who I believe are the source of your anger" it was a long shot of a statement, he'd sounded forceful in his tone due to his haste to explain his relations so his voice was mildly rushed, his idea was to make sure the occupant of the carriage knew who he was talking to and that he wasn't an enemy.

 _"Ah, so your one of those 'Rebel's' these guys have been talking about"_ the 'child' replied, mild interest in his voice

Sirzechs ignored the tone he spoke and pressed on. "My name is Sirzechs Gremory, I'm a general in the Anti-Satan army" Sirzechs revealed, tone more polite then before

 _"A big shot huh? My, don't I feel privileged... what's a General doing all the way out here anyway?"_ his voice cracked mildly throughout his comment and Sirzechs noticed his voice was incredibly hoarse. he'd over heard the mysterious female mention they'd forced Starvation on the Child and sirzechs could only imagine what other despicable acts the old-Satan's had done... regardless, he'd find a way to meld that into the conversation.

"We'd gotten word of a castle that was housing my men and women here, so I did what was best and rallied an invasion force to take the castle, which is why I stand here now" at his words Sirzechs heard a small grunt and hum

 _"Your late..."_ grumbled the 'child'. There was humor in his tone, but it was said in an empty voice so he'd found no reason to laugh. _"Those Bastards killed your men general, fortunately for you though they learned nothing of your little marry band of misfits while they gutted them, the broken ones they killed quickly but the more resilient ones though? Well, safe to say they learned what pain was"_

sirzechs' hands clenched into fists at his words; he'd ignored most of the cells on his way down here in order to stay calm, but now he felt like he'd insulted the dead because of it. His men had been butchered without relenting anything - a duty truly fulfilled in the hands of prison - but the pain was still there, and he'd walked right passed them, as if their suffering didn't even move him. His other hand clenched at that thought before he dropped it in favor of a new question, a calmly sigh escaping as he did so.

"What about you? What did they do to you?" he asked, clearly searching for some kind of positive note

 _"Me? Well..."_ he trailed off, bad memories were obviously invading the Child's mind, memories he'd wanted to not reminisce. _"... what didn't they do"_ he said, his voice distant and empty, the red haired devil's nose crinkled at his words. _"But I'm more of the lucky ones I guess"_ at his last comment Sirzechs looked up to the carriage with surprise.

"One of the Lucky ones? What makes you say that?"

There was a silence, a long one that seemed to span minutes but Sirzechs knew it wasn't hesitation that kept the child's tongue, but rather his focus on another task... a moment later and his answer was clearly visible before him, any loose material within the room, be it rope, chains or small gravel rock on the dirty floor began to raise up into the air, slow and controlled but he could here small grunts and breathes of exertion within the carriage.

 _"I don't know where it came from or why I have it but... whatever I want, it just happens"_ to further his words a pair of keys on the far end of the room lifted off the small hook holding it before it floated over towards Sirzechs who sat up straight upon its slow approach, the keys chimed mildly before they halted just within the devils reach, who in return reach out to them. _"whatever pain they wished to inflict... i was left unharmed due to this power, quite a convenience no?"_ the 'child' revealed casually while the keys continued to float in mid air before sirzechs.

"You wish for me to free you?" asked the General hesitantly, the reason he asked such an obviously answerable question was more for permission to approach him; he didn't want to frighten the most likely traumatized boy and even he couldn't trust the rationality of one either.

The boy chuckled slightly before answering _"It is why you are here, is it not?"_ without warning the keys fell into the devils hands who stared at the keys for but a moment before standing and approaching the carriage with a control approach

As he approached the child continued speaking, it seemed to the devil that talking was what was keeping the boy calm _"I heard your conversation with the older devil, the prissy one... before those knights of yours showed up"_

"Why did you attack them?" questioned Sirzechs, he wanted to make small talk at this point, keep the kids mind occupied

 _"I didn't like them; they were to...err... what's the word?"_ he paused before he clicked his tongue _"forceful... the Devils before had rigged a magic circle thingy on the door before they left, the knight of yours jumped to open it without hesitation... tried to warn him but he didn't listen and I really didn't want to find out what those guys put on the door so I kinda pushed... I guess I pushed too much, took his hand for his trouble and sent the others sprawling all over the room, kinda funny if I didn't accidentally amputate one of your guys"_

For a moment Sirzechs stood still before the door to the carriage. He'd began running inspection of the door upon the child's mention of a possible seal. Funny enough, there was one – or what was left of it... the seal was shattered completely, even know the remnants of a _detonation_ seal was crumbling at his fingers; he guessed the seals power supply was linked to the individual within the carriage which explained the wild unknown energy emitted before.

He nodded at the kids subtle apology before he flexed his muscles and focused a jolt of power at the seals weak points, it didn't need much to shattered what remained...

"What about me?" he asked as he searched for the right key, one was already discarded

 _"When you arrived here I had felt your power... lower... drop almost completely off the map"_ the boy said, sirzechs heard a shift within the carriage, most likely a shrug before the boy continued. _"I can still feel most of it though; rather horrifying at first since I thought you were an enemy, but you changed that... unlike your knight friends you seemed... calmer than them, reassured even...heh, not gonna lie, I'm slightly insulted"_

By that time sirzechs had found the correct key and had made to unlock the carriage door; however, just before he could use it, the key was suddenly frozen in place just inches from the key slot. Like a unseen force, the key was practically held there solidly; sirzechs made to push it in but his hands only shuddered and vibrated while the small metal key groaned at the pressure that held it. narrowing his eyes at the development, sirzechs merely glanced up to the carriage window only to see a set of glowing blue eyes staring back at him, the power held within denoted that the child inside was the very person holding him in place.

 _"while I have given you a modicum of trust Devil, I do not fully understand your position..."_ the boys voice was hard and very serious _"my time here was long, but I did not remain ignorant of my predicament for long. I've heard your friends speak of a Great war – a battle between three fractions – a war that has ended, twin dragons of crimson and white now dead... the death of a god, and the fall of four great demons... all this and now I hear of a civil war"_

It didn't take Sirzechs long to realize the force that had a hold of his his hand. At first he'd thought the power was keeping him from using the key but now he noticed the force hand now gripped his hand with a strength he had never believed possible. his eyes slowly widened into a more readied position while his senses quickly noted the seriousness in the room...

 _the child had him... and he knew the grip wasn't going to let go_

He remained silent, enticing the child to press on...

 _"I may ask you one thing... whose side do you dwell on general? what motive do you really possess?"_ the pressure on sirzechs' limb was growing with every second, and he knew the power that could vaporize a high-class devils limb wasn't something he was comfortable in trying to overcome or test, so his answer was instant.

"Its true what they had said about a Great War... i was there... however after the great war, we devils have lost many – so many that extinction is upon the horizon. After the war ended in no ones victory, a divide in our species rose up... two factions have Risen to accommodate the power vacuum left behind by the Four kings that were killed. One is the Old-Satan's; they want to continue the war while the Anti-Satan faction wishes for a time of Peace... I have allied myself with the Anti-Satan faction as I see no more need of bloodshed" he shook his head at the final sentence, eyes dropping low.

 _"But you understand the need of bloodshed, if your desire for peace is strong then war will be needed to achieve it"_

sirzechs eyes flashed briefly at the question. "Of course it is, I have told myself this long ago"

He heard a shrug again from within the carriage. _"Sorry for questioning your drive general, but I'm not so easily moved to loyalty..."_ Sirzechs eyes widened at the implication, an action the child within the carriage must have felt it as the atmosphere within the room lightened moderately. _"If the cost for my freedom is to fight those who have given me a reason to fight them, then it's a simple choice to make... I'd insult those who had died here if I simply ran away rather than fight... something I'd never consider"_

The conviction within the boys voice was surprising; Sirzechs had been trying to come to terms on just how _unaffected_ the boy was to being imprisoned the whole time he was here. He'd had thought he was trying to get a reclusive boy to open up and calm down when in fact it was not the case at all. by all rights the kid should sound despaired, and sure for a moment he'd heard weakness within the boy before but it was quickly replace with anger and a small tinge of fury

Within a second the force holding his hand relented _"I guess I can trust you – however you devils define 'trust' that is"_

The key slid into the lock and he gave it a light twist before the carriage door was opened to reveal the one within...

For a minute Sirzechs stared at the owner of the voice he'd been speaking to, his eyes almost coming across as dumbfounded. The rumor's and whispers of what the _Phenomenon_ was had lead to the confirmed Gender yet the age was always random. it was only until his spies had confirmed that it was a 'child' but now he was dashing their reports right this moment because what sat before him was a _man_ who looked very close to his own age...

The man had crimson red hair; surprising close to his own and a set of a striking blue eyes that seemed to glow in the darkened canvas of the seat less carriage, his build was toned and rather muscular for a prisoner and his attire consisted of a few rags that fit over his upper torso and his waist

The man was eyeing him closely before he raised his chained hands and waved at him lazily

"Nice hair" he commented off handily...

For a minute Sirzechs was filing this day as one of the most odd Rescue campaigns he'd ever led, before he reached in and shattered the cuffs holding the man where he was with a simple pulse of his power. with a mild shake of his head after destroying the mans chains, sirzechs stepped back to give the red head enough room to step out from the carriage and stretch his limbs. after a moment of silence - and a few audible pops of stiff joints - the nameless man glanced over to a calmly staring sirzechs.

"Where you expecting a damsel in distress?" he asked jokingly after seeing the mans confused expression. "I could jump into your arms if you'd like" he continued, forcing sirzechs' eyes and expression to slightly shift into a disturbed complexion.

Before Sirzechs could press the issue of leaving, the red head merely grunted to himself upon seeing his lacking attire and merely strolled over to one of the dead inquisitors within the room. silently, the man inspected the corpse before nodding to himself. "Hm... seems about my size" he commented casually.

As the man stripped the deceased inquisitors clothes before placing them on, Sirzechs stared slightly shocked at his disregard to the dead, a mild look of disgust withholding his expression. However he didn't say anything about it, as not many devils in his army could survive torture at the hands of the New-Satan faction and walk away from it as healthy as the man before him. The rare few who did walk away from it barely held any respect or honor regarding those who had tortured them, because in their eyes, the tortured saw the torturers as walking corpses...

It was understandable in a morbid way

After a few minutes the man finally approached him in a set of 'new' clothes. The nameless man had discarded the majority of the deceased knights armor and had even scavenged a set of noble attire from some where else. he'd used only the knights metal plated greaves, gauntlets and chest plate as protective features that were worn over top the nobles black long overcoat, red undershirt and black slacks. The unnamed man stopped to pop the collar of his undershirt before he creased it down over the coats collar and then moderately glared at the set of nobleman shoes he'd merely slipped on.

' _Rather roguish appeal if anything, but at least he's not naked'_ thought Sirzechs as he dismissed his own disgust

"Been a while since I wore some clothes..." he said as his flexed his gauntlet-ed hands "...don't know what you had till it's gone" his smirk grew for a moment before he dropped a hand and held out his right, in a manner similar to a hand shake that sirzechs obliged almost the second the man offered it.

"I would have given proper introductions before but first impressions is important" his hand dropped to his side as he shrugged again "and I'd rather the occasion to be remembered while I was actually wearing clothing... you'd understand"

Sirzechs nodded his head in agreement before replying "I think I'd have made an exception, not many prisoners have proper conversations with their saviors while still within their prison"

At this the man slightly smirked "I guess I can see your point" he said before he did his best bow. It was a rather crude one to be precise in sirzechs' opinion; his right leg stepped forward before crossing in front of his left leg while this happened, his left hand crossed behind his back as his right crossed over his chest... rather extravagant if he had to say.

"My name is Ryden Vale, eldest son of the Vale family" he said this as he rose, a small smile befitting benevolence adoring his dirtied features

At the name, Sirzechs' eye brow rose slightly. "House of vale?" he questioned with a small frown. "...I never heard of it, you _are_ a part of the _Ars Geotia_ are you not?" upon asking the simple question; the room suddenly felt heavy again and Sirzechs immediately questioned if he'd angered Ryden somehow.

Ryden's smirk remained on his lips but sirzechs could tell the threatening nature behind it. "I do not know what the _Ars Geotia_ is..." he stated calmly "...But it rings a bell, the _Ars Geotia_ is related to King Solomon is it not?"

Sirzechs nodded, confused on the change of mood

"I learnt that in religion class way back in school, around four years ago... on earth" it became perfectly clear what the man was implying, he hadn't noticed how the man always referred to devils independently from himself, his lack of noble understanding and also his name, no devil – be they a part of the 72 pillars or not - had ever been called 'Vale', which meant only another thing...

"Are you an archangel?" asked the devil, a normal angel would have been burnt to ash from fallen from hells skies

The man smirked at the question before shaking his head gently. "That's a nice compliment, but no I'm not"

"Then you are a fallen angel of the Grigori" the devil accused

Again the man shook his head dismissively. "Again, I appreciate the compliments but I'm not _that_ good looking" he smirked to himself before his hand brushed over his face. "I'd never been told I had an angelic face before... and what the hell's a Grigori?"

This had stumped Sirzechs; the man was neither angel nor fallen-angel but it was impossible to think otherwise. The powers the man possessed was nothing anything other than an Archangel could possible achieve and the boy was neither? He couldn't be a mystical creature as they had a natural pheromone that practically gave them away if they were within arm's reach and he'd smelt nothing like one, even then considering that most, if not all, of the most powerful mystical creatures had died in the great war exactly one hundred years ago.

"Then what species do you hail from? Is it Dragons? Kitsune? Vampire? Elves? Nekomata?" as Sirzechs rattled off the options, Ryden stood by blinking at the man like it was a complete shock that he hadn't found the answer which slightly miffed Sirzechs to an extent, how could none of the species he'd mentioned not be the one?

"Then what are you?" he asked finally, his frustration was only just slightly visible to Ryden

smirking at the devils frustration, ryden merely asked his own. "I'll ask you a few questions... what did god consider his most valued creation? The one he'd ordered his angels to follow and protect? And what does Lucifer himself hate the most?" to Ryden the answers seemed extremely obvious; as most of what he said was far to simple to speculate on, yet to a devil... the answer was far more elusive.

"What's gods most valued creation?" sirzechs asked in return, repeating the question to see if it sounded right on his tongue

Ryden nodded in confirmation. "That's right"

For a minute it was silence, as Sirzechs delved deep into his memory about why the devils fell to war with the forces of heaven. It was long ago; back when he was just growing up with war looming over his head. A military position had already been open for him due to his family status and power, and all he to do was reach an age requirement and complete his training. once that was met, he went in from the frying pan and into the fire and in that time he'd only known the single reason most devils fought.

it was simply required of them...

the dictatorship of Lucifer himself had all but ordered _all_ able devils to join the war and fight, and there was no other supplied reason to the forced drafting and no other reason was given from then on; minus the clear and obvious propaganda that constantly drove in the fear of falling at the hands of an 'unforgiving angel'. so from that point on, the war was full swing, and sirzechs had found himself neck deep in bodies, blood and suffering... despair and confusion was all that anyone truly knew in those times, and far be it from any of them to try and comprehend the meaning of it.

Among the death and the killing no one had time to explain why they were fighting, why they were tearing apart angels, why fallen angels hunted them like game and why he'd chosen to raise his blade and kill millions of lives all because it was expected of him...

 _But then he froze when a memory breaching through the cloud of his mind..._

A long trailed thought, one that was supposedly lost in his long life of war. he'd remembered the day well now, when he was promoted by Lucifer himself to command a legion larger then what the Gremory family was allowed, all because he'd defeated an _Archangel_ in mortal combat - a high honor and legendary feat considered by all worthy of full praise. he didn't remember the name of the Archangel that had fallen at his blade, but he remembered him asking Lucifer why the war raged on... what the main cause was that sparked everything.

Sirzechs was mildly surprised at that fact that Lucifer hadn't killed him for speaking, but he guessed the Fallen Archangel liked the look in his eye because he answered anyway...

" _My father is perfect and Creation incarnate, an existence mighty enough to create beings like me-constructs forged from celestial light given form and mind... yet... YET HE FAVORS THOSE THINGS! THOSE FILTHY **HUMANS**!"_ he remembered being horrified by the Demons sure rage within its tone, he was young and weaker than he was now at the time so all he did was stare in awe at his king "He ordered us to kneel to them, to love them more than him... the murderous, hairless apes... I chose different and now here I stand, and when we win... we'll kill every last one of them, this I vow"

The sheer venom within Lucifer's tone was impossible to define in its severity, and Sirzechs at the time didn't press the issue because Lucifer had already spoken enough...

And it was in that memory that he'd gotten his answer... an answer that still to this day, caused a bitter taste in his mouth.

sirzechs glanced up to the gaze of Ryden Vale soon after realizing what was standing in front of him. Ryden had been silent for the time being; most likely to let him think on his cryptic questions. but now that sirzechs had his answer, his mildly awed expression clearly expressed the gravity of his realization.

"You are... Human?" he asked in disbelief only to receive a casual nodded - a rather light one actually - however the man's eyes bore into sirzechs with something reminding him of a judging dragon, like he was contemplating his retaliation if Sirzechs became hostile.

"Yes..." he began "...So I ask you, Sirzechs Gremory..." the rooms pressure grew more thick as the mans words reverberated against the walls, and Ryden's posture quickly displayed a fierce readiness that honestly too sirzechs off guard momentarily. Sirzechs was confident in his power as he'd mastered it years ago and perfected his form to a level only one other had reached, but Ryden was an anomaly that had created a Great canyon with a messily landing, vaporized a high-class devil's hand wearing anti-energy armor and stood before him with a level of confidence no other high-class devil had showed without feinting a few seconds later... and his gaze didn't at all possess mercy. Ryden's left leg slightly shifted back before both of his legs bent just slightly into a concealed position while his eyes sharpened to something Sirzechs had only seen in the glare of a cornered beast."...will that be a problem?" finally questioned the human.

the warning question was obvious and for a moment Sirzechs didn't know why it was an issue, but that wasn't until he remembered where they were standing. If the defensiveness in Ryden was any indication, a devil learning of his species was usually followed by some kind of torture, so much so that Ryden was now instinctively preparing himself to defend against the torturer. it was clear now that Ryden wasn't completely unharmed from the torture, physically he may be perfect, no scars, no burns and most of his skin was still on his body; however the same couldn't be said of his mental state. Being tortured – regardless of physical immunity – could still leave scar's, and most of them were not always visible.

Sirzechs held up his hands in surrender quickly upon noticing the slowly escalating situation, and action that Ryden read as his sign to calm himself, seeing as how the devil didn't appear as quick tempered as the others had been. His posture loosened slightly but his position still screamed 'cornered' before a moderately confused expression appeared on Ryden's features upon noticing sirzechs 'retreat'. "I had learned long ago that the cause of the great war wasn't due to an important reason, but rather a petty one" at this, Ryden's arms suddenly crossed and a sour expression appeared on his face before he continued. "I've heard of the story of Lucifer... daddy got annoyed – kicked the spoiled brat out – brat has a tantrum, yada, yada, yada... case in point? Great War was started because of Daddy issues, but that doesn't exactly explain why all of the sudden i meet a devil that doesn't lose his shit the moment my humanity is mentioned... why the concede General? does my freedom spark hesitation in you?" questioned Ryden, the indifference in Ryden's tone had made Sirzechs pause (yet again) but ignored the question looming in his mind for later in order to answer the more present questions.

his hands lowered to their sides gently before his calm gaze met Ryden's own. "I had believed that Lucifer was a necessary leader for devils for a time, but he truly wasn't. I learned young that the Morning Star was simply using us as cannon fodder just so he could get back at his father, so it is as you so elegantly put it... _daddy issue's_ " replied sirzechs before his own expression slightly shifted into a pained and angered glare. The thought so many had died for such a pathetic reason was... he couldn't quite explain the feeling. Many devils back then had willing thrown themselves into war with rabid smiles on their faces, while others did so out of fear of their leader's; many good devils died due to a cause they'd probably be disgusted to have fought for, and it enraged him that many more will continue to parish so long as the civil war carries on.

"Many Devils understand that war is not a way of life for us anymore... our numbers have dropped far too low for us to even consider it. others may try to fight it, but change is necessary" he paused before he looked to Ryden, his eyes studying his for a moment before Sirzechs nodded "to answer your question, i concede from engaging in pointless conflict when its possible as i loath the idea of becoming enraged with someone who clearly possesses the right to feel defensive just because their species differs from my own... i leave short tempers to the fools at the point of my blade"

ryden smirked at the reply, a small genuine show of respect reflecting in his gaze. "hehe... a respectable and opened minded devil? my luck isn't as abysmal as i thought it was" he muttered jokingly

Sirzechs smirked softly at the humor before his expression grew slightly remorseful. "however I cannot promise your life here will be better then what you've been through. though i may not possess a loathing towards you, many devils however do believe in peace, but it's largely Bias to only Devils... a single human among them would still cause anger and disgust" warned sirzechs.

Ryden looked to him and smirked, his posture relaxing before he shrugged at the devils word of warning. "I'm human, always will be no matter the trials, but the thing with us humans is that..." his smirk grew into a large smile "...we can adapted pretty well"

Sirzechs nodded at the logic in the humans words, a small ounce of his own respect slowly rising towards the man's steadfast integrity. however, at the mention of 'adapting', a thought struck him like a bolt of Arc energy. with a moderate snap of his fingers, sirzechs quickly studied Ryden's features closely - breaking into the humans space bubble completely - and leaving the man completely confused at the sudden action.

Ryden's eyes began to shift from left to right before his eyebrows narrowed into confusion at the devils actions. "Uh bud... Personal space please" he stated hesitantly but Sirzechs didn't move at all, or even hear him for that matter and instead he stared at the man's hair and eyes; fixated at the similarities.

"Your hair is pretty close to that of a Gremory... its density is just as thick too and your eyes are also similar, though they're not teal like mine and my father's, but I could always say it's a side effect of your abilities" at that point Ryden knew the devil wasn't talking at him, but rather muttering to himself about something...

For a minute the Powerful devil remained in Ryden's personal space; studying his facial features with rapt attention while Ryden himself stood by in slowly growing confusion and annoyance

Finally sirzechs backed off after a couple minutes of studying, a smile working up his face. "It's settled then, if you are sure fighting is what you desire, then I shall grant you that desire... come with me... _little brother"_ the last part was said under the devils breathe but Ryden had heard it, but before he could say anything the devil strode to the door, a determined stride in his steps...

Ryden shook his head for a second before he processed the devils words. "Wait what!" he asked suddenly, but the devil was already leaving. "Hey wait a minute! What did you call me?!" he called out hastily yet no answer came. Ryden silently cursed at the turn of events before he chased after the devil. however, before he left, he froze at the door before turning back to the cells that lined the majority of the stable area.

His eyes lingered on the room briefly, a shimmer of emotion lining his features as every memory he had of it invaded his mind. this was a room he'd spent a better part of nearly a year in, a room that held many nightmares and tragedies within its walls, a place in which he had understood despair and had witness countless people come and go like a light breeze in the wind.

all through that time, he knew he'd find a way to get out; and now was that exact time... but yet... even if he was free...

 _The cries of those that endured **his** Pain would remain..._

 _The anguish and the tears... would still persist..._

...Their were many that had suffered only to never see a glimmer of hope...

ryden eyes clenched shut briefly - his mind invaded by those that he'd watched die - before his fists clenched tightly in rage, a new resolve forming in a matter of seconds at the thought of all of them. his freedom had come at a heavy price... and he'd be damned if he didn't repay it...

* * *

 **A/N:** _Rather short chapter to start with but I think it hit my target number... nearly 10,000 words in total seems like a reasonable range but seeing my track record they might get longer_

 _Anyway I think it's time I explain my motivation for this story_

 _A couple months ago (a year now actually) I had come up with an idea pertaining to a civil war story within the DxD universe which was encouraged by one of my reviews on my other story. Not a new one but the already existing one that for some reason NO ONE writes about. I do enjoy writing military stories to a curtain degree (my new story **DxD: human power** can attest to that) but this one has been on my mind for as long as the other story._

 _Not much to really explain, just that I've almost planned out the entire story completely, the only hard part of this story will be its civil war aspect as there is literally ZERO information pertaining to the events, what devil families supported the Anti-Satan faction, what devils betrayed or who was the heads of the family houses at the time_

 _Again, I'm expecting too much detail from an Ecchi anime (But considering its length it's practically a soft-core porn shounen anime at this point)_

 _But this lacking of information can also benefit me in a way_

 _Since there is such a large lacking of information of culture, military structure, political structure and ecosystem in the underworld during this time, I can almost create my own world using already existing characters... and by existing characters I mean the slight handful present during this time_

 _I'm not one to reveal story information during A/N's as I feel that breaks immersion and mystery within the story, so if things are confusing do still point them out but most of the stuff I'm writing WILL come to light and most of your questions will become answered, however asking them anyway is a great way for me to **remember** what to point out at some point._

 _I'm a relatively new writer with only a modicum of writing experience under my belt, mistakes are expected (I do try to fix them as I write my stories) so do take it easy_

 _ **[Further note: this chapter had been heavily edited on march 1st, 2019]**_

 _So to sum up my motivation: I had never seen a story taken place during the civil war, I like older characters rather than the teenage ones because... well... I'm not a teenager, **and** because I'm a lunatic for a unique setting and story..._

 _Like come on! No DxD: Doom stories? All you edge lords out there would have a hell of a time (no pun intended) writing one of those slaughter fests, there's halo: DxD stories but most of them are just Master Chief and Issei body swaps which makes me want to have a pulmonary embolism at that stupid idea and absolutely ZERO alien vs. Predator stories?!_

 _Like off the top of my head I already have an idea for that, instead of Akeno's mom being killed in the past they are instead witness to a Yautja killing their would-be killers, and instead of her being pissed off at her dad, she'd instead be the most informed of the new threat that's killing a lot of major key characters..._

 _See I have these ideas but I have the attention span of a moth in a fireworks convention and the grammar control of a epileptic 3rd grader... **and** the minute my fingers hit a keyboard I develop Parkinson's for some damn reason... annoys the shit outta me. _

_DxD has a horrible writing community (As what I've seen recently) most stories are either Way to edgy (as mentioned) to get behind or the story is just a simple rewrite with mild changes throughout in a severe case of SSDA (Same Shit Different Anus) or the writer is so incredibly horny the story is just full of hormonally triggered teens spamming the reviews with Harem Idea's to the point I'm just wondering if there would be an actual **orgy** scene later on..._

 _(Points to a writer who actually has the balls to do that_ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 _I haven't seen one yet but I feel like I'll probably find one soon... and now that I've mentioned it, I probably will a lot sooner (bullocks)_

 _The only other story I had come to find true motivation from is_ _ **"the Fifth hero of the great war"**_ _which tells only a single chapter of the civil war (which was enough to motivate me) before the story goes on a Roller coaster of emotional feels and political hurricanes_

 _Great read honestly (though you'll really not like Sirzechs or Grayfia for a couple weeks, it's still pretty damn good)_

 _Anyways that's enough ranting and raving, I do hope this small taste of what's to come was enough to hook you all to continue reading_

 _Please leave your thought's in a review or don't if you didn't_

 _R &R_

 _And I'll see you next time_


	2. Adoption

**-Adoption-**

 _The first day I was in Sirzechs' care was an odd one... I'd expected immediate resentment and contempt from the devil but surprisingly, he was understanding and open of my difference in species_

 _From then on my life took a step in an odd direction_

" _Little brother"_

 _Those were the words spoken by Sirzechs Gremory, due to my similar red hair and blue eyes my appearance was very close to the devil_

 _I don't really know why he thought of adopting me_

 _Total strangers in a decrepit dungeon, filled with the dead bodies of his followers_

 _But then again... who am I to read the mind of a devil?_

 _Whatever his reason was, it sure as hell put me on the right path_

 _Consequences' be damned_

* * *

Ryden eyed the mug of 'hell water' that sat before him; Sirzechs had poured him a cup of it from one of his many provision caches and said for him to drink it. Sirzechs couldn't really understand his hesitance and he had fought the urge to explain why, from a human's perspective – anything that starts with 'hell' usually doesn't sound hygienic or healthy for a human and in the end, involves a lot of dry heaving with possible possession – he didn't know that but, nothing good could come from it

But in the end, he drank it anyway... six months of torture and isolation and he'd fold from a goblet of water? Ryden didn't like the sound of that, especially with what he'd overcome

The liquid was soothing and it cleared his hoarse throat almost immediately, something that Sirzechs was quick to explain... apparently, hell water was a form of medicine, not as strong as a Phenex tear – a liquid said to hold the properties of immortality – this liquid however, jumpstarted natural healing and numbs out internal pain

He didn't know how long it was since he'd drank something, his interrogators had taken that basic survival need around the first month of captivity and this was the first drop he'd gotten

It was an odd taste, it was as soothing as scotch and it tasted like cherry and it was as fizzy as pop

"Do you like it?" asked Sirzechs

Ryden glanced up towards him, he was situated in a large wooden chair, its appearance was extravagant and luxurious as was his desk which held multiple papers and maps of the surrounding geographic area and currently, Sirzechs was eyeing a paper in his hands

Something Ryden had not truly believed

"Yes... it's new to me but, it's rather good" replied Ryden; he placed the golden goblet onto the night stand beside him and gave the devil before him an even gaze, something that gained Sirzechs' attention

But the devil only trailed off onto another subject

A bottle – again, extravagant design – suddenly appeared in his hand in a red flash

"A high quality spirit, brewed in the capital of Lucifaad – a placed named Falls Peek if I remember" Sirzechs eyed the bottle quite fondly before placing it on his desk "the brewing business was uprooted a few months ago... damn shame if you ask me"

At the words of the devil Ryden only sat there stupefied, his mouth moved to say something but he stopped before he could, why was he being given a glass of the most popular drink in hell? And why did that effect him so much? He shook his head rapidly before getting back onto his earlier question

"Aside from that... what is it that you're doing?"

The devil gave a knowing smirk before the bottle of spirit vanished "are you aware that you have become the most valuable player in this war? Surly you have noticed" it seemed Sirzechs had caught on, his question was spoken casually but a hint of seriousness clued Ryden in as to what Sirzechs was getting at

He nodded simply "I am... they spoke of me as the "second coming" of their leader Lucifer, I was speculating at first that their torture was a means to break my human mind" Ryden rolled his eyes and his head "real persuasive those cultist pricks were – but yes, I'm aware, but that doesn't explain the adoption"

Sirzechs smirked at his words "Informed you are of our history to an extent, but you still lack understanding of our politics" Sirzechs stood from his desk and began to walk around it

"Our politics are strictly tied to our war efforts at the moment; priorities are acted on rather than considered...so, knowing that, do you know what our objective is?" Ryden simply shook his head, enticing Sirzechs to continue on "our first order of business is to determine whose fighting who, my species is facing its first and largest divide in history - who wants to run their heads into the wall of extinction or those who seek prosperity and peace"

Ryden nodded "And my roll of importance?"

Sirzechs gave him a small pensive expression "you fell from demonic skies and wield unknown powers that left a quarter of a territory in a crater, no other devil has done that _without trying,_ so yes, you are much more important than you think" at this Ryden's eyes momentarily widened, he didn't know about leaving a creator

Grabbing a folder from his desk and what looked like the most edgy quill Ryden ever saw, Sirzechs held out the two for him to take

"Please sign the document – bottom left, initials will do just fine" he supplied

Taking the paper and the utensil Ryden eyed the paper before looking back up to Sirzechs "again... I'm not seeing what your selling, don't feel insulted but from where I'm from, we learn quick to never sign anything a devil gives us" if Sirzechs was insulted, then he'd only converted the anger into amusement as the small snicker from the man answered Ryden's words

"What's so funny?" asked the man

Calmly himself Sirzechs only smiled at him "It's an understandable rule to live by, but we devils apart of the New-Satan faction prohibit the coveting of human souls and freedoms, with how our species is, a cooperative relationship with your kind would be beneficial"

Ryden's eyes slightly widened "Not gonna lie, I never expected that kind of an answer" he said

Sirzechs only shrugged "If it makes you feel better, the adoption is a front, it's the quickest and easiest way to insure a level of protection for you, considering your importance and power, it's safe to assume the old-Satan faction have their eyes set on you – or they don't, I've overestimated their intelligence before – but, just for added security, you being related to me – one of the four commanding generals – will safely ensure political protection... should you be captured, then your status as my younger brother would guarantee a rescue effort rather than simply being left to your fate... does that settle any of your nervousness?"

Ryden nodded before he signed the paper "it seems like it has... though the 'vale' will remain" Sirzechs smirked before taking the paper and stamped it with a magic crest

"Congratulations, you are now a Gremory" he said with a small smirk "does 'Ryden vale Gremory' sound good?" asked Sirzechs

Ryden nodded "Yes, that's fine" he paused before he tapped his chin "say... is it really this easy to get adopted? It's a lot more complex from where I'm from" he asked

Sirzechs sat down in his office chair "no, you're rather lucky" he noticed Ryden's look so he elaborated

"I'm the heir and lord of the Gremory family and the commanding general of the red legion, during this point in time, martial law is in effect which makes me one of the four most powerful devils in hell at the moment... what I say literally means law, and if I want to adopted a random devil into the family then I can do so with the same levels of pride as the moment before"

Ryden nodded before his eyes lined in confusion "You are filing me up as a devil? Wouldn't that come back around and bite me in the ass?" he asked

Again Sirzechs shrugged "doesn't matter, your powers will be enough to keep the skeptics at bay and besides, I might be uncaring to your species but allot of the devils still consider them vermin, keep the front of the devil and you'll fit right in, who knows, maybe you might shed some good light onto the human race" the level of confidence Sirzechs emitted from his smile was nearly stifling for Ryden but he simply dismissed it

If a commanding general of the red legion – which frankly, slightly intimated Ryden – said and acted like there was no actual issue then whatever issue might surface would most likely be diffused immediately

He still had his doubts

After the papers were signed and officially dated, the file containing his adoption to a family he never knew suddenly vanished in a miniature magic circle

Ryden eyed the spot the paper was for a moment before glancing back up to Sirzechs who had returned to working at his desk, with how deep the devil delved into his task was nearly insane, Ryden had expected Sirzechs to be a sort of "flamboyant" character, rife with an easy going and lazy – but ultimately sharp – personality

Now he thought the man was bipolar, one minute he was smiling, then he was frowning and writing so furiously he'd thought the devil would have carpal tunnel the next minute

These creatures were allot more weird then what was written in the bible

"So..." Ryden started, trying to see if the man before him was listening "What do I do now?" he asked finally

Without looking up he replied "For now we are to return back to the front lines, this castles positioning on the board of action was way to far from any post for some sort of strategic front, perhaps a barracks – no that's not right, if attacked then reinforcements would take days to get here – maybe it could be used as – no, the trade routes don't come through here as often" the man was talking to him before but the more he did his tone drifted from addressing him then to addressing possible strategy, Ryden assumed the man's mind was rambling at this point

As Ryden was about to elaborate his confusion Sirzechs caught himself

"Oh... Ah? Right, do you have any formal military training before you were captured?" he asked

Ryden shook his head "No, but I've studied the Art of war... from what I've seen, you base your soldiers off of Roman rankings, am I correct?" for a moment Ryden swore he saw a hint of confusion pass over Sirzechs but he answered rather normally

"It's close... our highest ranking position is commanding general – my rank unfortunately, it's unobtainable for anyone else" Ryden slightly nodded but frowned, that sounded like a privilege ranking

Sirzechs continued from there "the other ranks are from second highest to lowest... you have: _commander_ , who leads the largest armies given to him by his commanding general, commanding generals hold four separate divisions each"

Ryden's eyes raised slightly "how many men per division?"

For a moment Sirzechs hummed before he snapped his fingers "I'd say around 10,000 men each, the commanders take their orders directly from me or the other three commanding generals, but in order to keep organized we usually tend to remain on separate fronts, and only occasionally join forces, but those times are rare"

Ryden nodded

"The rank below that are the commanders second in command, _the Praetorian guard_ "

Ryden's eyes then narrowed into confusion "There's more than one second in command?"

Sirzechs nodded "Yes, with how many jobs a commander has it's usually more efficient for multiple Praetorians to relay orders to the rank below that and then return to guard the commander whenever necessary, commanding generals have the authority to call for praetorian assistance during personal invasions" explained Sirzechs "the rank below is _Elder_ which commands 1,000 men which is divided up among his knight sentinels into a varying number of squads – anyone one who isn't either of those ranks is given a rank on what type of combatant they choose to be"

The newly adopted "devil" pondered for a moment before returning "I'm guessing those who choose weapons over spells are given more CQC based rolls while the spell casters deal ranged bombardment, like artillery"

For a moment the confusion on Sirzechs showed but it faded away before Ryden could fully see it "Y-yes, it's like that... those who wield a sword are given the rank of _knight_ , and those proficient with a spear, _lancer_ and those who specialize in casting ranged attacks are called _casters_ but most are usually called 'initiates'

Ryden nodded again at the information provide before his head leveled to Sirzechs, a determined glint in his eyes

"What would the requirements be to join the military effort?" asked Ryden causing the red haired devil to pause in his writing and look up in mild shock

"You just got out of 6 months of torture and the first thing you want is to jump right into a war?" the level of stupefied Sirzechs had reached was nearly comedic, here was a young human – who said to be nearing his 23rd birth cycle – seemingly more eager for battle then some of the low-class and high-class devils in his legion, at an age one would consider as an infant, it was so out of his understanding he had to comment on it "Are all you humans this crazy?" he asked

For the first time Sirzechs noticed a smirk play onto the man's lips

"Not all of them... only the royally pissed off ones" replied Ryden

Sirzechs' expression dropped into a strained smile "I understand your anger, I don't fully know what truly happened to you but to brazenly rush to a conflict is – I can't believe I'm saying this – reckless on multiple levels" he shifted in his chair and leaned back comfortably, giving Ryden his full attention "besides, have you truly grasped those powers of yours, I mean chewed – to the bone – what your full potential is?"

For a moment Ryden sat there, his eyes grew unfocused and distant to recall past events. He remembered the first day here, the sheer confusion and fear he felt... the weightlessness within himself and the massive pressure deep within, the feeling was similar to being extremely full, he had searched high and low for a possible way to release the pressure but ultimately failed

Until he was attacked

He didn't remember much, one moment he was on his ass and shielding himself from a spear tip then a white light or something filled the field he was in for near miles, the 12 men in armor that he now knew as the Old-Satan's inquisition was practically vaporized and like that the pressure was gone, but a warmness caked his body like a shield

The following torture – or attempts – of physical abuse after his subsequent capture a day later gave him the answers as to what the warmness was. It was a subconscious defense around his form, fueled by his desire to not be harmed, From then on the Interrogators had no choice but to relent from trying to hurt him physically and instead used other more unorthodox means

Ryden shook his head from the invading memories

The main thing was... he had a moderate control over whatever was happening to him but had little understanding of his full capabilities, just as Sirzechs had said, he did learn to pick things up and make barriers, it wasn't with his mind – or was it? – he didn't know, all he'd need to do was desire or want something to happen and it did, but so far he could only do so for one item at a time, anything more and it felt like he was multitasking mathematic equations, it just hurt to think at that point

And considering the conditions he was in made it nearly impossible to train

Ryden regained his gaze and locked it with a patient Sirzechs "I've gained a small grasp of its conception but ultimately I've gained zero footing" he replied and Sirzechs raised his hands in a "see?" gesture

"It's good you are aware of your limits Ryden, but even if you were a master of your abilities I'd still require you for a check up, which is what you'll be doing in a moment, I have friend there who will be thrilled to assist you in understanding you abilities"

Ryden's brow rose "you casually summon a bottle of liquor out of thin air, your very presents feels like an ocean floating over my head and telekinetic powers leaves you baffled... I find that hard to understand"

Sirzechs only smirked before he stood from his desk again "In all the times I've lived, no monster or angel has lived through devil torture and walked away from it as untouched as you" he turned his head and gazed off into thought "some were crippled, some others were so broken that ending their lives would be the best mercy" from the corner of his eye Sirzechs noticed Ryden flinch but made no move to inquire – he knew what it was "I'm afraid Ryden, what you hold isn't simple telekinesis but something much more... complicated"

For what Sirzechs stated – a veteran in supernatural abilities – Ryden had no choice but to accept his words, 6 months ago he was a simple man working a simple job, now he was a lynch pin in a civil war with powers that made a devil seem cautious

He'd like a talk with life sometime in the future but that'd have to wait

He cleared his head "When do we leave?"

"Right now" it was a simple phrase spoken moments before an honest to god portal opened up behind him, It was ovular in shape and gleamed with red and black energy, it looked ominous – black and red did go well together to make an appealing partnership but mostly said partnership revolved around edgy, dark and evil archetypes, not for messily transport

A hand landed on his shoulder which forced him to turn to see an amused Sirzechs hovering over him, Ryden was nearly 6 feet but the man behind him must be at least that and then some

"Nervous? I can assure you it only looks creepy, but it just feels like walking through a door" commented Sirzechs off handily

Ryden simply leveled a slight glare at him

"The last portal I traveled through was six months ago un-consented... and I was falling at terminal velocity... excuse me for being traumatized" he said, making Sirzechs chuckle

"Fair enough... follow me"

As Sirzechs made steps towards the portal Ryden turned around and glanced to the tents door before looking back at the devil in confusion, he was gonna ask why he was leaving his army behind but before he could even say anything the man vanished into the portal

Sighing at being left behind for the second time Ryden huffed lightly before he stepped into the portal with only moderate hesitance

He really was starting to feel like a younger brother

* * *

The first thing Ryden saw when he crossed the portal was a large amount of green, emerald and jade dominated the interior of the large tent with a few yellow accents throughout, multiple bookshelves dotted the outer section of the interior while a similarly large desk to Sirzechs' sat near the end of the tent, an array of libratory instruments were neatly organized throughout the room while varying spells operating them, some bubbled while other sparked orange flame it was a spectacle of lights and sounds that made the dimly light room seem alive

It didn't take long to notice a third man who Ryden believed to be Sirzechs' mentioned associate

The man was obviously a fan of the color green – Ryden summarized – the man's hair was slicked back into a flow and was a similar shade of green as the tents and the large done up trench coat that sat over a grey undershirt the man wore was also green, the only thing that wasn't green was the man's eyes, which were a greyish blue and to Ryden, they might as well be green as well

However his attention fell onto what he was doing, upon his desk floated a green three sided triangular object which Ryden quickly noted to be magic, the multiple sigils and words spoken in a language he had never seen before thrummed and pulsed gently, rhythmically cycling in-between gaps in the formula

Upon their entering the man glanced up from his desk, the triangular formula of devil magic floated gently over his desk before it lowered and dispelled to reveal a Chess piece that Ryden immediately identified as a king piece, said piece was ultimately dismissed by the man as he stood up and approached the two shortly after, now Ryden had _two_ giants before him

"Greetings Sirzechs, I didn't expect to see you for a few more days... did your vacation bear fruit?" greeted the man, his tone seemed bland and bored but his words carried an underline of snark, had he not been so keen to keep the man as his primary attention holder due to the similar sensation he felt from the man he probably would have assumed the man to be dismissive

Sirzechs chuckled good naturedly "Indeed it has, the Halphes Clan castle was too far outta the way for them to commit any true defence when they have so many other castles and lands to defend so it was easy to capture"

The man frowned "then what was the reason for your divergence?"

At that question Sirzechs became giddy "Do you remember when I said I found a lead as to what caused the event a few months ago?" Ryden nearly coughed when Sirzechs referred to the six months as 'a few', it felt like a decade

The man nodded "yes" he said simply, eyes dismissive

Sirzechs smiled like a child who found out Christmas came early "Well I picked up the scent on a resource run which led me directly to the Halphes clan capital castle!"

While Sirzechs seemed overjoyed the other man Ryden dubbed 'Mr. Green' seemed exasperated, either by Sirzechs' childlike personality or by some other means but Ryden assumed the former, the man just had too much energy

A long sigh escaped Mr. Green "So that's why you just upped and vanished, Serafall was livid when you did... you know she's not gonna be happy, especially if you came back empty handed, regardless of a flawless victory"

For just a moment, Ryden heard a small whimper escape the man's throat while his overjoyed smile remained in place, he didn't know who this _Serafall_ was but by the looks of it, she sounded like a hardass

"They did have someone that garnered my interest" a small gleam shown in Sirzechs' eyes when he spoke, which caused a similar glint to show in Mr. Greens eyes

" _Someone_ you say?"

Sirzechs didn't answer at first and instead stepped to the side to allow his friend a better view, Ryden slightly stiffened when the man's grey-blue eyes fell on him, they had a light to them that made him feel like he was being scanned both from the outside and the inside, knowing these beings, he probably was

"Who is he?" the man asked after an awkward moment of staring, his eyes were on Sirzechs who seemed like he had no motive to speak, so Ryden mounted up the gumption and introduced himself

He bowed, similarly as how he did it to Sirzechs a few hours ago, it was spotty at best but he'd never really bowed before "My name is Ryden Vale Gremory, it's a pleasure to meet you"

When he raised his head he saw two things, the first was Sirzechs' swooning expression and massive smile that he'd expect would rip his face in haft if it went a few more inches and the second thing was the massive shift in expression on Mr. Green who held an extremely stupefied and dumbstruck look of shock

"G-Gremory? You're a Gremory?" he managed to get out

Ryden simply nodded, his expression remaining as neutral as ever

Why did he feel like a newly revealed toy? The look Sirzechs held mildly was that of a child who just managed to make his parents go into shock, it was pure triumph

The man stepped towards him, which made him tense at his approach, the man would have kept approaching had Sirzechs' hand not have impeded his movement, Mr. Greens eyes glanced up the Sirzechs' who only shook his head slowly

"I wouldn't Ajuka, he's been through hell and I'm not saying that literally... I found him in the clutches of the Old-maou faction within the Halphes castle" The now named Ajuka widened his eyes at what his friend had said before they fell back onto the second Gremory in the room

"You had a brother this whole time..." he breathed, the surprise was a little too much for Ajuka to truly grasp "And he's been in the Clutches of those monsters this whole time... how long?"

"Six months Ajuka... and no, before you ask, he's not related by blood"

At his friends words Ajuka's head snapped to Ryden "what do you mean not related, he looks like your twin for Satan's sake" Sirzechs remained silent while Ryden remained silent as well, watching the two closely

"Remember the event Ajuka" Sirzechs stated evenly "it happened six months ago... Ryden was tortured for the same amount of time, in the Halphes castle, which was only a few thousand miles from ground zero"

The reasoning in Sirzechs' words forced Ajuka to pause and rethink of what he had been hinting at, and then it hit him, like a bolt of lightning, Ajuka was a smart devil, hailed as one of the two super devils alongside his old friend Sirzechs, while the red head wielded power capable of destroy whole territories and sword skills exalted by those who bore witness to his dance of destruction, Ajuka however, held knowledge and magical prestige rather than martial skill with a weapon, his skill and knowledge in the demonic arcane was rumored unreachable, many sought to learn his Kankara formula but most if not all of them failed horribly

His mind was as sharp as was Sirzechs' sword and as precise as Falbium's tactics, it didn't take him very long to figure out what was going on before him

"What are you?" he asked simply, his eyes, which held curiosity and nervousness, were leveled on a neutrally expressed Ryden

The red headed anomaly held his gaze on Ajuka for a moment before his eyes glanced to Sirzechs who in turn nodded slowly at his un-worded message

"I'm human... and I'm the one who fell from the sky"

* * *

There were many things in Ajuka Astaroth's life that had him beyond confused, even some moments had left him so thoroughly lost that he had spent years figuring them out, one time he'd heard of the great dragon migration to the northern portion of the underworld, he had been confused as to their sudden shift in habitat and was only able to learn as to why they moved when Mephisto Pheles himself told him it was because the territories rare Dragon apples that grew there

Another was the mixture of both light and dark properties

He was the most informed on how light weapons worked, singular rays of divine energy which travel from one point to another, at the time he was stumped on why the weapons never seemed to bend, the rays always went straight and never bent, it took him some time before he came to the conclusion that light operated similarly how heavens principles worked, disciplined and unwavering, his theory was proven correct when he studied the tainted light from the fallen angels.

While still appearing straight and un-bending, some spears of tainted light can appear 'barbed' or 'thorny' which tells the story of the fallen pretty well in Ajuka's eyes, while still holding onto their faith – as flimsy as it was – they still diverted from their fathers teachings and practiced unorthodox methods or simply indulge in sin occasionally

The mixture of light however had left him stumped to an extent

It acted like water and oil before, they sat perfectly calm beside one another with neither side mixing in with the other nor was there any kind of violent reaction, but now, the two elements were mixing, and created a grey like substance, a gas or smoke

Had Ajuka been uninformed of certain _passings_ he would have been stumped

But this moment he found himself in was beyond what he understood

Before him stood a near spitting image of his old friend Sirzechs, though his hair was much longer then the devil beside him – going past the neck and his facial hair was grown out rather than shaven, his height was slightly shorter and his attire didn't fit the standard battle clothing seen on knights of the new Satan faction, the only key differences he could truly detected physically was his signature that left him curious

It felt like a massive dam was open, leaking out its contents for all to feel

He could see uncontained power when he saw it, and this child before him – a human child – was holding a lot more then what a human could hold, it felt almost high-class worthy but then a moment later it felt low-class

The power was fluctuating, like a Dreg held upon a loose leash, all it would take was a small miss step or a sudden climb in emotional trauma and it would break loose, and if Sirzechs was to be believed then he'd rather not trigger an ultimate-class detonation within his prized tent... or better yet his home territory for that matter

It was safe to say Ajuka's shock of a human standing before him was forgotten with that last thought

"Please sit there" he gestured to a chair to his left, the boy named Ryden eyed him before he nodded

"Sirzechs said you would be helping me understand what these powers are" the man stated before he sat down in the chair, back straight and eyes sharp on him

Ajuka could see the lack of trust in his eyes, six months in the hands of the old-Satan faction wasn't known for hospitality and Ajuka made it his absolute best to appear as none threatening as possible

"What is the extent of your abilities?" asked Ajuka, he needed a foundation to start his observations

Ryden glanced from the man to the chess piece on the desk; his eyes squinted before the piece rose and floated towards Ajuka who took the piece when it was held aloft before him

Ajuka eyed the piece of metal and wood before he looked back to Ryden, eyes rife with wonder "Telekinesis... is that all?" though his words could be discerned as disappointment Ajuka was far from disappointed, with the power flowing from Ryden his abilities seemed locked and the strained expression on Ryden's face when he picked up his enchanted chess piece spoke of a sealing was involved

His reply was a meager shaking of his head

Placing the chess piece on the night stand beside him Ajuka pressed on "tell me what you feel, do you feel pressure in your chest? Or perhaps a weightlessness? Anything you feel will help me understand your abilities"

For a moment Ajuka watched as Ryden contemplated his words, his eyes closed and for a moment Ajuka's senses picked up an immense power reel into Ryden's form, the few magically enhanced lanterns and seals within the room fluctuated and then ultimately died out, the magical energy within them suddenly drained and focused upon Ryden's form

Ajuka turned quickly to Sirzechs, a questioning expression upon his face

Sirzechs in turn looked like you suddenly remembered something

The red headed devil tapped his chin lightly "Now that I think about it, the magic energy within the Halphes territory was incredibly dispersed, not enough to disturb transportation magic and independent spells but the air felt incredibly dense" Sirzechs turned to Ajuka "the traitor devils that joined the old-Satan faction even commented on disturbances with making a powerful transportation sigil"

Ajuka's eyes twitched slightly "And you didn't warn me because?"

Sirzechs simply shrugged "I forgot" Ajuka's second eye twitched before his eyes finally bore a glare and Sirzechs noticed immediately but he simply shrugged "hey don't blame me for having monstrous demonic energy, I barely felt the tug"

Ajuka huffed at the paper thin excuse but relented "this explains quite a bit actually"

"Oh? Care to share with the class"

"the power I felt from the boy was chaotic at first but then I started to piece together his circumstances, he's been kept in a dungeon for six months, if the devils holding him had haft a brain then they'd have cut off magical circulation within the allotted space to stifle the demonic energy from healing the wounds on the prisoners" explained Ajuka, his profession in full effect

Sirzechs hummed "So you think he's been starved of energy" he comment and Ajuka nodded his head

"Exactly, but it's not that his reserves are empty, their cramped... like a stiff muscle, hold a power for too long and suddenly trying to use them like normal would only cause immense pain"

Sirzechs eyes the calm child with small wonder "I've never heard of a case like that before" he said

Ajuka nodded "that's normal, I've rarely heard of them myself and none were this bad, some cases were milder – one had frozen his right arms magic circulation for too long and numbed his limb for a week"

Sirzechs' eyes narrowed "How did he fix it?"

Ajuka frowned "I'm not sure, I think he channeled small amounts of demonic energy throughout his limb for two maybe three days before he could move his arm again and another two before he could cast demonic spells, it does small damage to demonic circuits and it weakens ones abilities but I think one could re-achieve the prime they had before the incident with constant exercise"

"What do we do?" asked Sirzechs but Ajuka only shook his head

"Nothing, if we try to help open his tense and stiff reserves it will only disrupted his origin, which could cause irreversible damage"

Sirzechs was mildly frustrated, he had no real motivation on keeping Ryden from the war, quite frankly Sirzechs needed him, his thoughts on the matter grew more and more eager to see the human brought to his physical and mental peak as fast as possible the more Ajuka spoke of Ryden, Sirzechs had been around Ajuka since he and the green haired _nerd_ were little imps and the tone his voice carried was wonder and curiosity

Ajuka was famous for two things, the first was his intellect, the second was his inventions and his keen sight for the gifted; the enchanted chess piece at the night stand confirmed the green devil was already in the process of yet another ground breaking invention, but every brilliant idea always came from Ajuka's wonder and curiosity

For the man to express those emotions towards Ryden spoke to him the sheer level of importance the human carried and the extreme levels of abnormality that he brought with him

No devil carried telekinetic powers as strong as Ryden

Not one

"How long will it take for him to be fully functional?" questioned Sirzechs as he eyed the meditating Ryden, Ajuka turned to the red head with an inquisitive look

"You plan on bringing him to the war effort? So soon after his release and adoption... I thought you always wanted a sibling" the dumbfounded expression on Ajuka was expected of him, Sirzechs wasn't shy to admit he was absolutely adamant on having a sister or a brother, so much so he always fantasized the idea or in his case, dream

And now he did, though not blood related he still got a brother, unfortunately the brother in question seemed a lot more mature then he'd liked, he spoke of military structure and small amount of tactics like he knew them from the back of his hand and his eyes held a level of maturity his own father severely lacked at times, something Venelana was quick to comment on – or laugh – whenever he commented on his father's childish quips

Ryden was not a mere boy, his age was infancy in the terms of devils but his mind was far more mature then any devil would admit to

And it was that mindset that asked him if he could fight in a battle not his own

Sirzechs sighed "he asked me if he could join" replied Sirzechs

Ajuka's brow furrowed slightly "He asked if he could – are all humans that crazy?"

A small chuckle escaped his lips

"I asked the same thing"

"And what was his answer?"

" _Only the royally pissed off ones"_ quoted Sirzechs

Ajuka grew quite after that reply, he wasn't the one who ordered rescue operations as that responsibility fell onto Sirzechs and Serafall, while the former was a patriotic devil and the latter was a hardass workaholic they both held onto a firm ideal on saving as many devils as they could, it wasn't as if Ajuka or Falbium couldn't care less about the lives of the low class – far from it – they believed the same thing, but considering the quality of their forces strengths they all couldn't trip over one another to save an entire village and instead they delegated their skills

Sirzechs was a nightmare, a terror on the battlefield and Ajuka felt no shame in admitting his friend's monstrous rage and power. He was a wrecking ball of destruction and seemed almost to cunning for a _meathead,_ as Serafall so elegantly phrased it, to be able to avoid obvious ambushes because even with that mind set and tactic, he was never caught flat footed

Serafall was more meticulous, while Sirzechs rushed enemy lines with a squad of elite Praetorian guards she however was more slow and methodical, her rescue operations usually ended with maximum effect and barely any casualties, for the Old-Satan faction however? She made sure that if any prisoner was found dead or worse, she was the main suspect on why the castle was suddenly frozen over... with all of her enemies locked within

For the most part of the civil war, it worked, while the methods were extreme on both sides on two different spectrums the effect was still the same. As the days turned to decades more and more devils grew faithful of the Anti-Satan faction. Word got around of _Ruina Nex's_ noble deeds of heroism and _Rosea_ _Infernum's_ demonic Grace

But it wasn't the positives that kept Ajuka's mouth shut, but rather the reports both his friends and allies wrote

The treatment of the prisoners they saved were not pretty

Some of them were used for more 'personal' means, the females especially – Serafall gave those she caught of those sins extra treatment and Ajuka was mildly disturbed when the shorter devil went into excruciating detail on what happens when someone's internal organs suddenly freeze over... slowly

He mildly shuddered at that and it wasn't the cold that time

However, some of the more 'lucky ones' were seen so far below their captures that it was rare for any one of them to pick favorites and in the end, they were all used as slaves to do a number of things, worst case scenario they were sold off to neighboring generals and used as simple slaves, such as mining rare demonic ores and the like while some were used more as training dummies or simple 'meat targets'

Ajuka's mind grinded to a halt, his thoughts were delving into a darker aspect of himself and he'd rather not subject the poor _man_ before him with his foul aura

"He hasn't spoken about what they did to him? His powers may be restrained by emotional turmoil" Ajuka felt like garbage asking this, not even an hour of knowing him and he was attempting to opening fresh wounds under the disguise of trying to help, he knew talking of the matter so soon was not healthy but he needed to cover his bases

Sirzechs shook his head "I didn't ask, when I found him he was controlling this barrier that cut one of my praetorians hands clean off when he tried to approach, I doubt trying to get him to open up out what they did would only be counterproductive"

Ajuka's eyes lit up when he heard Sirzechs' words "A barrier? What did it look like? Were there any summon seals within its radius?"

Again, Sirzechs shook his head "there was no magic sigil of any kind, and it was transparent – almost like it was space itself denying access to anyone" as he spook Ajuka's thoughts continued to unravel questions

"Then it must have been a spatial barrier, his powers are telekinetic in nature perhaps he just manipulated the space around him to form it" muttered Ajuka, Sirzechs nearly sweat dropped at his words

"You make it sound easy, distort the space on such a high level it can vaporize a limb? That seems way to advanced for a human to pull off"

Ajuka only nodded at Sirzechs, his mind in full agreement "That may be so Sirzechs, but it may have been an emotional trigger, his abilities may be easier controlled then we may think... I believe old man Shax proved his skills – while advanced - were in actuality, simple to perform"

Sirzechs hummed at that, an old mentor, a demon of the 72 pillars was – while deceiving – a good mentor to both him and Ajuka, his ability in distorting understanding and eye sight was the thing of legends and was recorded in the hall of Dantalion as a mischievous familiar contractor who had a thing for evil horses... the young devils didn't judge, only listened

"It could be like that, I mean... he fell from the sky! I know you're not one for omens but I can just feel it now, the total destruction he left from a fall that wasn't his own doing, his ability to survive _six months_ in the hands of the old-Satan factions most notorious interrogators and then ask me to join the war effort" a deep sigh escaped Sirzechs and Ajuka was mildly taken aback by his friends exuberance "The man's got conviction, and seems like something or someone put him here"

Now Ajuka's eyes rolled at his words "Now you just sound weird" replied Ajuka and Sirzechs words caught in his throat

"Hey! I'm being serious!" pressed Sirzechs

Shaking his head Ajuka nodded in sarcasm "oh I'm sure you are, maybe Lucifer dropped him here to do his work, oh and maybe he's the child of the heavenly dragons as well?" I small laugh escaped his lips at that thought "Those two monsters never did leave the other alone, I wonder if they did have a thing?"

He shuddered rather violently at that thought

Sirzechs slightly pouted at his friends sarcastic teasing before he turned back to Ryden and froze

He had been watching the two silently

It took Ajuka a moment to join Sirzechs in sheepish exasperation but when he did Ryden leveled a calculative look onto the red and green devils before him, a moment later and a smirk played onto his lips

"How long have you been listening?" asked a nervous Sirzechs

Ryden shrugged, smirk still withstanding "about after you quoted me" he replied plainly before his gaze fell onto Ajuka, completely ignoring the look Sirzechs produced "In case you were interested, I just figured out why my abilities were limited"

Unlike his crimson friend Ajuka played off his previous expression professionally and in its place was intrigue "Oh? What did you learn?"

"Your theory on my energy being cramped was moderately correct but I wasn't sealed or cut off from the ambient flow of negative energy in the air, instead I sealed them away subconsciously to focus completely on physical defense, so I just opened them... Sirzechs didn't mention how I survived and that was why, no matter the power, I was never harmed physically"

At Ryden's words, Ajuka stored the information away before his eyes widened slightly "Never harmed? How?" his questions were building up but it seemed to him that Ryden had no real care about being prodded for information

At his words Ryden simply held up his arm and nodded to Sirzechs "with your sword, try and cut my arm off"

!

"What!" screamed Sirzechs, it was a controlled yell, barely enough to breach the noise restriction sigil woven into Ajuka's tent but it point was across none the less "are you crazy?"

Ryden nodded at his words calmly with a set of rolled eyes "We've been over this..."

Ryden noticed the crimson devils silence and sighed but made no attempt to retreat or reconsider his request, he only reasoned "The interrogators had attempted to remove more than just my arm with far more terrifying tools" he eyed the crimson blade at Sirzechs hip, he even unsheathed it for him with a simple command of his mind, something he'd noted to be much easier now than before "I've grown numb to caring about the loss of limbs as I cannot lose them, an ultimate-class devil or whatever she called herself tried and failed... and she tried _everything_ " his eyes returned to Sirzechs, indifferent blue met shocked turquoise "Now try and succeed where she failed"

Taking the blade from the air Sirzechs quickly, without hesitation, dropped his blade into Ryden's wrist with barely an ounce of his strength

 _TING!_

Like metal on an anvil the blade of the Gremory lord clashed onto a surface far to resilient to be considered normal, even unassisted the blade was said to be in a league of its own due to its material composition, halting the blade like it did before them was unheard of. Two sets of eyes – shocked to their core – locked onto the arm of one Ryden Vale Gremory who had a light blue transparent layer of energy coating his wrist, directly where Sirzechs' crimson edged blade rested, the surface of the energy rippled like water and upon any sudden movement in the blade was replied with even more ripples which was accompanied by the sound of metal grinding against metal

Ryden lightly lifted the blade casually with his other hand – his energy shield fading as he did so – and allowed the blade to drop to Sirzechs' side before sitting back calmly as if he didn't just put a limb on the line

Scratching his growing beard Ryden continued, uncaring to the degree of shock coursing through the two before him "I do not now the mechanism's on how my power works, it just does" his eyes landed on Ajuka who had recovered from the events prior "I think it, it does it – it's that simple"

Ajuka nodded rather dumbly at the man's tone which was a complete eye opener to the rather quite man from before, he had just taken a blade forge from dragonite, a metal ore mined from that of dragons residual energy seeped into bed rock – and it was a dragon of destruction no less – and it's said to have taken ages to forge into perfect shape like it was a messily dark iron

Ajuka might have a heart attack if the blade was even chipped

...Thankful for his health it wasn't

"So you managed to release the hold on your powers?" asked Ajuka trying but failing to move on from what had just happened, Sirzechs was still silent, eyes locked onto Ryden very closely

The aforementioned man nodded "Yes, it took me a minute – had to borrow some of the juice in the area to do that, but I got it done" the man rolled his shoulders, a few cracks echoed out "Now" he started, his eyes still on Ajuka "You gonna scan me for abnormalities or am I clear for deployment doc?"

While Ajuka was no fan of arrogant sarcasm it was clear to him the level of restlessness was fueling the human's emotions to a degree and he couldn't find himself caring at the moment.

"Please hold still and steady you're breathing patterns" Ajuka didn't move from his spot before he waved his hand

Ryden did as asked and calmed himself before he noticed the same green magic seals appear around him, they were, of course, green in color and took on a squared shape rather than the circular ones he'd seen used before, a few seconds of watching the odd symbols and sigils moving in tandem with one another and Ryden quickly felt slightly numb

It was there for a moment and then it was gone, his limbs responded to his commands just as before and his mind still felt like a vast ocean – that was an odd feeling to get used to but he'd come to accept the change in mental serenity.

Rolling his neck to rid him of the sudden influx of stiffness within himself Ryden stood up and stretched before regarding the green haired commander before him "that was odd" he muttered to the man

Ajuka noticed the question laced into the comment and nodded to the red head "I'm still working on a few kinks in the internal energy scanner formula, the only thing that seems to persist is the odd numbness one feels after the procedure, it fades after a few seconds so there's no need to worry" replied Ajuka causing Ryden to nod

It was at this time that Sirzechs returned to the conversation and regarded Ajuka questioningly "What did you learn?"

Ajuka simply dropped a his left hand while waving his right before him, a hexagonal sigil of green light sprang from the ground horizontally before a full life size version of Ryden was displayed to the three in full holographic detail

"It would be best to show you" started Ajuka, an odd pep in his voice, a pep Sirzechs recognized as intrigue, the green haired devil step toward the green outline of Ryden and gesture towards it in easily concealed fascination "from what I've gathered, Ryden's physical build is almost frozen in place; it's like a permanent stasis is in place on his internal organs, bone structure and nervous system that's halted almost everything, from ageing to metabolism and immunity" as the devil spoke blue streaks of calm flowing energy appeared over Ryden's holographic form, then the vision shifted to show his nervous system where the real light show was revealed

Along with the green color dominating the internal viewing, blue energy flowed through Ryden's systems like naturally existing body fluids

Ajuka gestured Ryden to look to his organs in the hologram, which showed the blue energy flowing like water within his many veins "Your metabolism is so powerful I'd speculate your need for food is abysmal at best, you might even substitute food with ambient energy in the area – like what you did a few minutes ago"

Ryden merely nodded in agreement, he hadn't eaten in months yet just from absorbing the energy within the air he felt like he just ate a full course meal with desert.

Pausing in his own thoughts, Ryden glanced down to his hand in wonder before clenching it, a new question sprouting in his mind

"What was that about my bone structure?" questioned Ryden

Ajuka lit up slightly at the question "It's quite odd to understand as I don't know the base line strength of human bones, all I can say is your bones are just as hard – if not harder – then devil bone, which is as strong as obsidian stone, I'm not sure what's causing the increase in bone strength but I'd speculate it's your natural affinity to your telekinetic abilities, so in the end you might just be subconsciously strengthening them" Ryden nodded again before looking at the blue energy flowing within his bone marrow

Then his eyes landed onto his nervous system, which had arcing blue energy cracking from one to another at almost lightning speeds "And my nervous system?"

Ajuka's replied in near seconds "from increased bone strength and metabolism, I'd say it's a basic requirement for what your nervous system has, considering it takes an immense amount of calories to function daily, along with any other minerals needed your lack of requiring food almost cancels out your 'fuel gauge' as I'd call it, your nerves have been jump started to levels above even devils, from reaction time to brain processing it's almost like you've been built to last... in dangerous situations"

Sirzechs piped up from that last part "What do you mean?"

At that question, Sirzechs realized too late he'd jumped started Ajuka's 'nerd mode' and nearly tuned out had it not been about Ryden's mysterious powers

Ajuka's eyes turned back to the hologram before he zoomed into Ryden's brain which had the similar lightning like effects as the nervous system but its sheer brightness helped express the difference and importance of the organ

"I've never actually managed to study humans before and thankfully Ryden, you are my first" started Ajuka which caused Ryden to cringe slightly at his wording all the while muttering 'no homo' under his breath

Ajuka didn't notice

"I've learned that humans and devils share a very close anatomy, with only minor differences in material composition and chemical output, but what I've learned so far is that will devils use a good 50% of their brain's potential while humans only use 10%" at that point Ryden cut in

"That's a myth" said Ryden

Ajuka's eyes narrowed slightly at his words "How so?"

Ryden sighed before starting back up "the 10% of the human brain is a myth, humans neuron-dense brains evolved to use the least amount of energy to store as much information as possible, that's a feat that requires 100% of the human brain to do... basically our brains are extremely efficient"

Ajuka stood stock still, his eyes staring into Ryden's with small levels of shock and understanding "That's it!" he finally said, eyes lighting up "Devils use more because we have access to more abilities, such as demonic cores and magical senses and language understanding, we use a larger percentage because we have a need for a larger storage then humans" Ajuka's eye's snapped onto Ryden "How did you learn this?"

"I learned it in school – university actually, biochemistry and biology, pretty good at it actually"

This time Ryden noticed the confusion and nearly cringed at his forthcoming nature

"I have never heard of humans delving into this 'biochemistry' before, is it a form of black magic? Or is it witchcraft?" replied Ajuka, calculative gaze increasing

Ryden's swallowed slowly before he replied, but with a question of his own one that he'd been dreading to ask

"What year in human time is it?" he asked

Ajuka glanced to a silent Sirzechs questioningly, all he did in return was lock a similar gaze onto him before returning to Ryden "It's been 430 years since the resurfacing of humanity and the death of Christ, 150 years since the end of the second major conflict between the angels, the fallen and us – the devils – so I'd say in human years... it's 432 A.D – give or take a year"

.

.

.

If Ryden had been standing, then he'd have fallen into the chair at that revelation

"Holy shit, so they _were_ speaking the truth... oh. fuck" muttered Ryden, his hand gripping his face and for the two devils in the room, a small build up of pressure began to grow within the tent

"What truth Ryden? What did they say? Why does this bother you so much?" questioned a slightly nervous Sirzechs

Ryden glanced to the devil between his fingers "It bothers me Sirzechs; that I've been sent _back_ in _time_ 1,586 years into the past – and in _hell_ no less!" Ryden jumped from his chair and sputtered off cuss words while Sirzechs and Ajuka shot shock looks

"You're from... the future?" the both asked in perfect union

"Yes" replied a troubled Ryden "The year 2018, September 18th... fucked if you know what that is" at that Ryden plopped back down into his chair "This is FUBAR"

Sirzechs gulped and Ajuka shook his head in shock but Suddenly Sirzechs' eyes brightened which caught the tired and sunken eyes of Ryden who regarded Sirzechs' sudden hopeful gaze with a grain of salt

"Do we win the civil war?" asked the hopeful devil who got elbowed in the ribs by Ajuka soon after

Ryden shook his head "I have no idea, 6 months ago I was a simple minimum wage associate working at a Wal-Mart, the only thing 'supernatural' in my life were the customers that came through the door in hordes" replied Ryden before he rubbed his temples "Just thinking about them gives me a head ache"

For a moment Ryden simply rubbed his temples while the two devils before him remained silent, obviously aware of the stress the human had just recently accumulated, Ajuka was in a near state of shock at finding out the phenomenon before him was not only highly intelligent for a human but he was also from the _future_ which in his history of studying ancient magic's and demonology from his late predecessors he had never come across the concept of time travel

Sirzechs on the other hand was trying to piece together a reply to consol the unwilling time traveler before him but he came up with nothing, he wasn't one to think too deeply into matters far from not only his understanding but Ajuka's as well – considering the silence from the aforementioned devil beside him meant that his confusion was expected, if Ajuka was stumped then he would be too and then some

"I don't know what to say to you Ryden" started Ajuka, catching the man's attention "I've never heard of time travel being used before, whatever brought you here is obviously powerful" Ajuka's eyes landed onto Sirzechs "almost like whatever it was wanted you to be here" his hand shot up at the gleam in Sirzechs' eyes as if to smack the devil if he so much as spoke "it's to convenient to pass as a random event"

Ryden's eyes gained a small hint of interest in them which entailed Ajuka to continue "100 years ago the civil war was only a rumor among the devils; we were just healing our wounds and burying our dead after the second conflict with the other races, but as time pressed on the divide between continuing and not continuing the great war grew into civil unrest and sudden divide in territories and then only a few decades ago the first major conflicts began"

Sirzechs stepped in "thankfully we had a warning before that and managed to garner the following of 17 devil family houses of the Ars Geotia with a good number of lower class families as well and with them we have managed to create a resistance, but our forces lack quality, while the old-Satan's have less numbers they do however make up for in class so it's safe to say the odds are even but it wouldn't take them long to push us back, the descendants of the originals have proven that"

Ajuka sighed "what Sirzechs is saying is that we needed a game changer, and we needed it now... big surprise to us when we see a falling star in the sky 6 months ago and here you are, proving yourself far more reliable and dangerous the more I learn about you"

Ryden smiled slightly at the two "it's great you're all out trying to make me 'the chosen one' but I feel like it's misplaced" he said before standing up calmly and moving to stand before them "and I'll be the first one to say that the 'chosen one' shtick gets _really_ old in 2018, it's to cheesy"

At Ryden's words Sirzechs whined "aw, those are always the most entertaining! What do they enjoy in your time?"

All Ryden did was muffle a cough "Meme's" was his reply

Both Sirzechs and Ajuka developed confused expressions

However Ryden returned to the previous conversation before they could sputter off track any further "Anyways, we humans have developed an understanding of the world around us, things you would consider black magic to humans is simple science, making fire is easy with the right chemical's and understanding anatomy is basic biology... I'm actually surprised you didn't notice my understanding until now, had I been one of the humans of this time, then I'd have been accusing you of sorcery"

Ajuka nodded at Ryden's words and nearly slapped himself for not noticing Ryden's intelligence on human anatomy, something no human knows or understands at this time and he also just realised how dismissive Ryden's gaze was when looking at the hologram

Then a thought dropped in his head

"Do humans use magic in your time?" he asked

Ryden shook his head "no, primitive magic like long distance communication is common among humans and is more technological then arcane, most of our inventions use already existing elements in our environment so, we are advanced but we are still growing... won't be long until we have fully functional prosthetic limbs and vertical reality, can't fucking wait but considering my situation... I'm gonna have to"

Ajuka only listened intently to Ryden as he spoke, he knew of prosthetic's before, some devils use natural elements like metal and rock to form limbs that were lost in battle to help replace the lost limb but Virtual reality was not something he'd heard before, but he chose not to press on, as much as he desired to know more of humanities future

Ajuka was heavily intrigued

Ryden quickly changed the subject, it wasn't if the devils could influence humanity as it was highly mentioned that humanities violent nature was the result of Satan's manipulation some millennia ago but the problem was 'how' they would do it, and if that required knowledge of the future then Ryden refused to grant to much info to a species that corrupted his own

"Anyways, aside from my knowledge, I wanted to know whether or not if I _could_ survive until my time, you said my aging was halted before, can you elaborate?"

Dropping the subject from before, Ajuka easily replied "I've come to conclude that your aging process is about as strong as us devils" his eyes scanned the hologram for a moment longer "give or take a few millennia's stronger"

"And how long do devils usually live?"

Sirzechs piped in after picking up parts of brain from the floor, the conversation Ajuka had with Ryden had caused his head to spin slightly "I'm 1,000 years old if that helps, and that's considered young to older devils, my – _our_ – parents are somewhere between 2,000 – 3,000, while the oldest devil right now is Zekram Bael whose 5,000-ish years old, our mother is a descendant of him"

Ryden nodded in affirmative "And if my process is stronger, than I have a good chance to live long enough to get back to 2018" a long sigh escaped his lips at his own words "oh boy, this is gonna be a _long_ wait"

"And that's if the civil war doesn't kill you" commented Sirzechs and Ryden had to pass a mock glare at him

"6 months without being able to defend myself in the hands of a silver haired bitch... and I'm right here, breathing" a pensive expression etched itself on Ryden "Think about that for a second"

Sirzechs did just that before his gaze dropped "Oh right, you got a point there"

Ryden nodded at Sirzechs' observation before he regarded Ajuka with a questioning gaze "if that's all you need to know then is it alright for me to join the war effort?" asked Ryden

Ajuka's eyes locked onto Ryden's "Your physical and mental capabilities are at the highest peak anyone I've evaluated, in those words then I say yes, you are fit to carry out military action but I ask you this first" Ryden noticed the man's gaze sharpen almost into slits with how intense his gaze was but Ryden remained un fazed "What reason do you fight, is it glory? Or is it revenge?"

Ryden knew that question was going to be asked, no foreign military force would accept outside assistance without covering every base they had, they had to establish whether or not the recruit is mental fit to handle harsh combat without breaking, the second was fitness and its requirements were self explanatory but what's most important is drive...

 _What reason do you have to sacrifice your innocence for a species you do not know?_

 _Why condemn yourself to battle not your own?_

 _For whom do you do it for?_

All those questions played out in his mind, the reasons. They were simple to Ryden, for 6 months he had delved into his drive, all the rage he'd picked up, the dismissal of despair and the acceptance of loss, he refused to sit back and allow what happened to him happen to the innocent civilians caught in between a foolish wish and a hopeful dream

"We humans have many reasons to fight, but what drives us humans is morality, what's good and what is evil... to sacrifice one's self for the preservation of another is what drives a soldier to kill and to cloak himself in the sin of violence" his eyes steeled over, his drive was already set in stone the second he was freed from his shackles in the Halphes territory

He noticed the slight widening of the eyes of the devils in the room but ignored it to get his point and ideal across "In the 6 months of me coming here, I've seen many evil things done onto innocence all because they wished to see a tomorrow, only for theirs to never come because of the blindness in their tortures, I've never been one to stick my neck out for total strangers but I can't stand by while things like _that_ happen to children, to mothers and fathers" Ryden paused to shake his head, fresh wounds still stinging "Not again"

Both Ajuka and Sirzechs could see the concealed guilt in Ryden's eyes and tone but dared not to question him, they could see it in him already, the conviction they themselves had picked up from witnessing the evil deeds of the old-Satan faction, the torture being called 're-education through pain' by the old-Satan activists was common motivation for all of the new recruits that sought to strike back at the monsters who had harmed one of their own

It was clear Ryden was fully committed as well

"You ask me what my reason is. It's simple..." Ryden started up again, his eyes steeled once again

"... I'm gonna bury the old-Satan's, and its gonna be biblical"

Ajuka and Sirzechs liked the sound of that.

* * *

 _And that's a wrap!_

 _A little bit longer then last chapter by about a thousand words but I needed to establish a few goals in this chapter_

 _Not any action, I know, boring but believe me when I say the action is coming and it's gonna be belligerent and numerous, I've got an estimated 20 odd amount of chapters dedicated to the civil war – and an arc pertaining to a curtain legend and the build up arc towards the canon time-line and then said canon time line as well... I'd say it'd be chapter 30 by the time Rias and the ORC are kicking around so don't worry yeah DxD fans, the gang will be showing up_

 _That's right, I didn't say it in my last notes but this story isn't all about the civil war, but rather the legend that's birthed in this conflict before its released into canon timeline *Laughs manically*_

 _The villains in DxD are not gonna know what hit 'em, and I can't fucking wait for that_

 _Anyways so this chapter brings up a few points needed to help staunch some of the confusion to Ryden and his abilities and brings in a small tidbit of information pertaining to them, but keep in mind his powers are subject for evolution so don't immediately assume this is the end all be all_

 _This is also build up to Ryden's first confrontation in the civil war, along with the next chapter Ryden will be tested rather than just flung into the civil war all wily Nelly as that would seem stupid, Ryden had just recently been rescued after months of torture ( I will keep a majority of his torment a secret for your own imagination to chew on) so he can't be expected to hold his own in combat just yet, and he has no formal military training (more of this in the next chapter)_

 _Next chapter will be more eventful then this one as I needed to cover some bases on devil military structure (more in next chapter) and what state the devils government is currently in, and just really establish the situation_

 _Setting is key, and I plan to use it_

 _Alrighty_

 _And to respond to my boi_ _ **Sirzuccs**_ _: I highly doubt I'll drop this story for a lack of reviews as this story has found its way into my mind more so then the others, I won't really expect a tone of reviews as this story is more serious then what most DxD readers want (more Rias, more canon, more harem etc.) but I have confidence in this story as it focuses on what happened during the civil war and the outcome of Ryden being a part of it... that and I also really enjoy a more experienced badass showing up and kicking royal ass in canon, instead in this story, rather than just learning about him as the story goes on we'll be along for the ride of Ryden's rise to legend before canon shows up, so we'll know everything about while everyone else doesn't_

 _Thanks for the review, i appreciate it!_

 _Now, if you enjoyed this chapter then leave a review (it's my written fuel) or don't if you didn't, drop a sentence or two on why you didn't_

 _And in the meantime, I'll be writing my next chapter_

 _peace_


	3. Training

- **Training** -

 _There are times when I considered the line between devil and human to be significantly blurred, on the outside most devils seem to behave like a regular human, from profession to obsessions they all acted how a human does_

 _But then I'd get reminded of their differences_

 _And see the beasts within them_

 _Then I was reminded the difference between a human and a devil was similar to that of sheep's..._

 _...And wolves_

 _In order for me to fit in and survive I had to forget about being a sheep and become a wolf of my own_

 _As much as I desired to jump head first into the fire I couldn't over look my lack of combat history, I was not much of a sword guy, never had a reason to train in the art of the sword._

 _So upon Sirzechs' orders as my adoptive "older brother" I was to be trained by him specifically in the art of the sword..._

 _...He was not really prepared for how that ended up_

* * *

A few hours after the talk with Ajuka, Ryden felt slightly light headed with all that he'd learned and what he was expected to learn if he was to hold the name of "Gremory" without staining it. It slightly unnerved Ryden how 'noble' the devils acted, and upon asking that question Sirzechs merely said the demons before them were much worse and laughed when Ryden believed them to be more noble then devils.

Turns out they were all either tyrants, assholes, or straight up dick heads to the devils under them...

 _the more you know..._

With that all said about noble training, Ryden found himself sitting in a white carriage that possessed an extravagant design. With red cushions and golden silk curtains, the carriage felt more fit for a royal wedding then a simple ride to the gremory estate-which made the ride all the more awkward with Sirzechs' gaze locking onto him from time to time. would shit his eyes around for a moment before he'd glance at him and then to the window periodically, but his eyes seemed to landed on him the majority of the ride; something that unnerved the human greatly, especially when he noted the nervousness in the crimson devils eyes.

"Is there a reason for the staring?" Ryden asked as he shifted from left cushion to the right one

Sirzechs noticed his mistake and calmly replied. "sorry if im making you uncomfortable; I am simply nervous is all... I'm trying to think up a way to introduce you to my mother and father"

Ryden nodded to that, it would be awkward for him if he up and adopted a random unfortunate slave into the family. Further thought into that had Ryden hoping upon hope Sirzechs wouldn't force him into any green short shorts with a yellow cape; for some reason that just fit the circumstance.

He'd rather not become a _sidekick_ nicknamed after an animal of aviation

 _Hell no_

"Are your parent's racist to humans?" piped in Ryden as he glanced outside; at the back of his mind he could have sworn he saw a castle on a mountains edge for a second there

This time Sirzechs picked up a confused expression. "Is that one the terms used in your time?"

Ryden face palmed "Shit... sorry, I meant to ask 'do your parents dislike humans' it's gonna be a while before I get used to the fact I'm a millennia ahead of all ya'll"

Sirzechs smirked at Ryden's carefree ramblings before he replied. "Not that I'm aware of... I've never really seen them speak of humans as much as other families do" then another questioning glance fell onto Ryden. "why do you ask? Are you planning on exposing your human nature to my family as well?"

The tone of Sirzechs sounded skeptical and accusing but all Ryden could do was shrug. "I guess that would be beneficial and also safe; I mean... They will be my parents for the foreseeable future so why hide who I am to them? if the time comes of my human nature being exposed, then it would be best if they knew the whole time rather be lied to by not only me but you as well"

Sirzechs sighed deeply before he looked out the window again, a type of fore-long expression dotting his features. "It's not that easy, my parents can be a little... strange"

A scoff from Ryden forced Sirzechs to look back to him, only to see the human waving him off. "Pff, my parents were weird as well-the _dad jokes_ my dad would drop on my friends were horrifying to say the least and my mom would treat them like her own kids, and that would carry on until I was 18 years old... bloody nightmare"

"Oh? What kind of jokes?"

"Say 'I'm hungry'"

Sirzechs titled his head at the simple instructions but obliged regardless. "I'm hungry"

"Hi hungry, I'm dad" replied Ryden with a look that screamed 'kill me'

It was silent in the carriage for a moment; the sound of the metallic wheels rolling along a well paved road was the only sound that could be heard along with the dull hum of the magic crest that drove them forward... Until Sirzechs literally erupted into laughter.

A stupefied Ryden sat across from a reeling devil who was too busy trying – in vain – to staunch the laughing only for his efforts to suck the air from his lungs, and in the end, only small wheezing coughs and painful chuckles could be heard.

Ryden didn't move, he was frozen solid. He'd expected many things from the classic 'dad joke'; he expected confusion – which he _did_ get. He even expected an un-moving expression on Sirzechs but mostly he expected the joke to fly right over the devils head... turns out the humor among devils was so starved that anything was funny to them. that would be the worst case scenario though; the devil may just be completely except from all forms of humor, making him literally weak to any jest.

"Oh I gotta tell this to father, he'd run with this for sure!"

Ryden knew now, at that moment, that he was the one that doomed not only hell, but humanity to that infamous dad-joke

"Please don't" begged Ryden, seeing his only chance to spare the younger generation of this horrible fate

"Oh no, that is too good to be kept secret, I shall pass it on from generation to generation"

 _Well, at least he tried_

It was thirty minutes later when Sirzechs finally climb out of his _'giggle mode'_ as Ryden had dubbed it. Seeing as how Sirzechs locked himself in a state of perpetual humor, Ryden saw it fit to dub such a condition and even still the smile on Sirzechs was now present, rather than the gloomy look he had prior... he supposed it was a better change in expression.

Ryden fell silent a minute later, seeing as how the scenery around him had grown different from Ajuka's territory, which was like a rocky plane. However, the Gremory territory was like a prairie; vast fields of long green grass was seen spanning miles into the direction of a mountain range, one of the many mountain peaks reached above the clouds where red lightning cracked almost continuously admits the thick clouds that completely shrouded the mountain peak entirely.

The sight seemed almost to fantasy like to consider real. He'd never seen land this beautiful before, with the sky an amethyst purple mixed with a series of blues, pinks and reds, the sky seemed to take after _Sovngarde_ from _skyrim;_ he could even see distant stars among the fast series of vibrant colors.

It was this sight that reminded him of his situation and what he'd planned for himself, said thoughts fell back onto his conversation with Ajuka pertaining to his abilities as he'd need to know everything about himself if he planned to so much as make a difference in the civil war. From a strong connection to _telekinetic_ abilities to _age reduction_ and d _amage negation_ , Ryden had felt his _'beginners setup'_ to be pretty well set for how fucked up his situation was. it went without saying, but whatever had sent him here – as Sirzechs had adamantly theorized – tried really hard to make sure he was given the best tools to survive his time in hell.

And now he was planned a week training regime with the devil in front of him; Ajuka had told him his skills should jump leaps and bounds as Sirzechs was hailed a master swordsmen. Ryden had been skeptical on that at first but when Ajuka said Sirzechs was a war hero that had fought in the great war he had shut his mouth almost instantly.

sooner or later he'd get to see the devils skills first hand...

The other thing Ajuka speculated with his training was the possibility of his powers growing with the emotional strain being more focused to attacking rather than defending but Ryden had his doubts. Unless Sirzechs was going to literally try and kill him during training he doubted he'd receive the same levels of adrenaline as the battlefield would provide. So with that planned out, Ryden had become slightly confused why Sirzechs had just upped and left his forces for a week to train him; and as it turns out, the resource mission they had undertaken before the raid on the _Halphes territory_ was their last tour before they would be given a week's time to rest and consolidate their lost numbers with fresh recruits... which was within a week's time.

This is what they had aimed to do; if Ryden was to be placed into military action, then he'd need to do it the legit way as favoritism only makes enemies among allies and Ryden did _not_ want to make enemies so soon in his stay in hell.

 _he had enough of those already_

Sirzechs had said his incorporation into the devils military could only be done through the recruitment test, which was said to be done 'tournament style'. Recruits would be tested in demonic energy output which would select whether or not they're fit to join the war effort. When completed, they were official members of whatever legion was present for new recruits, this one in rotation being the _R_ _ed legion._ then rank would be determined afterwards via one on one matches so to weed out the weakest and funnel out the strongest. recruits would be given an opponent to spar against that was selected based on demonic energy output, from then on they'd face off against increasingly compatible opponents until they were defeated or won it all. Sirzechs said the number of opponents varied from 4 to 5 with the highest rank obtainable being a _knight sentinel._

Sirzechs said it was desirable of him to pass the test at the end of the week as it would put him under Sirzechs command.

Obvious favoritism... it was flattering at first to be consider a _messiah_ for the devils during their time of the _'great divide'_ but he was not raised to be arrogant or prideful as his life required neither, instead he took it with a grain of salt but made no plans to use that title as a means for his own gain.

 _Pride goes before the fall as they say_

The greatest test before him right now, at this very moment, was whether Sirzechs 'strange' family was stuck up or actually rather enjoyable to be around

"We are here"

At Sirzechs' words Ryden's heart nearly caught on fire with how aligned his thoughts were, and it was obvious to him that he was also nervous for the meeting of his new parents; i mean who wouldn't be nervous to meet ones adoptive demonic family?

Before Sirzechs climbed out of the carriage he placed a hand on Ryden's shoulder before he smirked. "I'll do the talking, keep your heritage quite until I can determine whether or not if it's safe"

Ryden merely nodded before he followed Sirzechs out of the carriage

Only to freeze when he saw the massive mansion before him...

A faint whistle escaped his lips as he took in the Victorian styled mansion/castle before him. It was white in color, almost shined like chiseled marble; something that Ryden expected it to _truly_ be chiseled from marble itself. A variety of golden accents of metal decor dotted along the front of the entrance way where red flames were separated along the many pillars in front of the main foyer. What caught Ryden's eyes next was the rather large line up of maids and butlers that bowed almost robotically at both Sirzechs and his entrance.

"Welcome home Lord Gremory!" they all said in unison, bowing low

As the two walked along the straight path toward the massive mansion Ryden kept on glancing around in wonder. "This seems a little..."

"Untouched?"

Ryden nodded at Sirzechs' guess. "yeah... for a civil war to be raging on, you'd think this place would be seeing more action"

Sirzechs hummed at his words. "You are right in your observation, but I should tell you that this mansion is only one of our many residents" Sirzechs paused and ignored Ryden's shocked expression and pointed south-east. "the largest one we own is actually tucked away in a valley in the mountains just over there... we have many low class refugees from other territories staying there as well; even some of the maids and butlers you see before you are servants of other houses not my own. I've tried to tell them their services are not required but they insisted... so here they are" at that, sirzechs suddenly waved to the now standing maids and butlers.

And Ryden could see the light of gratitude in their eyes...

"Rather selfless of you" he muttered and Sirzechs released a puff of air from his nose in amusement

"Anyway, the reason this territory is as untouched as you said it to be is mainly due to the fact the Gremory family is one of the largest contributors to the war effort along with three others, out lines currently place my territory the furthest away from the front lines, which would be in the direction behind us"

Ryden nodded in understanding before Sirzechs smirked at his words and gestured for him to follow.

"Come, mother and father are waiting"

Normally it would have taken a good minute walk from the carriage to the main entrance but the distance was massive in Ryden's view. The front yard or garden and field was rife with activity; within the center of the massive yard – which spanned at least 2 _Football_ fields – stood a large active fountain with intricate designs in its craftsmanship. From then on to Ryden's right sprouted a variety of planets and vegetation he had never seen before while a few pathways flowed from flat plain gardens to a small dense forestry near the far corner of the yard, it seemed to him this was more like a botanical garden then an actual front hard. To Ryden's left seemed to be a flat tarmac which he assumed to be his training ground for the coming week.

It was an odd contrast but Ryden assumed – by Sirzechs' previous words on the many mansions the Gremory's own – that this one must be a sort of weekend getaway; there really wasn't much for evidence of entertainment as he would have expected a few sticks lying around for some form of sport unknown to him, maybe even a ball or something but nothing of what he was thinking was there.

Though he did see a single red ball close by a shed

"Not much for sports around here is there?" Ryden muttered casually. It would be a few more minutes before they would reach the front entrance so he decided a little small talk wouldn't hurt.

Sirzechs hummed in disagreement. "There is, the most popular among the devils at the moment is a game called _corpse party_ " a rather nostalgic smile grew onto Sirzechs' face at the mention of the sport. "the rules were simple, if you dodged the ball then you stayed in the game, and if you didn't then you were branded a 'corpse' and eliminated from the game"

Ryden slowly whistled as the evident hints of _dodge ball_ slowly sprinkling into his mind at the mention of the sports rules, but then a morbid bit of curiosity took over his lips. "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say the origins of that sport wasn't as friendly as today"

Sirzechs glanced back at him with wide eyes while vigorously nodding his head in agreement. "you would be right in that endeavor but we don't talk about that"

That was a good enough answer, and he appreciated the vagueness

"So what are the other sports games you guys play?"

"Hm... we haven't really been able to keep track of them, it's been decades since we had a semblance of peace but even then in those times we were so divided by opinions we never really came together to compete with one another. Funny thing is, its rumored the civil war started after a team killed an opposing player during play" Sirzechs shook his head soon after, his memories muddled by something. "I really don't know, there were many riots back then and a lot of public executions... sports was a rarity"

Ryden nodded, having gotten the point very quickly. "basically there was no time for fun"

Sirzechs nodded simply at that

"Sounds exhausting, come home from one battlefield and into another" Ryden muttered before his words grind to a halt when he spotted a brown blur slam into sirzechs, which forced the taller devils reply to come out in a sudden _'oof!'_

"~oh, my baby boy is home! ~" yelled a strikingly beautiful women. Ryden couldn't get a full view of her for a significant reason, which mostly had to do with the woman's rear end taking up the majority of the pretzel-ed mess on the floor, yet ryden could make out the image of a brunette beauty tightly hugging a wheezing sirzechs with the vigor of a starved bear.

Ryden slightly chuckled upon seeing the strain in sirzechs face. "one battlefield and into another, I stand corrected" he jest while calmly watching the spectacle.

"Y-yes..." wheezed out a pained Sirzechs before the mans attention fell onto the woman. "moth-mother, it's good... to be home" Ryden slowly had found himself dreading a hug from this woman from just the strain on sirzechs alone... it looked more painful then inviting if he was being honest.

As Ryden watched what was obviously Sirzechs' mother hug the demonically tainted soul out of him, he quickly noticed a fourth figure following behind; this one being much easier to distinguish then Sirzechs' mother.

He wore what was obvious noble attire, a red undershirt of high quality fabrics along with a white overcoat with two coat tails that hung down past his knees, he also had black dress pants along with a pair of black dress boots that went up below his knees, it was a mix of Victorian and Italian design – Ryden noted – as his coat sleeves had frills and his collar was lined with black fur that draped down to his upper back.

And his gait was text book noble; back straight and walk poised.

But what caught his eyes were the varying additions to the man's outfit; from the many straps and belt buckles tightly fixed to his person, to the set of swords dangling at the mans hips. At that point, Ryden became acutely aware of the purpose of the man's clothing; the large white overcoat had only a few creases in its make and the man's chest seemed unnaturally flattened and had unnaturally detailed tone to them as well, he could make out a six pack under the man's coat even.

 _Body armor_... roman design and compact for mobility

The devil was wearing a _tactically_ tailored suit

The man's teal eyes locked onto him and Ryden quickly noticed the resemblance the devil had to Sirzechs; crimson red hair and sharp turquoise eyes seemed to be the dominate feature on the gremory lord, the only difference between the man and his son was the slightly more narrow jaw and full beard.

Now that Ryden could see it, the mother of Sirzechs was wearing a similar styled outfit except its tailoring was catered to – obviously – the female aspect; but seemed much more compact and must have targeted a more close quarter styled combat choice. She wore a red skin tight body suit that which was lined with golden metal, upon the rather revealing outfit was a set of simple pauldrons that hugged the women's shoulder's down to her triceps snuggly. Gauntlets stat firmly upon her forearms which looked to be linked to the metal rings that adored the women's finger's protectively. knee high greaves dipped in gold hugged her slender legs and finally her hips were adored a mini chausses and fauld's... even a crimson waist cape dangled down over the woman's rear, its length going down to mid thigh.

It was obvious now to Ryden that the lord and lady of the Gremory household was familiar with combat

The man smiled at him a moment later. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Zeoticus Gremory; lord of the house of Gremory" the man greeted kindly, voice a kind baritone

Ryden smiled and dropped into his signature bow, but forgot one thing... "The honor is mine Lord Gremory; my name is Ryden Vale _Gremory"_ his tone wasn't sarcastic in the least, nor was it spoken in jest; all Ryden did was place emphasis the second last name he was given by the Gremory heir accidentally

He should have kept his bloody mouth shut

The rather boisterous energy in the air was grind to a halt when his words had finished, stepping up from his bow Ryden was greeted to a shocked Zeoticus Gremory who was busy absorbing his features with rapt attention before they dropped icily onto Sirzechs who immediately noticed the look he was getting from his father

 _Uh oh_

" _Explain"_ was the only words that left Zeoticus' lips

And if Ryden's eyes were to be believed then even his mother's rather joyful expression released a slight edge as she also took in his appearance

But rather than being angry it was the opposite

"~so who's the lucky lady dear? ~

The following response proved one thing to Ryden...

"Mother!"

...Sirzechs was still a virgin

* * *

The interior of the Gremory getaway mansion was as extravagant as the entrance way, perfectly polished flooring shown with supernatural gleam that reflected the white interior and light from the massive chandelier above that illuminated the room, adding in the glass walls on the main floor allowed the natural colors of hell to flood in making the first glimpse into the build similar to a acid trip, a set of stairs immediately before him led up to the second floor which branched off to the right and the left

All in all, the main plaza of the mansion was almost like a 7 star hotel, the only thing missing was a reception desk, in its place was a rather luxurious bar

If the Gremory couple before him and Sirzechs wouldn't gut the latter and dump the former on the street then Ryden could get used to this

"So you're saying you didn't accidentally knock up a possible suitor?" question a sad but serious Venelana Gremory, she'd introduced herself to him almost the second her son moaned his reply of embarrassment which – to her – only solidified her status as a grandmother, it took him multiple times to explain to her the situation was a lot more complicated, she whole hearted agreed at first and made it her mission to land the most motherly kiss on her new 'grandson' which forced Ryden to backpedal

After tanking his father's scolding and clearing the air with the former lord of the Gremory house Sirzechs was able to reign in his mother before any further misunderstandings could be made with the help of Zeoticus, judging by the look of dejection on the women's face it was a hard blown to her motherly pride

Sirzechs sighed "Yes, I did not have sexual relations with any women" replied Sirzechs, Ryden was mildly amused at the redness not only on his cheeks but his ears as well, it was almost fun to see a tough act destroyed by the mechanisms of parents, if it worked on a man like Sirzechs then it sure as hell worked on him

"That still doesn't explained his last name, why does he hold the Gremory name?" questioned Zeoticus as he continued to analyze Ryden, the aforementioned man remained silent, considering both he and the devil beside him were in this mess because of his mouth – the glare he got from Sirzechs was a good sign of his blunder – Ryden chose to simply let the trained professional negotiate with his parents while he took in his new surroundings

It was the second floor he was on, a lounge actually by the looks of it, but it was missing a lot of furniture one would find in one but Ryden speculated the Gremory's must have donated the many couches and chairs to their main mansion to accommodate the lower-class devils living there, the only thing they had was the couch and two really comfortable lounge chairs with a few book cases and tomes

It felt more like a library then a relaxation room but then again, his era had a lot more to provide in those times

"For you to understand the circumstances of his name then I would need to brief you on the happenings of the red legion, this is confidential information by the way" the two elder devils nodded briskly at his commanding words, it was still mind boggling how quick Sirzechs went from embarrassed momma's boy to commanding general of the red legion in nothing but a few words and an expression shift

But he digressed

"Are you two aware of the anomaly that happened 6 months ago? The star that fell from the sky?"

Both Venelana and Zeoticus Gremory nodded; it was hard for no one to _not_ have noticed, the light of the fallen star had shown brighter then the fake sun in the sky, they had heard of the rumors and the conspiracy theories from many devils speculating that it was the second coming of the underworlds savior while some had heard the old-Satan faction believing it was the revival of Lucifer himself

"We'll a few weeks ago, my legion stumbled upon the crash site which had leveled the Malphes territory to that of a crater" supplied Sirzechs and both his parents quickly widened their eyes, even Ryden got interested as it was one of the few feats he had managed to do, and he didn't even remember it

"What caused it? Was it an object of some kind of rare material?" questioned Zeoticus

Sirzechs shook his head "we didn't find any traces of rare materials, the only thing we found was a unapproachable zone of volatile energy we had _never_ seen before, simply approaching it would corrode the skin to dust and breathing it would incinerate ones lungs in an instant"

By that point Ryden was fully involved, whatever this crash was it sounded like it would hold some kind of answers, a sort of bread crumb for his mysterious arrival to this timeline

Sirzechs continued "we spent some time securing the territory for further study but so far we've simply cut all access to the territory in general, during that time we picked up rumors of a _'boy'_ in the hands of the old-Satan activities within the Halphes territory, what we found on our approached to the territory was residual energy similar to the one before within the _Halphes_ territory, it took us some time but we managed to lay siege on the territories outer perimeter and broke through towards the central capital fortress" Sirzechs paused for breath and to collect his thoughts, Ryden meanwhile was listening as intently as the Gremory couple before him

"After securing the messily defended castle, I assaulted the main plaza and confronted a couple of lucifuge line while my praetorian guard moved in, I distracted them long enough and my praetorian's found the residual energy which was held by a boy that had extremely familiar features to my own" as Sirzechs finished the eyes of the two devils landed on him almost instantly which expressed the intelligence the two had, all Ryden did was wave casually at them

"Y-you?" asked Venelana as she stared at Ryden deeply

Ryden nodded "Me" he said

"I don't understand Sirzechs" started Zeoticus "how do you know for sure he's the one to have fallen from the sky? For all you know he could be a survivor of the Malphes clan"

Sirzechs didn't answer and instead glanced to Ryden to answer on his own, and he did

"Do you know a man named john Connor?" questioned Ryden before his eyes slightly widened "Better yet, do you know a Sarah Connor?"

Zeoticus shook his head, confusion written on his face while both Sirzechs and Venelana blinked in similar confusion and it was clear to Ryden the reference flew right over everyone's head, but he didn't care, still funny

Ryden huffed but smirked before pressing onto his point "It's a movie reference to a time traveling robot assassin, goes back in time to assassinate a rather trouble some kid before he could start a revolution against a machine overlord" again the confusion followed his odd answer, Ryden sighed before going to drop the bomb "The movie's release date is on October 26th... 1984... 1,552 years from now"

His hinting was spotty and he expected the devils to be detached to human years, but when their eyes widened Ryden learned two things, the first was they were able to catch on to this shit hinting and the second was simple, they were involved with human years to understand the current time on earth

It seemed both Venelana Gremory and Zeoticus Gremory were not only familiar to hell but to earth as well

"T-time travel?" asked a now shell shocked Venelana while a Zeoticus Gremory grasped onto a much more shocking revelation

"H-human..."

It was a statement worded in shocked confusion

Sirzechs' eyes widened at his father's deduction while his mother gasped loudly, her previous comment forgotten instantly

Ryden rolled his eyes

"Here we go again..." he muttered

Zeoticus jumped from his seat, his eyes on Ryden while Venelana remained stock still in her seat but before any of the two could open their mouths Sirzechs intervened

"It was a shock at first father, but there's more to him then you know" chimed Sirzechs, his reaction before may have been shocked but his posture was ever solid, his eyes, calm "one being his unique abilities never before seen in the underworld before

"Explain" Zeoticus said

Ryden did more than that, the conversation they had before was mainly Sirzechs placating his parents Ryden had been studying the room – namely the book's on the shelf to his right – one of those books had written on it the events of the great war but considering at the time he was to remain silent he couldn't make a move to indulge his curiosity but now he did

Instead of simply stare at the item across the room Ryden tried something different – a test of his abilities to be more accurate – and raised his right arm as if to reach out to the large book, and the feeling Ryden had towards the item was much more intimate then simply moving an item with his mind

It would seem gestures really helped in his _grip_ ability

A simple 'come here' gesture with his hand and the book shot out from the shelf and zipped into his outstretched hand

Studying the books first page after catching it Ryden hummed in intrigue before placing the book onto the glass coffee table before him and looked up to the see the continued shock on both Zeoticus and Venelana to remain ever frozen

To add in more demonstration, he raised his hand and picked up the book and pushed it gently into the hand of Venelana who took the floating item into her hand gingerly, as if the book would explode

When the brown haired devil took the item Ryden glanced down to his hand calmly and studied the limb, it felt to him like the item was literally sitting in his hand, softly clenching the hand Ryden hummed again before dropping the limb onto his lap, his demonstration complete

Zeoticus and Venelana ran many scans on the tome but they both came up with zero energy signatures, it was as if the man had commanded the book to defy gravity and the laws of space to do his bidding, and it required _zero_ energy to do it

"I'm still getting used to it, I didn't exactly have good caretakers that allowed me room to train so I had only minimal time to hone a baron amount of skills" he glanced to Sirzechs "they know who Ajuka is right?" Sirzechs nodded and Ryden level his gaze back onto the listening devils "Ajuka said I could learn many other abilities given enough time, currently I'm able to make personal barriers and grip distant objects with my mind, while I have subconsciously halted my aging and tempered my internal abilities to maximum effect"

Zeoticus swallowed a lump in his throat "And your name?"

Ryden nodded "My human name is Ryden Vale; I hail from the year 2018 – a _very_ long time from now – but my adoptive name 'Gremory' was given to me by your son" casually, he patted the devils lap beside him in gesture "who adopted me for both political reasons and strategic"

Sirzechs coughed into his hand before elaborating when his parents look to him questioningly "politically, if Ryden is captured then he won't be left behind, the old-Satan's had him in their clutches for _six_ months trying to..." Sirzechs paused to glance at Ryden "Brainwash?"

Ryden glanced up in wonder "Hmmm, month... three I think, didn't really work out for them, cause I kept telling 'em where to stick it"

Sirzechs nodded "this meant they wanted to turn Ryden into a weapon, so if he is a member of the Gremory's then that means he's a high valued ally" he paused to mull over his words but Ryden grew impatient

"Strategically speaking I hold great power and potential to end the civil war, considering these Old-Satan pricks put so much effort in making an enemy out of me with their _wonderful_ treatment, I was planning on hopping into the war alongside your son" Ryden leaned back into the chair and exhaled "Its why we came here, to train and to meet my new parents" he waved at them with a wide smile "It's nice to meet you by the way"

Sirzechs almost face-palmed at Ryden's forward attitude but relaxed when his parents didn't immediately explode

Venelana was the first to speak "I-it's a pleasure to meet you Ryden" said before standing up from the sofa, Ryden stood as well along with Sirzechs "you'll have to excuse our behaviour, it's not often we have a human guest in our household" the women's hand outstretched in a manner Ryden was familiar with

Taking the offended hand, he ghost his lips over her knuckles and smiled up to her "the pleasure is mine lady Gremory, though do not trouble yourself over my sudden inclusion into the household, my appearance has been rather hectic as of late, it's understandable if you were not prepared"

The women chuckled into her hand softly "Oh that won't do dear, you are now a Gremory, it would be dishonorable for us to ignore the decisions of house's lord" her eyes dropped onto her son just over Ryden's should, Ryden felt the man stiffen at her gaze before she looked back to Ryden "~Now, I would like you to call me 'mother', as the new addition to this house it would be rather odd for me to be addressed as 'lady' wouldn't you agree?"

Again Ryden felt Sirzechs stiffen in what he assumed was a cringe but he ignored it

"Indeed, I will endeavor to address as such"

She giggled again and Ryden knew that women from before – the hug monster – was awakening

"~Fufufufu, so polite~... were you perhaps raised in a noble family from your time?" she asked

Ryden only shook his head "Unfortunately we were rather middle-class then high, but my parents made it their mission to beat into me and my sister the proper skills in social conduct"

Zeoticus hummed "Fine parents indeed" he muttered

While Ryden went off on introducing himself properly to his new adoptive parents Sirzechs sighed deeply from his spot on the chair, it was probably one of _the_ most stressful moments of his life, it was true before he had no idea what his parents considered humans, as most devils today consider them below the common dreg in the north end corners of the underworld, as a matter of fact Sirzechs felt like he won something of a grand prize at a devils familiar auction

Not that he was relating Ryden to a messily familiar, but it was still something of a bright moment he couldn't help but find himself enjoying immensely, now that Ryden had found himself familiar to his new parents – wide smiles included as a bonus – Sirzechs could look towards other matters at hand

Namely, Ryden's training

They never really delved into the specifics of his targeted skill set he'd focus on during the week, while Ryden had shown interest in sword skill training from him, Sirzechs believed training a variety of skills would help widen his skills plate which would open him up to higher ranking positions within the military structure, the higher he got, the more he could get done

Sirzechs' thoughts dropped instantly when his mother regarded him questioningly while Ryden conversed about something "Is it true that Ryden wishes to join the war effort so soon after his freedom?"

Sirzechs sighed deeply again "I wasn't the one who suggested him to jump in but he's adamant about it, you know I'm not one to reveal much about someone's past but whatever happened to him, must've driven him to this decision"

Venelana nodded simply "and you being here means you are to train the boy?"

"Yes, his powers are something but his skills need to be honed if he wishes to pass the gauntlet" replied Sirzechs before he hummed audibly "Would you be willing to assist, mother? He could use some lessons on our society, understanding our ways will help him fit in more"

Venelana smiled brightly "~I wouldn't dream of saying no to that, if I can spend some quality time bonding with my new son then I'm all for it"

The energy his mother was exhibiting was infectious as Sirzechs couldn't help but smile plainly at her "Thank you mother"

"Your very welcome my son"

"Is there a place I can spar with Ryden?"

Venelana hummed in playful manner "I don't think we have the space, it's too cramped here" she said while looking out a window to the vast expanse of green fields as far as she could see

Sirzechs released a sudden grunt of amusement at his mother's sarcasm

"I think I'll also toss in a bit of training in the demonic arts, maybe he may show some talent enough to hold our family crest, you know, to make it official" added Venelana which slightly startled Sirzechs

"So soon, wouldn't you have a form of trial set up?" questioned a shocked Sirzechs

All she did was level of a neutral expression on him "Have we ever taken in human's to teach them our ways?"

"Fair enough"

Venelana hummed again in content "besides, what trial could I come up with to surpass what he's been through? The answer is simple, nothing" Sirzechs' mother sighed "In all aspects; he's passed my test and by the humor on your father suggests he passed his test as well, I see no need to be stingy"

"I thank you again, mother, but I am ashamed to have thought differently about you"

An eyebrow rose on Venelana's brow "Oh? You thought me to be a cruel woman?"

She pinched his cheek

"I've waited a long time to see some grandkids brat and all I've been stuck with is you, and now when you bring me home someone else you think I'd toss him away?" Sirzechs wheezed at his mother's assault while his mothers left eyes twitched sporadically "No way imma let that cute little boy escape my affection"

Both Zeoticus and Ryden turned to see the spectacle but only one of them remained to watch, while the other immediately high tailed it when he heard 'cute little boy' leave the older woman's lips

Why does she look at him like he's some kind of snack?

Seeing her new son quickly turn tail and run forced Venelana to give chase, sparing her older son his cheek further pain and granting Zeoticus a good helping of entertainment at seeing what looked like a grown ass man running at full speed away from his wife

Many maids that day would speak of the introduction of the new Heir as the most entertaining day of their lives

"These Gremory's sure are strange" muttered a random maid

Many nodded their heads

-X-

A few hours later Ryden found himself in a large field, it wasn't just large, but _massive_ as it was basically the large plains surrounding the large Gremory getaway estate _,_ after evading his mother for an hour Sirzechs managed to convince to her cease her advances, as it was nearing lunch time – which helped Ryden figure out the time zone he was in due to the state of the sky – the maids and butlers managed to whip up a quick meal

It was at this meal that Ryden fully learned that the Gremory family was _loaded_

They called it a simple meal, Ryden considered it a meal fit to kill a morbidly obese Italian family that was starved for a week prior and force a financially stable country into extreme debt

It was obvious the metabolism of devils was _much_ stronger than humans as it took more energy to do what they do daily and it was thanks to his new found super metabolism that helped him keep his near wash board stomach and not breach a waistline in the triple digits

Ryden had found himself horrified at what these devils considered a _dinner_

After the meal, and after Ryden had time to download that he wasn't fat, Sirzechs had told him to meet him outside in the massive field behind the Gremory getaway estate

It was around the 15 minute mark when a demonic sigil sprang up from the grass and from it came Sirzechs and a weapons rack filled with varying tools of war, ranging from swords, spears, to oddly design spears

"What's that one?" asked Ryden as he eyed the long blade on the extended handle

"It's called a sword-spear, and it is very difficult to master, I've only known a few devils to have mastered the art but they've retired" Sirzechs picked up two long swords from the rack and handed him the second one

"We will see what you are capable of in combat before we can establish a desired weapon of choice" Sirzechs said before he turned and walked to a small clearing of shortened grass "take a few swings and get comfortable, the long sword is a easy weapon to get used to blocking strikes and gaining coordination with your arms"

Ryden nodded before he lifted the weapon in his hand

The sensation he got when holding the blade sent a small sparking sensation from his hands to his shoulder, it was odd at first but it quickly faded, forgetting the oddity Ryden took a stance – legs shoulder width apart and elbows squared, knees slightly bent

Sirzechs smirked "Good form, are you sure you didn't have formal training"

Ryden shook his head slightly "I think it's just common sense actually, I've studied sword skills on my off times for fun as a kid – around 15 I think – and I've been told many times that it's not the sword that needs to incorporate your body, but that your body needs to recognize the sword as a new limb"

Sirzechs beamed at him "Excellent! It's seems the future holds high for use swordsmen"

Ryden fought the desire to tell him the invention of guns, the sheer pride the devil had at his words of wisdom was enough to say that Sirzechs wouldn't find that particular part of history enjoyable

Ryden twirled the blade in his hands before exchanging his grip from forward to reverse grip – then changing hands and continuing to do the same with his left, unknowingly displaying expert fluidity that forced Sirzechs to pause

"Ryden... are you absolutely sure you haven't been trained in the art of the sword" he questioned and Ryden simply nodded, like it was obvious

"I'm 100% curtain I've never handled a sword" he paused before giving him a iffy look "Maybe a stick once or twice when I went camping as a kid – played swords and monster's with a few of the neighboring kids... wasn't even that good"

Sirzechs gave Ryden a dumbfounded expression before he shook his head when an idea came to his mind

While Ryden continued to the get familiar with his sword, Sirzechs disappeared in a flurry of movement

Without thinking twice, Ryden quickly – and fluidly – twirled the blade around to his right side and parried Sirzechs' sword perfectly, Sirzechs smirked when he noticed a familiar coating of blue energy along the edge of the blade

"I see..." he said before he dropped the parry and stood before Ryden calmly

Ryden, meanwhile, was left in a slight daze of confusion

Did he just?

Yes, yes he did just parry a blade moving at two times the speed of sound, the sudden rush of wind upon his face – that didn't so much as bother his eye sight – proved to him the sheer force Sirzechs had placed in his swing

And he just bloody parried it like it was nothing

"Do you feel it?" asked Sirzechs

Ryden didn't answer; he was too confused to really pay much mind to forming an answer he didn't have

"Can you feel that sword in your hands?" he asked

Then Ryden's brain dropped into maximum overdrive, raising the blade in his hand Ryden noticed very quickly the sheer familiarity he had with the blade, like it was always there

It was an odd feeling for Ryden, how a piece of metal and oak – or whatever its made from – could feel so... _normal_ in his hands, he'd never trained a day in his life with a sword – a real one – and every time he did try to play sword with friends, he'd always be the one supporting his hand or head in pain when a particularly nasty swing got past his guard, and they got past him _often_

To suddenly feel so _powerful,_ so _normal_ with a blade in his hands spoke many things to Ryden, many of them saying 'hidden prodigy' but the more rational side of him suggested a more obvious answer

"I can, but only when I try to" he finally replied "It would seem Sirzechs, that my telekinetic abilities stems to not just picking things up, making barriers and extreme conveniences' but to personal aptitude as well"

Sirzechs hummed before he stepped back to the weapons rack and picked up the sword-spear, it was a simple designed double sided blade that was thicker then the handle and longer by a single foot, the handle had a few spaces in the blade to express where ones hand goes, for close range slashes and jabs one would grip directly below where the handle meets the blade with one hand and for long range swings one would hold the section just a few inches near the end – by either two hands or one, depending on personal strength, it reached around seven feet long in total and it was a cumbersome weapon, unfavoured by most due to its limited uses in Close range

That's what most would think

As Ryden took hold of the weapon, he slowly went through the motions of studying the blade, down to a level he never thought possible

The weapon was perfect for those who were aware of their surroundings 100% of the time, Ryden was one of those individuals, he didn't notice it a first due to the sheer natural flow he had with the sword but he realised he carried a 6th sense, one that made him aware of his surroundings whenever a blade was in his hand

Ryden knew what this was called, it was either weapon proficiency or Intuitive aptitude, but then he remembered that both of those go hand in hand as intuitive meant instinctual action, whenever a weapon was in his hand he'd gain a semblance of the weapons uses and weaknesses, though the sword spear did have medium to long range uses, it didn't however cover ones close range defenses

But considering his natural defenses against any form of attack and his natural telekinetic abilities he knew that needing to use the sword-spear for his close range defenses was unnecessary and would waste movement

 _Why expect something to do a job you could already do on your own?_

If someone _did_ poses a weapon capable of harming him then a simple pulse of kinetic force would keep that individual in his favored range for a strike

It was always better to work _smarter_ , not harder

And this was assuming he was standing still, and in a real fight... you _never_ stand still

It was a weapon made to overwhelm, and Ryden found himself liking the sword-spear more than the sword, the sword only gave him moderate medium range with favored close range engagements but considering the form of warfare he was engaging in – close range, hack 'n slash, cluster fuck with the random odds of being smack with a spammed demonic bolt of magic – then he would rather have overwhelming longer range then the generic sword with a side helping of brain damage to go along with it

Ryden spun the weapon in his hands around expertly again while Sirzechs remained dead silent, Ryden watched himself handle the weapon like a master performer going from handling the weapon like a spear and twirling the blade fluidly until he decided to spice up the act and to test out his acrobatics skills along with something he'd wanted to try, Ryden swung with weapon to the right with his right hand in a close range swing and let the weapon go at the last second

Sirzechs believed the man to have finally made a mistake – one that he'd been waiting on for too long now – but froze when the weapon spun around Ryden like a personal tornado, it did a full rotation around Ryden before the man caught it and used the moment built up to follow along with a two handed rising upper slash that cracked the air in a sonic boom

.

.

.

"Holy. shit... did I just do that!" yelled Ryden as he stood near the epicenter of a storm of shredded grass, he turned to a deadpanned Sirzechs who had a rain cloud brewing over his head "What's wrong with you?" he asked but got nothing but a dejected look from the man

Ignoring the older brother for now Ryden look down to the sword-spear in his hands before smirking

Oh he really liked this... he was afraid he liked it a little _too_ much

Ryden turned to Sirzechs calmly before he leveled a very terrifying smile at the devil

"So... what's next on the menu Cap'n?"

Sirzechs sighed deeply, he had finally gotten a younger sibling, one that he could teach and guide all on his own, like what an older brother should do, but it was clear now to Sirzechs that Ryden Vale Gremory was an overachieving prodigy

One that he feared wouldn't need any training from him at all

With a dejected gait Sirzechs turned slowly, like a zombie

"Just follow me" he said with a hallow voice

Ryden simply watched the man leave before looking around in confusion, shoulder raised in even deeper confusion

"What the hell did I do?"

-X-

 _Hooooolyyyyyy. Shit, this was one of my fastest updates in my life_

 _I really wanted to get the next chapter out as fast as possible as the previous two chapter's so far hold such little amount of juicy content that I feel some of my readers are passing by un-entertained, one chapter of some moderate action but mostly dialogue_

 _And then I realize I've done the exact same thing in this chapter... fuck me_

 _The action is coming my dear readers and it will be GLORIOUS!_

 _Now, this chapter had only one target in mind for Ryden, establishing skill set and further delving into powers, like I said before, Ryden can't just hop into the civil war instantly, there's no flow and no real build up to the literal shit storm the civil is gonna actually be_

 _So this chapter I had to introduce Ryden to his new family, rather short and not very much interaction between Ryden and the parents but they will have more spots in this story to shine (notice the combat outfits they wore... hint, nudge, wink, etc.) and some may think some of these characters to be slightly OOC and all I can really say about that is_

 _We are currently 1,553 years from canon (not in chapters but in legit years) so; many characters who seem OOC have a lot of time to evolve into the canon personalities on their own_

 _Do not worry; Serafall will still be adorable when canon arrives_

 _So I've introduced the gauntlet which will contain a number of known characters and some of my OC's to cover some ground and to fill in some of these lovely Red coats I've made (Chuckles darkly) for the majority of the civil war_

 _I'll say it right now... not everyone will survive_

 _Its gonna be like game of thrones up in this bitch_

 _No rape though... it triggers me and its lazy writing, no other way to make a character get hated faster than to make him rape someone, its lazy and generic, so no, no touchy_

 _Now I also want to address Ryden power level in the DxD verse, most of his powers you will find on the Superpower wiki which explains most of his powers in detail, just search up telekinesis and boom, you in the know_

 _And on top of that, if Ryden appears to be OP, don't be discouraged, while I myself dislike extremely powerful characters I do like competently strong character's who don't get smacked around every chapter, I like the classic "clash against two opposing ideals" kind of fights, like Nyx Ulric vs. General Glauca from FF15 Kings Glaive where it's not down to whose got the biggest sword or who has the douchest smirk on his face but whose ideals come crashing down on their shoulders or whoever gets mad and makes a mistake first_

 _It's the close fights that keep most people present, if the characters to powerful then comedy is the main source of entertainment_

 _So Ryden will not be as overpowered as one may think, in the end, he's still a rookie to fighting and to the true spirit that resides on the battle field... and will that be a hard pill for him to swallow_

 _So_

 _If you liked the chapter then leaves a review or don't if you didn't, add this story to either favorites or follows to get more content and thanks so much for reading_

 _PS. Yes a shamelessly used Tactical potato's outro, sue me, he's my spirit animal_

 _PSS. This chapter was NOT edited, didn't really need to be, I wrote it in two bloody days_

 _Peace_


	4. The sword in the Mountain

- **The sword in the mountain** -

 _When it came to training I could say for curtain I had a natural flow to growing, it was rather different then what I was used to, as back then most days were simply, wake up – eat – and go to work, rinse and repeat_

 _But now it was different_

 _For my week of training I did three things, each day_

 _Eat... Train... And learn._

 _Both Venelana and Zeoticus were not the kind of devils I had expected them to be, from what I learned, the devil society takes after a strict noble code, meaning bloodlines and blood purity and all that wonderful goodness takes precedence in their culture_

 _They however took me in with wide arms and huge smiles on their faces even though I was human and at times I thought I'd known them for years with how close they tried to be with me when I'd only been around them for a few days_

 _I'd say they were blessings but I feel like that would insult them, but that's what they were... blessings_

 _Their lessons range from many things, from devil culture to the government status along with a few other tid bits I found to be... outta left field_

 _Then came Sirzechs, during my week of training he'd disappear for hours on end, leaving me alone with the parents and their many lessons, but when he did return, he'd have these dark expressions laying on his face_

 _It was clear to me that the war effort wasn't looking to good and it made me more eager to get my bearings and jump in as soon as possible but I knew that I'd only do more harm than good, while my unnatural ability to wield weapons was convenient but it was ultimately pointless in the end_

 _However I learned then that a lot can happen in seven days_

 _A lot_

* * *

"Do you understand Ryden?"

Ryden sprang awake; he'd been dozing off for about a few minutes while Venelana went on about the politics of the civil war

Ryden blinked a few times – even shook his head – to help wake himself from his learning coma before he looked towards his mildly disapproving demonic mother, her hands were on her hips and her violet eyes were drooped in a deadpan, even her cheeks were slightly puffed up in a sort of childish pout

His sleepy nature had him stare for a moment, trying to remember what she'd been saying only to drift off while staring at the women's red sun dress

"I do not think it's wise to stare at your teacher" she stated, disapproving gaze sharpening

Ryden blinked again before pinching the bridge of his nose "I apologize; my mind has been sort of crowded lately... I will not lose focus again" he replied

"Oh?" asked Venelana, eyes blinking in wonder "Would it be perhaps your training?"

He shook his head "I have no excuse for neglecting your lessons mother, please continue"

The women only blinked at him for a moment, before her personality did a total 180

Ryden had figured out where Sirzechs had gotten his 'bipolar' habits a few days ago, whenever he'd get a wrong answer, Venelana would chew him out for a good minute before she'd jump right down to joyous the second he'd gotten her question right... almost like he did it the first try

"Then can you summarize the situation the Ars Geotia is in right now... the state of government and figure heads please"

"Yes mother, due to the situation at hand and the constant wars the devils have faced, there has been no time for the Ars Geotia to form a coherent government separate from the rule of the four kings, however recently, after the capture of the small capital _Leviathia_ , the current families remaining on the anti-Satan's side have managed to procure enough political backing to begin the induction of said government" Ryden sighed as he fidgeted in his seat on the sofa

Venelana beamed "Very good, and can you name the five founding families that started the revolution?" she asked, smile still present

Ryden sighed deeply to think before pointing down to the floor "First is the Gremory family, which leads the refugee campaign, as it holds the largest land among all the others we have taken full responsibility to assisting the homeless and lost devils without a territory to occupy" Ryden paused when the women before him patted his head, it was one of the few habits the women did whenever he'd add in double the amount asked, almost like her head pats where cookies... he bloody dared her to pull out a damn cookie – he felt like a child right now.

When she dropped her hand a moment after frazzling his hair he continued "the second is the Sitri family, which deals in housing repairs and capital reconstruction after the military forces have secured it and moved on"

He dodged another head pat and continued, he's set on a narrowed glare at his mother who only giggled at his 'rebellious nature' "The family of Astaroth handles medical care and scientific inventions along with the training in specialized medical spells for field use" he sighed to catch his break – dodge another head pat with a faint growl – and continued "And the Glasya-Labolas family holds the most influence on military campaigns and recruiting schools, along with founding the Gauntlet program for speeding recruit rotations and subsequently ranking them Via performance"

Her brow rose slightly and Ryden quickly realized why "The _last_ or _first_ , family was the one to have influenced the four aforementioned families to action, Zekram Bael – current lord of the Bael family was the one said to have done so, his soon to be Replacement, Praxis Bael – his eldest descendant and your younger brother – is currently a Commander in the Red legion, and is the bridge of communication between the four Commanding generals, From information to possible moles, Zekram Bael holds political power while the four generals hold military power and might"

Venelana clapped loudly, face practically frozen in a joyous smile "Excellent! You've taking my lessons perfectly!"

Ryden sighed at the high praise, it was a thing for Venelana as she knew perfectly well he was much more observant than most as the constant praises and head pats and even _hugs_ were not truly gifts but salt that she rubbed into his wounds whenever he needed her assistance or she would butt in to remind him on curtain subjects, he didn't under the logic in it but he guessed Patronising was a deadly insult in devil culture

He filed that away so to remember not to be a smartass to any other devils

She, however, still showered him with affection even when he got his answers right, so it was hugs and cuddles whenever she bloody wanted which was slightly nerve racking for the young human, whenever he asked Sirzechs why the female was hugging him so much all he got was odd smiles – a shake of the head – and the odd comment like 'little boy' or 'infant'

So what he gathered from that was not only did Sirzechs desire a sibling but Venelana wanted a child... or another one that is, it was hard to remember that Sirzechs was over a millennia old and still innocent to the desires of the opposite sex _and_ the eldest son of Venelana and Zeoticus Gremory, they both had this sort of desire which, did point out whose traits Sirzechs picked up from most – that being from Venelana.

He was the monkey in the middle or how ever its phrased, since he was 23 years old... a near infants age in devil terms, the motherly instincts in his new mother kicked in to maximum overdrive, and Ryden was on guard if and or _when_ , the women asked him if he needed any _milk_

He wouldn't even answer that question, not even with a 20 foot pole

While his thoughts were locked in on rather disturbing subjects, Ryden was unable to dodge his mothers sudden assault on his person, his head was locked in the women's arms which felt like steel bars wrapping around his head and neck protectively and possessively while her behind dropped onto his lap soon after before his hair was viciously patted

He stared off into space – eyes glancing from one side of the room to the other slowly – while a bland and flat expression dotting his face while his mother continued to treat him like a local petting Zoo, occasionally rubbing his scalp or dragging her fingers through his hair soothingly

He just sat there for a moment, it wasn't as if he was starved for physical affection – he'd had his fair share of relationships before – but he found himself growing silent and actually enjoyed the moment for what it was, Ryden didn't know how long infancy lasted in devil terms and for all he knew, Sirzechs could have been a fully grown teenager, fit and powerful among the forces of the old devil army going against heaven and the fallen... while still occasionally sitting his mother's lap getting cuddled and spoiled

He didn't know – or want to know – if that was true, but case in point was that Venelana was _damn_ good at head messages and Ryden would be remised if he didn't find a way to staunch his mental fatigue

It started around the second day – this being the 4th day of training – when his brain started just shutting down at some points, one minute he'd be listening to Sirzechs speak about sword styles and where and when it applies in squads and then he'd found himself being scolded for passing out

It was clear then he was mentally fatigued, and he knew the main culprit... that being his abilities themselves, his mind was needed for his abilities to work and even more brain power to multitask, and he'd been doing a _lot_ of multitasking, going from studying and memorizing devil culture during spars to lifting multiple weapons for his new style of weapon play – it wasn't going very far but he still had a handful of days to perfect at least a two styled weapon loadout

It was exhausting on his mind, physically? He was doing all sorts of physical training and he was glad his physical build didn't diminish during the 6 months in _wonderland_ so it wasn't his main focus as his form would develop more during his weapon training

But right now, he desired some relaxation... a break to cool his brain down

And to be perfectly frank with himself, this was probably the most relaxed he'd been in days

Arguably it's been 5 days since his release and induction into the Gremory family but since then he'd done nothing but familiarize himself with his sword-spear, establish his desired style with the weapon, and then test out his style against Sirzechs in a mock battle, after that it was time to gorge on a meal and afterwards get a few lessons from either Zeoticus or Venelana about the most important aspects of noble standing, conduct and finally what one does when introducing himself to a fellow heir or heiress

There was a shot at his introduction skills in there somewhere...

He'd asked why he was considered an heir to the Gremory's as his blood wasn't related to them at all, and it was replied that his status was _heir under military reservation_ which meant he was considered an heir but was not obligated to form relations pertaining to suitors from other families until all military services are complete

Or death... they mentioned that part as well

Again, his mind was rambling again, and this time he was not at all prepared for what Venelana did next

A soft kiss planted itself on his cheek and Ryden casually looked down to the mother currently occupying his lap, he rose a brow at her return smile "that was for...what?"

She simply smirked "~It's just hard not to want to pinch those cute little cheeks of yours~" as if to add in her point further, her hand took a chunk of his face and pulled gently but due to his damage tolerance he barely felt it and only stared at her as his left cheek was manhandle by the clingy mother

Ryden had to fight a groan when he remembered one of his previous lessons a few days prior, while Venelana was teaching him about devils natural abilities all the way to anatomy and social behavior the subject for some reason dropped all the way down to _sexual_ behavior, it was awkward for Ryden, slightly due to the clingy nature of the women on his lap, and it wasn't until that lesson when he had learnt why

To devils, natural fertility is the one thing humans absolutely stomp them on, it was why many years ago, ancient demons had forced bred human women to male demons to see if they could create demons quicker with the same level of power – spoiler alert, it didn't work, and it royally pissed of the angels. So now after eons of evolution and the subsequent creation of devils at the hands of Lucifer led to the devils current behaviors

For most devils at this current time in history – especially during a time when extinction is around the corner – every devil was obligated to find a mate and reproduce as fast and as much as possible, it was during the lesson on sexual behavior from Venelana that he learned that one of the few laws passed some millennia ago that male devils – especially the powerful ones – had a right to multiple women, in human time this was called a polygamy but its more backwards then what humans consider it

In devil culture it was a high honor to bare many partners, sometimes it's a single female with many men – he forgot what Venelana said about that the second she said it – and it was this law that was to help repopulate the devil species, it was sort of like a percentages approach

The more partners, the high the chance of an off spring being born or multiple off spring from multiple partners instead of just trying with one partner

Ryden was at odds with this way of life at first but he'd remembered that they were all devils and not humans; they were a species born and raised in perpetual conflict therefore they knew and valued the continuation of their species above all else which meant simply... they were strong

While his species was too busy being offended by everything and everyone...

While at first the practice was more primal then civil as it was today, the form of polygamy was adapted to fit the needs of the 72 devil pillars rather than every devil, while the lower-class devils don't indulge in having many partners it wasn't unheard of, however the law was more important to the pillars of the Ars Geotia so much so that it was an actual _pressure_ rather than a _privilege_. The reason was previously stated, Venelana had defused the notion of complete extinct the moment he mentioned it, saying it was the Ars Geotia that would go extinct rather than all devils – it was what happened to the _demons_ – this was a pressure because it demanded any heir to find and make a child, and if one wasn't made then that pillar would surly go extinct and thus the devolution of the devil species to that of lower-class beings

Bunch of noble bitching and whining really... make a mountain outta mole hill

Venelana then went on to the biology of devils and the gender differences

For devil males they had a natural increase in demonic energy by 20% allowing them to have more physical strength then the female devils naturally – basically what human males were to their female counter parts – the gap between the kind could decrease in demonic energy output only as the biological build of a females was slightly weaker than a males...

If he was a female from the year 2018 and hypersensitive to gender roles then he'd have been sooo triggered right now, thankfully for him though...

...He had a brain... and he was a biochemist... that helped to

The female devils however, hold an acute sensory ability far sharper then the males on a more pheromone level, the higher the demonic energy in a male devil and the quicker the response from the female populous, it was how the species worked, male devils had a natural connection to the sin Pride and they desire to grow stronger and bigger so they could attract potential mates, it's just that it was catered more towards evolutionary growth then true feelings – it was more about who could provide the strongest gene's for the next generation, feelings sold separately, batteries not included

The _signs_ of pheromone attraction could be simply described as such:

Is she trying to rip your clothes off? If yes, then don't fight it – you've won

Is she following you around? If yes, then keep doing what you're doing until the previous reaction occurs

Is she either clinging or touching areas inappropriately? If yes, then she's horny – figure it out

As the lesson grew on towards the more primal nature of devils, Ryden grew increasingly terrified at what he'd learned

Often times when a devils family requires more offspring it was not totally unheard of...

...For incest to occur

That last part was what made his current predicament extremely hard to ignore and _very_ awkward, it was simple for him to determined Venelana's current issue; she wasn't touching anything that shan't be touched by thine mother but rather her clingy and all around affectionate behavior was leaning closer and closer to dangerously horny that it was getting _really_ hard not to notice

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Ryden sighed deeply, Venelana wasn't beyond reason, if he asked for her to get up, she would – with only minor whining or maybe a hard 'no' only for her to get up after a period of seeing him stare at her blankly – but the fact she was acting this way also brought up another point he was told of by Zeoticus just yesterday

Zeoticus was born Gremory while Venelana was Bael clan born, they both had jobs to handle, Venelana – now that she was Gremory – was to do the same thing as Zeoticus, and their jobs were simple, they were the first ones into a conflict in the form of search and rescue operations group (directly behind the main force), while the anti-Satan factions military forces stomped through any territories, Venelana and Zeoticus were the ones with the blankets and kind smiles

Basically, they were the baby face of the Anti-Satan faction, whenever one would hear about the anti-Satan leaders and their forces then they'd immediately think of either Zeoticus or Venelana respectably as they were the ones – as previously stated – that fund and operate, rescue operations

Currently, the main forces of the military were on standby, before Ryden was released from his captures, the forces of Serafall Sitri and Falbium Glasya-Labolas – the 3rd and 4th commanding generals – joined forces and pushed back the old-Satan's from the capital _Leviathia_ , now that a single capital was in their hands, the revolution was now "On the board" as Sirzechs had dubbed it and with that victory the old-Satan's were running away with their tails between their legs

The _Council of the 72_ was what Venelana and Zeoticus took their orders from – headed by the great king Zekram Bael – who basically acted as the supportive 'president' of the civilian populace and over looked many things and prioritized jobs to which ever supportive family he could get his hands on to assist the main four families jobs

Currently Zeoticus and his wife were on leave

And it was a small period of time in between their highly demanding job where Venelana and Zeoticus could attempt to make another child... which usually, sessions like those take a total week to accomplish if they are lucky

Ryden wanted to cry... he was a bloody cock-blocker

"Can you get off me please" begged the youngest Gremory; the more his thoughts fell back onto Venelana and Zeoticus' weeklong vacation the more urgent his begging became "Sirzechs said he'll be back here soon for our spar so I need to go warm up"

"~No... Your Comfy~" was her childish reply

Ryden's head fell back onto the couch and quickly summarized his situation

Currently he was being straddled-ish, by his new adopted mother who – unfortunally for him – was in heat... and due to her own cuddly nature was subconsciously turning herself on, while using him as a grinding post

"OK!" started Ryden as he quickly jumped up from his seat, Venelana was able to quickly slip back onto the couch fluidly and give him a pouting gaze "Mmhm-Mmhm, nope... I'm out!" without even looking back Ryden busted out of their quicker then Venelana could form a gripe at her new favorite _Snuggle imp_ dashing through the door from her study

Venelana remained silent for a second, her head titling to the side in confusion at Ryden's sudden desire to leave "What did I do?" she asked plainly

Then she noticed where she was sitting and what she had been doing just previously

A mad blush exploded onto her face

"Oh my... how scandalise of me... I still have horrible control over myself" she muttered "Damn that Zeoticus and his Pheromones"

"Oh woah! What did I do?!" yelled Zeoticus from the room over

"~Nothing Dear! Now get in her while he's gone! ~"

* * *

Ryden found himself in the fields of the Gremory getaway estate, hands gripping tightly to his temples while he tried _very_ hard to forget the extremely awkward moment he had with his new mother and often times he'd shake his head violently, or his skin would crawl

"What's wrong with you?" asked Sirzechs who'd just recently arrived, eyes bagged as usual

Ryden didn't move to look to the devil and only shook his head dismissively "Nothing, just escaped a... deadly _spar_ with yo- _our,_ mother"

"Oh? I would have loved to have seen that" at his joyous reply Sirzechs grew confused and worried when Ryden suddenly started coughing "Hey! You ok?" he asked

Ryden ignored the worried elder brother before he quickly stood up, head shaking profusely "No... No, you wouldn't have wanted to have seen that, trust me... and it was starting to smell like fish in there anyway so I had to get out"

Sirzechs blinked before he turned to regard the mansion "Hm, I should inform the maids of this 'fishy' smell as soon as possible"

Ryden's eyes widened when he noticed Sirzechs' presence drift off towards the house and he was afraid the innocent devil – he was killing himself over that – would make a mistake he did when he went and bothered his parents when they were 'wrestling'

"NO!DON'T BROTHER!" yelled Ryden passionately as he force gripped Sirzechs and yanked the devil back to the training yard, the devil skid across the field casually, uncaring to the sudden change in direction and when the devil stood beside the human, he regarded him with confusion

"Why? What's the matter Ryden? Shouldn't we at least deal with this fishy smell before it gets worse?" he asked, Ryden stared at the man before he sighed in both confusion and disbelief but he ignored it

"Trust me, I think our father will handle it _pretty_ well on his own, no need for his son's to _block_ him from his _duties_ any longer _,_ amirite?" he added many euphemism's to see if he could get his point across but it seemed to not work, however, lucky for him, Sirzechs relented with heavy confusion

"Ok, we'll leave it to father, but I'm confused why you are so adamant on this"

He simply tapped the devils head gently "You'll understand when you get older"

Sirzechs glared at him for that "I _am_ older, largely so"

Ryden smirked playfully while humming in disagreement "whatever you say squirrely Dan" he finally said and Sirzechs' left eye twitched

"Summon your sword-spear _brat_ "

Ryden laughed before he reached out and pulsed his ability

This was something new he had learned from Zeoticus, during his few lessons with the former lord, he had demonstrated the workings of demonic power and its many attributes one could do for daily things like cleaning, scanning and the slightly more advanced... teleportation

Unfortunately for him though, his demonic energy was lack luster and he could fully understand why, that he was after all, human. After a whole four whole days of trying, Ryden managed to open a good amount of demonic energy for him to use on his own. It baffled Ryden, the sheer ease it was to use demonic energy was odd, and it felt like it was simply too good to be true, when it came down to determining what had allowed him to manipulate demonic energy Ryden assumed it was his natural abilities with telekinetic energy which at the same time led him to revaluate what his powers truly were

So far, all he had learned was one thing, if he desired it then sooner or later, he'd get it and it was almost like his powers were more akin to _adaptability_ then just simple telekinesis, as after trying over and over again on doing a simple demonic spell Ryden just suddenly did it without any issues, one day nothing then the next – boom – he got a pocket dimension

What shocked Zeoticus was the fact he did so without a demonic crest of origin, Ryden had assumed the pocket dimension spell simply tore the fabric of space open to store any selected item for as long as one wanted but apparently no devil was capable of doing that without a magic crest visible for all to see... only _demon's_ could do what he did

Long story short, he managed to manipulate the natural demonic energy in the air on his own accord and literally _ripped_ space _itself_ open... just to have his own portable closet

Ryden was not a egotistical man but he wasn't a man without pride and both Venelana and Zeoticus got a good look at Ryden's smug grin when he did it again and again, like a child in a toy store

A rip in the space to Ryden's right opened suddenly and with a thought the handle of his sword-spear found its way into his hand, once he pulled the blade out and twirled it he took his routine stance

Left arm held out, sword-spear held in a close range grip – aimed down while the long handle poke out behind his back – and knee's slightly bent

Sirzechs stance reminded Ryden of a curtain star wars character, he stood forward – right foot before the left – and held his sword with his right, aimed down and left arm behind his back

It was one of the devils styles, this one being all defense, which sounded foolish to Ryden due to the many openings in the guard but he'd be a hypocrite if he said that as his guard had openings as well but at least he had his powers as an excuse, Sirzechs said his power wasn't for the faint of heart, nor was it as accurate as his and would do serious damage to him If he were to be hit by it

Ryden made the first move moments later, he'd tried to wait for Sirzechs to make a move before but he was patient devil and never started the conflicts with opening strikes and it was in Ryden's training that he was to get past Sirzechs' guard which he had yet to manage, so Sirzechs saw no need to attack, only wait

Ryden lunged forward and jabbed the blade to Sirzechs solar plexus which was batted upward by the crimson blade in the devils hand, seeing his probing attack fail as per usual, Ryden jumped back and circled around the devil before lunging again but with a wide swing, due to his speedy return strike Sirzechs' following strike to counter his swing was weaker than before which allowed Ryden to absorb the devils swing to fuel the momentum of a low upward strike that kicked up the earth from below them

An explosion of earth, grass and wind blew out in all direction

When it cleared the two beings were locked in a parry, a small smirk played on Sirzechs as he studied Ryden's style

It was a heavy but fast style that relied on the massive size of his blade to punch through any guard, had he been anything less than a super devil and he'd have been in some serious danger

So far Sirzechs had managed to determine what Ryden had been doing with his developing style, it complimented his telekinetic powers almost too well, using his own powers on himself, Ryden could easily pull himself from any confrontation as if the wind was carrying him and then use that same force to shoot himself back to his target – building up a crushing momentum in the process.

Looking even closer, the Crimson devil was able to see a faint blue outline of energy coating Ryden's blade and when the man's blade passed through the earth without so much as even a grain of resistance, Sirzechs knew that Ryden was either subconsciously augmenting his blades sharpness or he had managed to do so on his own, either way, it would be a terror to anyone else who didn't posses a magically augmented blade or a dragonite forged blade as most weapons would have folded on themselves or just shattered when contact with Ryden's weapon was made

Sirzechs jumped slightly to avoid a wide swing directed to his legs and then quickly redirected the subsequent downward strike to the side effortlessly, his smile growing wider as he did so

Though Ryden managed to learn the basics of holding a weapon, he still had no experience on being in a fight and _reading_ an opponent, nor was he taking advantage of something...

He had telekinesis, why not simply drop unbearable weight onto him and finish him when he was on his knees?

Whatever the reason, Sirzechs couldn't expect the child to be able to do what he'd expected him to do and so he simply ignored it to lengthen the spar

Decided now was the time to play offensive, Sirzechs lunged forward with a quick jab only for the long handle of Ryden's sword-spear to bat it to the side when he twirled the weapon around his body

Momentarily caught off guard Sirzechs had expected the man to drop his blade onto his open back – having over extended – yet the sudden gust of wind that exploded outward right as he decided to barrel roll spoke to him that his opponent had expected him to do that

Thinking quickly, Sirzechs brought his blade up and parried a close call

Ryden clicked his tongue at the last second block as he'd been inches from declaring a win, only for his would be decapitation swing to be halted by the devils crimson red blade

Backpedaling, Ryden used his powers to pull himself away from Sirzechs to reengage, circling around Sirzechs counter clockwise Ryden suddenly changed the trajectory to circle clockwise before sliding into Sirzechs guard with a powerful jab of his blade only for Sirzechs to jump over him but Ryden simply over gripped his weapon in a two handed grip and twisted around

His weapon froze before it could slice into Sirzechs' collar while the devils simply clanged off of his shoulder

The two stood there for a second before Ryden smirked "I win"

Sirzechs shook his head "No you didn't, defensive powers don't count in a spar, its first hit that counts"

"Then I'd have still won, I had to pull my blade back from killing you"

"Like that weapon could kill me" he scoffed "it's make doesn't even hold enough power to cut through me"

"Really now?" asked Ryden as the blade pressed into Sirzechs' collar, Sirzechs winced slightly when the blade actually produced a lick of blood "Oops, sorry about that" mocked Ryden as Sirzechs only smirked back up to him

"I still won though"

"Let's meet in the middle and say, you didn't"

Both smiled widely soon after the banter, while they each stored their weapons away Sirzechs piped up "you are growing much more skilled by the day, it won't be long before the gauntlet"

Ryden nodded "Yeah, hopefully what I learn will be enough"

Sirzechs lightly punched Ryden's shoulder "It will, you have substantial demonic energy from our family crest that will guarantee you a passing mark, it's your ranking you are worried about" it was a statement more than a question and Ryden could only nod

"Guess you can say I'm trying to repay the kindness by showing up the competition and making good with the Gremory name... can't slack off with this can I?"

Sirzechs shook his head calmly "No... No, you can't, it's not like we'd feel insulted but the other devils will consider you a defect, it would be preferable for you to have a high rank to avoid ridicule as much as possible... defects are not normally treated well"

"I can understand, our mother went into detail on family matters quite enough for me to get the picture" Ryden shuddered at the memory while Sirzechs hummed

Sirzechs breathed before he nodded at a memory "Are you aware that you are augmenting your blades sharpness?"

Ryden simply turned to Sirzechs and smirked "Like it? I learned it a yesterday after training with Venelana on magic

"You are growing in your abilities but what you need now is an element, a form of nature to weaponize to your choosing... Have our parents spoken to you about demonic elements?"

Ryden nodded "they have mildly, but I haven't managed to try it just yet"

Ryden instantly knew the devils motive and dropped into a meditative sitting position before he spoke again "I've looked into the magic formula's you devils use for your spells and I've noticed they take a similar approach as human science does, except you guys create the element on the spot while we only manipulate a curtain amount at a time"

Sirzechs nodded but he was not at all following fully, element magic was not possible for him and so he never studied it

"So far I've managed to do static electricity and electricity" he said

"What about lightning?" at Sirzechs hopeful question Ryden almost laughed at his words

"I wish, so far to my understanding, lightning is made from ice within the clouds of a storm which produces a static 'spark' which we call 'lightning' due to the sheer power the atoms produce" he noted before he looked up to the demonic sky "and I have no clue what lies in demonic clouds, for all I know it could be more violent then the earth's"

Sirzechs expression was lost and Ryden noticed it and smirked at the devil

"Have you ever rubbed your hand on a surface and then get a shock when you touch a metal surface?"

Sirzechs hummed before he nodded "So that's static electricity, lightning is sort of stronger?"

Ryden nodded with his eyes wide "Yes, a static shock – one that you can feel – would hold around 3,000 volts... and a lightning strike would carry around..." he teetered his hand in an iffy motion "... Give or take, around 1 billion volts of power"

Sirzechs' eyes widened at the large sounding number but he couldn't help but get the feeling something was wrong, he dropped it to further deepen the conversation "And how bad would it be to be hit by that point blank?"

Ryden rubbed his beard "Well, natural organic bodies hold only a moderate amount of conductivity to electrical currents, most of the time when one is 'hit' by a bolt of lightning, its mainly due to whatever they are holding that attracts the current, that being any metal object or wet surface, and in that case they only receive a limited amount of the original bolt, but if one is hit point blank? Without the dispersal of energy? Then... they'd be vaporized, or reduced to a liquidity mush, or a convulsing corpse"

"And if one survived?"

"Internal organs would have ruptured, nervous system would be fucked, your brain would be leaking from your eyes and nose and your blood would have boiled over three times... the only survivors usually don't live very long enough afterwards"

Sirzechs nodded, he was morbidly curious how _natural_ lightning worked and was mildly content on his new found knowledge but he had a few things himself to share with the man "You are aware that you're talking about _natural lightning_ right?"

Ryden's back straightened quickly "Are you saying what I think your saying?" asked Ryden, tone dangerously hopeful

Sirzechs head teetered to the sides in mock wonder "I could..."

"Oh don't be stingy! Let me hear it, there's supernatural lightning isn't there?" Sirzechs nodded and Ryden shot up "Oh you have got to show me this!"

Sirzechs nodded before he pointed behind Ryden, which caused the man to turn and see the perpetual storm clouds high in the sky, directly where a black mountains peak was piercing the sky... The same one he'd seen on his way into the territory

Ryden whirled back around to stare at Sirzechs "There?"

He nodded "There"

Ryden's eyes rolled around in confusion, as if waiting for a follow up comment "Aaaaand, how does one climb hells boner?"

"Hells what?"

"Nothing! I was just wonder how one climbs hells _Border"_

Sirzechs eyes nit together in confusion "hell doesn't have a border here, its miles in the other direction"

A deep sigh escaped Ryden "Sure... anyways, how do I get up there? And why is it important? Can't you just show me demonic lightning?"

Sirzechs eyes stared at Ryden before the moved back to stare at the massive mountain "I can't show you any element skills as I have no way of doing them, my power is the only attack type I can do and why it's important is simple, you yourself told me your powers adapt over time" the man hummed while tapping his chin "I wonder what would happen if you were exposed to Arc energy?"

This time Ryden became confused " _Arc_ energy?"

"You'd have to talk to Ajuka what exactly that is, but all I can say is arc energy is waaaaay more powerful then earths form of arc energy or what you call 'lightning'

Ryden hand griped his chin "And how powerful would it be in comparison, or more accurately the question – what is it capable of doing?"

"All I can say is – at one point in time – a storm hit the great city of _Lucifaad,_ and it leveled haft the city with its might, some say it was the primordial demon himself – Satan – _going for a walk"_ Sirzechs shivered at that phrasing "anyways... I never seen what Arc energy really does to people as there's usually nothing left other then ash and a massive damage to the surrounding area"

Ryden hummed deeply before he snapped his fingers, decision made "I like it... let's go touch it"

Sirzechs remained silent for a moment, believing what he'd just heard to be his imagination, only to sputter at Ryden moving "Wait what?"

Ryden turned back to Sirzechs, having already started to walking towards the mountains "What? You said you wanted to expose me to it" he said as if his idea wasn't at all insane

"Yeah, in a _controlled_ environment, not there! The Pure Arc energy in that area is so strong; it immediately strikes anyone that comes close"

Ryden however only picked up one thing out of that

"So it's attracted to biological forms rather than metal conducting sources? Oh He-hell yes! Sign me the fuck up!" his jovial and boisterous attitude to practically suicidal honestly terrified Sirzechs and before he could do anything, the man shot off at blinding speeds towards the mountains peak

' _Is he crazy? Oh wait we've established this already... he's down right Insane!'_ roared Sirzechs internally before he shot off after Ryden, all 12 bat wings beating rapidly

* * *

Now it was test of speed

As Ryden continued to run at an augmented speed he'd learned a few days ago during a jogging session, Sirzechs closed in from behind, the dozen wings producing enough force to easily close the gap

Seeing the devil close in from behind, Ryden pushed harder – dropping low and flexing his leg muscles to maximum limits – after a few moments of pushing his physical body to the limit his form began to give off a feint blue hue, like a kindling flame and his limits were broken and new boundaries were reached but Sirzechs still remained on his tail

He pushed again

 _And it broke his Limits_

Then again

 _And it obeyed_

By this point, the aura around his form was a near raging blue flame and his speed was greatly increasing by the second

The earth beneath his feet cratered at the force his form produced and his momentum created harsh winds that tore small bushes and lose wood from their roots, the sheer force Ryden's speed produced felt like a nuclear explosions after shock and then moments later, the long plane's suddenly changed into forestry as larger and larger trees began to block their path but they stood as no hindrance to the blue bullet that speed through them like a streak of blue light – cutting down trees indiscriminately – and soon enough, the mountains base was in sight

The grass beneath their feet turned to gravel and then to ash before molten bed rock was the only thing beneath their feet

As the two came closer to the base of the mountain, Ryden noticed Sirzechs gaining on him and quickly thought of a way to maintain his speed so he could use his momentum to literally _run up_ the mountain as the sides appeared to be only slightly rough, the mountain looking more like a giant triangular monolith then a real mountain

Thinking quickly Ryden reached out with his right hand and _grabbed_ the side of the monolith mountain, the offending grip cratering the small section before he forced himself to be pulled towards it

Having nearly caught Ryden at his sudden decline in speed, Sirzechs nearly tumbled when the troublesome and crazy human suddenly lurched forward out of his grip – laughing almost manically all the way

Smacking into the side of the mountain legs first, Ryden forced himself to keep moving – subconsciously forcing yet another set of barriers to break – and soon enough, he was running up the mountain

Over the violent winds Ryden heard a cry – for him obviously – and it was Sirzechs who had yelled out to him but Ryden ignored it

As he closed in onto the top of the mountain, he could feel the energy in their air, it was violent and chaotic but he felt no danger coming towards him

Quicker then he realised, Ryden found himself within the clouds and the violent Arc energy became louder and the winds within the demonic storm raged on around him but his speed outclassed the force of the wind while the arc energy began to target him

"Whoa!" yelled Ryden as he forced himself to the side slightly, the small section of rock he'd previously ran on was destroyed by a large crimson bolt of demonic lightning

After a minute longer of running through the clouds, the edge of the mountain came into view in the last second

"Humph!" grunted Ryden as he quickly griped the edge and swung himself to land perfectly on the flat surface of the mountain

The first thing he noticed was the sheer calmness within the clouds which perfectly surrounded the mountains peak in a perfect dome, a deadly contrast the loud cracks of Thunder and lightning moments ago, the bright flashes of the crimson lightning in the distance was almost silent – only sounding distant and faint to hear.

Ryden hummed before he closed his eyes and attempted to reach out to the crimson energy

It was hard, the chaotic energy's acting to violent to fully pinpoint to capture, like a squirrel almost. Ryden grunted in frustration, it was like reaching out into a ocean of water, while he could feel the clouds, he couldn't even feel a lick of the Arc energy

It was a given really, it wasn't as if he would suddenly just up and get a new power, the only one who understood the demonic form of lightning was Ajuka and he was a high ranking commander of a military force with more important matters then to answer every question from him

As much as he wanted him to

Shrugging at his lost cause, Ryden turned to go and face Sirzechs' obvious scolding on recklessness – something he'd gotten a few times when sparring with the devil.

His foot hit something however

"What the?" he asked as he spotted what seemed like a sword, stabbed into the obsidian stone of the mountains peak

Then his smile grew at what he figured out, tracing his figure over the crimson pommel on the black and golden handle Ryden reached out and connected him with the weapon – hand firmly gripping the handle in order to deepen the bond

He released his hold on it a moment later

"So it's a barrier, hmmm... what's a fine looking blade doing in a place like this?" his own question was unanswered as he glanced around the rather small section on the peak, it was almost all flat other than a small decline to a much small landing a few feet down and it had nothing of interest other then the black, glass-like blade on its highest peak

Ryden dropped down in a lazy seat beside the blade and traced his finger of the unnaturally smooth blade; it felt like marble polished down to feel and look like perfectly groomed glass

Notting its size as a _Greatsword_ Ryden faintly whistled at it "Must've had a huge wielder huh?" he asked the blade jokingly but froze when the blade softly glowed a deep red

He stared at it for a moment "... No fucking way..." he said as he stared at the now faintly glowing sword

"Can... can you understand me?" he asked, face a few inches from the blades sheen

It glowed slightly brighter in return

Ryden's eyes were the size of dinner plates, out off all the things to run into and he'd ran right into a sentient sword imbedded directly in the eye of a storm

"Blink once if you can _really_ understand me" he asked, there was no way that last part was a coincidence

It blinked once

"O-Ok, I'm _really_ doing this right now... I'm talking to a sword" then he smacked his head "Oh get a grip Ryden, you should have expected this! You're in hell and 1500 years from your time and one talking sword's got you reeling?" he self berated himself before he flopped back down – having done a full lap around the blade.

"So..." he started after a minute of staring "...Want out?" he asked simply, it was an obvious question to asked a blade that must've been here for a long time, not that he could tell, the glass like obsidian rock around him looked shiny and pristine, like it was no more than a few weeks old but he could tell the weapon had been here for a long time... somehow

At his sudden question the blade began to glow deeply, crimson Arc lightning sparked off the onyx black blade while a raging red energy began to build up from the middle of the blade – swirling along the black energy within – upon the weapons violent reaction the ground cracked and fractured while a bright orange light shown from below the cracks

Ryden remained where he was before he glanced down below him when a fiery red magic crest he'd found himself unfamiliar with spawn below him, it remained for a moment before it vanished and Ryden hummed at a odd sensation build up within his gut

Ryden huffed "Hmm... I wonder if this thing just tried to possess me" he said as he tapped his stomach but felt no difference

His answer was different, the black and golden handle alone with the larger obsidian blade began to shrink down to a more desirable size then the _gargantuan_ size it was before and now it resembled that of a – slightly overcompensating – long sword, only missing a cross guard which was replaced by a selection of golden rings between where the handle meets the blade

It was his size now and he knew for a fact why

It sat in the obsidian stone of the mountain, the stone having not released the blade even when the blades size was shrunken to two times its original size

' _So this mountain is its prison? Or is it its sheath?'_ speculated Ryden as he stood before the smaller sword

"I'd take that as a yes?" he asked simply, the blade glowed once in a 'yes'

"I really hope you're not gonna possess me, one guy tried before and his head exploded" commented Ryden, the swords crimson light shown twice this time in fashion to reply with 'no'

Ryden nodded "Good..." he muttered before he glanced around, the sky was churning and the dome of protection was shrinking rapidly around him "You know what? Fuck it... 'who dares wins' Right?" he said finally before he reached out and yanked the sword from the stone

And all hell broke loose

* * *

Sirzechs was having a really bad day, from the morning onward he'd had to deal with more scoldings from a _royally_ pissed off Serafall due to him skipping out on more of his duties as a commander, he'd mentioned the 'prodigy' many times but Serafall was having none of it, she was not one to skip out on responsibilities just because she was taking care of a possible asset, that job would be delegated to someone who had the time to do that

A workaholic Serafall maybe, but it did not mean she fully enjoyed doing _other_ peoples jobs as well

But Sirzechs made sure she was aware of his consideration on her words and that being he didn't give a dreg's ass at all, she was a dear friend to him but sometimes work stress can force him to lash out – good thing for him though when the connection of the communication feed was cut off shortly after telling Serafall that Ajuka could assist her in removing the spike up her ass

He really wasn't looking forward in seeing her for the next meeting...

After having that _lovely_ meeting Sirzechs had found himself sifting through paper work and reports from his praetorians and his commanders along with all sorts of replacement requests for squads along with a new sentinel promotion verification, that last part wasn't good to hear, and Sirzechs had idly wondered what family the sentinel hailed from... and it was the Zagan family, the Zagan family only had one other heir and that one was it

And then it was the second report that had him deeply brooding

The old-Satan faction had managed to recruit the Andromalius family to their cause and then ordered a main assault force that nearly whipped out all of Falbium's front vanguard in the now captured Malphes territory – the same territory Ryden had crashed in

It was obvious they wanted to see if they could get something out of that place with the loss of Ryden from their possession and Sirzechs felt taking that section of land was vital as who knew what they could get or learn if they had enough time to study the odd energy within the Malphes territory

Then after that gruesome assault of reports and news, Sirzechs had joined Ryden for his daily spar and training only for the beginning of it to be a merry go round of odd fish related smells and screams of terror

He didn't know what the human was worried about but the look of horror and pleading on Ryden's face had forced him to relent

Then after a mildly productive spar and study on demonic element Ryden had just upped and _blasted_ off towards the most dangerous section in the Gremory territory

The source of the Arc energy in hell... Or one of them, Sirzechs didn't really know

He could have worded it better rather than point to the obsidian mountain but the past was the past

It was dangerous and it would most certainly kill even him if he was exposed to it yet Ryden seemed almost obsessed with getting to it before he could explain to Ryden there were other more _natural_ ways to study arc energy then from the literal faucet

This was what led him to this moment

It was nerve racking for him to explain it, Ryden should have been in his hands but the damn human and his powers always seemed to just grow at the right moment and he nearly slammed into the base of the mountain when Ryden suddenly jumped and _ran_ up the mountain like a soul outta hell

Then he disappeared into the clouds and Sirzechs couldn't follow him in, he knew he couldn't survive against hells lightning, the explanation that Ryden gave him on what natural earth lightning did was horrifying and now he could safely say he never wanted to see what _arc_ energy could do to him

So he stood at the base of the mountain, head craned up and watching the clouds and the subsequent cracks of the red Arc lightning as if he could somehow see Ryden if he got lucky

Then minutes turned to ten minutes and so on before Sirzechs dreaded his walk back to the Gremory manor

That was his thoughts until the mountain peak began to _glow_

"What?" he said, eyes wide at the spectacle

Had Ryden finally been struck by the arc energy? No, the strike would have been fast and powerful – not soft and dangerous

 _Why did he feel in danger?_

Thinking quickly, Sirzechs summon a barrier and strengthen it to its maximum

Soon after and Arc energy slammed into his barrier, loud and proud

"HA!" Sirzechs grunted loudly under the pressure but his barrier stood strong against the sudden explosion of electric power. The first strike ceased and the devil was able to see beyond the blinding light of the crimson energy, his eyes widened at what he saw. The sky was no longer covered in clouds but now bare for the underworld to see

On the peak of the mountain, Sirzechs could make out a figure – it was obviously Ryden – but he was holding something up, a spear? No it was too short; it was a sword, Sirzechs finally figured, and it was conducting the red chaotic energy as if it was its own to command

In a sense, Sirzechs was right and he would soon learn why

Ryden's form jumped from the top of the mountain, falling fast towards Sirzechs while being caked in the red lightning. Thinking as fast as he could, Sirzechs jumped back when he noticed Ryden's trajectory and speed being too great for a simple landing. Like a bolt of heavily condensed power, Ryden slammed into the underworld below and the crack of demonic lightning followed

 _ **BOOOOOOOM!**_

The sky and the underworld was momentarily caked in red, and the trees at the edge of the forest suddenly vaporized at the massive build up of power being finally released after centuries. Sirzechs remained rooted in his barrier, having erected several more just in case but seeing as how no damage befell him told him his strength was adequate enough to survive the largest explosion of arc energy he'd ever seen

From the epicenter stood Ryden, his outfit was in tatters, his black over coat was flaked and slightly ablaze and his undershirt was gone the only thing not harmed was his trousers and boots

Ryden shrugged off the black overcoat he'd taken a liking to casually before he regarded the blade in his hands

And Sirzechs breath hitched in his throat when he spotted it

"You have got to be kidding me..." he muttered

Ryden grunted "Huh? Oh Sirzechs! Check this out!" called out Ryden who waved at him from his spot in the massive crater

Sirzechs remained rooted as he took in the sword in Ryden hands, the glass blade – the black and golden handle held together by the tight golden band " _Infernum... F-Fulgur"_ quoted Sirzechs as he stared at Ryden's new sword

"Huh? This guy's got a name?" asked the human before he head glanced at the sword "You mean you had a name and you never decided to introduce yourself?" he asked

Sirzechs grew confused by Ryden's regarding the sword but stopped when the blade shown slightly

Ryden seemed to grow annoyed "oh don't give me that shit... common courtesy dictates introduction! Or else you get some wacky nickname like 'ol Bessie' or something edgy like 'rebellion' or some crap like that"

The blade shown again, this time brighter

"Huh? You actually want me to call you that?! Fuck no I ain't calling you 'mommy' you sound like a dude!"

Sirzechs' left eye twitched

"I don't care what gender you choose, you don't sound like a mommy!"

Sirzechs sighed deeply "Ryden... can you please calm down and come here" called out Sirzechs

Ryden turned from the blade in his hands to look to Sirzechs "No... Your gonna hit me" he stated plainly and Sirzechs felt the wind get knocked out of his lungs at the sheer deduction in Ryden, he really _was_ gonna hit the damn brat

"Come. Here"

"I don't care if you put periods in between your words, I ain't moving"

Sirzechs had a vein pop on his forehead before he breathed in deeply "... BOY!"

Ryden's eyes widened at what Sirzechs had just done but Sirzechs believed his words to have finally struck fear into the disobedient child

"We will have words on your reckless behavior, now come... we have much training to do"

As Sirzechs turned off to walk back towards the Gremory estate... which was miles away, Ryden simply stood there

Infernum Fulgur glowed slightly but Ryden hushed it slowly

"Hush now Fulgur..." he breathed in deeply before exhaling "Inadvertent meme references are rare, I must savor this moment..."

"BOY!"

The woods surrounding the obsidian mountain were soon filled with the giggles, while some in the future would remember that day as a historical moment; the crimson Satan would simply remember it as another day with Ryden Vale Gremory

A man full of surprises

* * *

 _I don't know guys, I don't know_

 _For some reason I can't help but keep a good healthy dose of humor and comedy within this story, as much as it would seem as a turn off **please** keep in mind that I've planned character change well into this story_

 _I've read stories with deep and dark aspects and the only one that seems to do that really well is – I don't want to dick ride – but_ _ **the fifth hero of the underworld,**_ _but while I really enjoy reading that story I can't see myself writing a story like that without burning myself out, like I'd hit a depression stage and my writing would just die_

 ** _AngraMainyu-chan:_** _i am very thankful that you took time to read my story, and i appreciated your words and praise... i hope i can keep this story interesting but anyways, thank you dearly_

 _ **desdelor97:** i thank you kindly for your continued praise, i hope the continued comedy hasn't turned you away from this story _

_speaking of which! Don't worry, if you were here for a serious ride – it will get there – I've studied film before and from what I've seen in every military film and book is that most of the innocent humor happens **before** the first deployment, after that... it just gets morbid and awesome and raunchy_

 _So these first few chapters are sort of Ryden's innocence – from what's **left** of his innocence – but when he sees the shit, it will leave him stupefied_

 _This is not a comedy story but I refuse to make it so dark I'm two tones from entering the DC Universe, it will have moments of both calibers but I will not burn them both out_

 _Now, next chapter will be all gauntlet (I promise, I really do) it's just that this idea of Ryden's new sword had me thinking a bit and I couldn't help but like the idea so I ran with it and kinda surgically implanted it into this chapter (I was low on material for this chapter so I had originally planned for the centuries shittiest info dump the fanfiction site has ever seen) thankfully it didn't come to that, as these new weapons I've added into the story will be a key threat to Ryden and his merry band of misfits sometime in the future, so keep an eye out for them ;)_

 _Anyways, work beckons me to the Frey once more_

 _If you liked the chapter please leave a review or don't if you didn't, add my story at your **follows** or **favorites** at your own discretion and thanks so much for tuning in ;)_

 _Peace!_


	5. The Gauntlet

- **The Gauntlet** -

 _I learned many things in the Gauntlet, I learned that competition is the main drive of devils in at the time of my arrival, before it was whoever could survive longest without being brutally murdered while also possessing the most power_

 _But now it was clear that times had change for the better and I was counting my lucky stars I wasn't sent back a hundred years more than now_

 _I hardly knew of the devils society and the current workings and government, I was too busy busting my ass to fully understand this 'gift' I was given by whatever sent me here_

 _But what I did learn in the gauntlet is this_

 _I wasn't the only hero kicking around_

 _And I sure as hell won't be the last_

* * *

It was like a military escort

The day the gauntlet came around was when the military arm of Sirzechs' elite guard – the praetorians – arrived at the getaway estate with a large degree of military class carriages that dwarfed the size of any carriage he'd rode before

Its make was like any other carriage, except it did away with the 'royal' appearance and instead donned a more 'red legion' and 'military' type feel to it. the carriages looked to be a few feet longer then what one would call a carriage – maybe 20 feet long – capable of carrying multiple black clad knights who had filed out of the carriage's 'drop doors' at the rear like they were riding a wingless pelican from _halo_

Then after and they lined up along the front pathway with machine like efficiency just like the maids and butlers did when they arrived a week ago. After that came the head praetorian – who donned a more ornate set of praetorian armor – the man looked as intimidating as anyone could define, unlike his brothers and sisters in arms, his armor had red cloths dangling from his waist and down his rear like a half skirt which reached down past his knees, golden metal accented his armors rough style while many ribbons of varying colors hung from his chest plate and pauldrons signifying his rank and achievements in his long career, the final touch was the large fur cape, draped under the two pauldrons which was embroidered with the red Gremory sigil

The guy was heavily decorated and when Sirzechs went into detail about his praetorians a few times, he said many of them had been through hell – metaphorically – and back many times, and demonstrated the highest levels of loyalty among his forces

Hell would sooner freeze over before anyone of them betrayed

Before the arrival of the praetorians, Ryden had gotten a makeover prior, one that he himself agreed on wholeheartedly

His long hair was cut to, a more presentable level, it was shorter in length but still remained messy which barely feel down past his neck, the hair stylist saying his hair was too stubborn to truly fix or stylize, so she simply thinned it and combed it over his right side – nearly chopping off 10 pounds of hair in total – he'd told her his thick hair was an inheritance of his grandma to which he got a soft chuckle for his care free nature

His beard was fully shaven down to a finely cleaned one – Ryden had at first assumed his beloved 'Viking beard' was to be shaven completely, leaving him to look 12 years old again, only for him to be told the beard signified his status as 'single'

He wouldn't complain about that, as long as he gets to keep his damn beard

His black outfit he'd looted off of one of the knights before was incinerated by Venelana herself when she'd seen the state of it; apparently she was looking for a way to kindly tell him to remove the _rags_ from his person for a while now and only when he came home in shambles after his reckless adventure to the mountains she practically tore of his clothes – terrifying Ryden in the process because of _other_ assumptions – and hit the pile of rags with a black and red ball of horror

Power of destruction – self explanatory, and it didn't take him long to figure that out

What Ryden got in return, was the Gremory's personally tailored uniform, one they'd been making for him personally for the last few days

It's was a heavily modified flock coat that was buttoned up on the right side of his chest, it was dominated in a deep red color with black lining and a high color that which was also trimmed in black lining, along the hem of his coat and sleeves were black downward facing sword symbols which denoted his military background, chrome metallic boots that covered his thighs down to his feet were accented in red intricate design while his long coat tails fell down to his ankles – the outer parts close to the floor being accented in black and gold lining

One of his coat tails dangled freely on his left side having been slightly detached to allow it to dangle freely, it bore an embroidery of the Gremory symbol, which was a simple rose encased in multiple thin circles and was glowing a bright red, obviously being empowered by a latent magic source woven into the fabric

Ryden had at first been at odds with the outfit at first as it seemed 'too busy' for a conventional combatant to wear but Venelana had been adamant on him wearing it, stating it was a Gremory issued uniform fitted and tailored for not only combat but also formal attendance

The minute Ryden put it on though was the moment he knew he'd never need any other set of clothes again, the outfit seemed tight and congestive at first but it was actually incredibly flexible, light and _unbearably_ comfortable and the last reason being cost... it cost _a lot_

The fabric was sold from a premium clothing company called _morning star fabrix_ , which was specialized in replicated Lucifer's heavenly robes which he had distributed to his 'children' many years ago, as the devil of treachery saw it fit to clothe his children rather than let them run around naked

Venelana said the fabric was magically imbued and would self repair any damage he'd receive over a period of time and even acted as a set of armor, it reminded Ryden of _nano tech_ as it would harden in response to physical trauma; this was supposedly standard for all military clothing

Aside from his new wardrobe change Ryden had learned a good number of things over the few days prior

The first most glaring topic was what rested on his back

 _Infernum Fulgur_ , a legendary sword forged from demonic elements by primordial demons _eons_ ago which were sheathed in obsidian stone to contain their powers

And he unsheathed one... Casually

The verbal scolding he got from Sirzechs _and_ Venelana was one he'd be reeling from for years, the arc energy in the clouds had killed dozens of champion status devils and demons alike... even Lucifer dared not approach, however after the brutal scolding, both Venelana and Sirzechs did their traditional 180 personality flip and congratulated him on successfully becoming the first 'devil' to wield the weapon, and by that, he meant a chuckling Sirzechs and a extremely cuddly Venelana who practically buried his face in her bust like it was normal thing to do in front of her husband – who was also laughing.

It was an eye opener for Ryden and the constant confirmations from the aforementioned sword on his back didn't help him truly forget his blunder and subsequent victory over doing something many others had tried before him

After picking his eardrums back up and slamming them back into his dome and also staunch the blood flow to his face, Ryden had learned that there were a known number of 4 _Infernum Armis_ – hell weapons – scattered throughout the underworld which contained the very chaotic elements that make up hell

That being _Infernum Fulgur –_ lightning _–_ which was his now, the demonic sigil carved into his back was proof of that, and when he'd found that sigil he nearly jumped. The next one was _Infernum Ignis_ – fire – _Infernum aqua_ – water – and _Infernum Ventus_ – wind. These were the weapons that were forged by ancient demons – for whatever reason – that contain nearly unlimited destructive power of their given element

Ryden was wondering if Thanos was listening in on that; it was right up his ally

From then onward, Ryden trained – having now been given his second weapon and element to tamper with for his day in the gauntlet and after his long sessions in solitude to train and focus with his telekinetic abilities then spar with Sirzechs, Ryden would join either Venelana or Zeoticus and learn more about devil culture. Thankfully the lessons were tamer then the past ones which only consisted of mild knowledge he'd most likely use in his time in the war and political advisement – the last one actually coming from Sirzechs.

Now he stood rooted to the entrance way of the Gremory getaway estate, posture poised and straight as the Praetorian leader approached both him and Sirzechs who stood by his side, Zeoticus and Venelana standing off to their right, both dressed in their combat gear

The praetorian stopped before them and removed his helmet which revealed a grizzled face of war, scars dotted over his cheek and a few over his lips, his brown hair was buzzed short which helped to not obscure his deep black eyes, the man hooked his helmet under his left arm before he bowed deep to Sirzechs – right hand over his heart.

"It is good to see you well general" voiced the man, his voice as guttural as one would expect

Sirzechs smiled "Be at ease Praetor Saladin, we are not on the battlefield"

Saladin simply shifted at his commanders more carefree tone before he replied simply with "Of course my lord"

The man's eyes dropped onto Ryden's after a moment, the gaze holding a judgmental stare to them

"Praetor Saladin, this is my younger brother" started Sirzechs after seeing his praetorian's gaze which Ryden followed up with perfectly practiced ease

"Ryden Vale Gremory, it's a pleasure to meet you Praetor Saladin" spoke Ryden, his form dropping into a polite noble bow, the aforementioned man's eyes widened slightly before they turned to Sirzechs

"My lord... is this true?" the Praetor's tone carried shock but not an accusing one, Sirzechs simply smiled

"Unfortunately my younger brother was sent off to a low-class family for... personal reasons; he was taken in by the house of vale when he was younger. They were a lovely bunch and raised my brother well... it's unfortunate to know they had fallen to the old-Satan's some time ago, leaving my brother in their hands" replied Sirzechs, casual smirk adored

Both didn't notice the pained expression cross over Ryden's face, this was a lie – obviously – not many devils could be aware of his status as a human as it would only cause more trouble for him but the thought of his birth parents dying at the hands of the old-Satan's made Ryden's heart clench and his fists ball up

Saladin's gaze fell back onto Ryden, pity in his eyes which caused Ryden to returned a glare which wiped the pity from Saladin's eyes instantly, obviously understanding his blunder "I strong brother you have my Lord, to be able to survive in the hands of the old-Satan's as long as he has is a commendable achievement indeed"

Sirzechs nodded, having seen the expression on Ryden fully "He is... You are aware of our destination?"

Saladin blinked but nodded "from my orders, I was told to the front lines, General Sitri has requested your presence, along with commanding General Glasya-Labolas" he said, his tone seemed confused though throughout his explanation and it was clear that the question wasn't what he'd expected from his general

Sirzechs smirked "Change of plans... we are going to the second Divisions recruitment gauntlet" he said before his hand fell onto Ryden's shoulder "I've a new candidate"

Saladin's eyes widened "You mean...?"

"Yes, under his request no less"

From behind Praetor Saladin, a few of the praetorians shifted at the words and there meaning, the secret heir to the Gremory family, recently freed, wishing to join the front lines so soon after his release was not something they had expected to hear, most of them hailed from medium to low-class family houses so they were accustomed to the standard arrogance most high-class devils exuded, and they expected Ryden to be no different

But that changed quickly when they learned of his upbringing – that of being raised as a low born – and now to hear the young lord actually requesting to join the war effort... and through legitimate way no less?

If the praetorian's under Saladin's vigil didn't hold respect for the heir, they sure as hell did now

"Is this true Young lord? You wish to fight?" asked Saladin, seeking to witness the conviction in Ryden's own words for himself

Ryden nodded, his eyes set into the same stone as He'd shown both Ajuka and Sirzechs a week ago "They tried many things Praetorian, the only thing they succeeded in – however – was making a powerful enemy"

The captain of the red legions praetorian unit nodded, his eyes swimming with slight awe at the child's words, he even heard a few praetorians slightly laugh behind him, he knew most of his men and women were ragged warriors, raised in nothing but conflict and strife and the way the boy worded his reply sounded just like one of his recruits, rough necked

Saladin laughed loudly "HAHA! A Fine answer and a strong conviction!" the Praetor's hands landed on Ryden's shoulder strongly, slightly shaking Ryden at the sudden energy being shown "Keep up that attitude young lord and you might outrank me someday"

"Wanna bet?" added Ryden

The man simply laughed harder while Sirzechs stifled his own laugh and both Venelana and Zeoticus simply smiled brightly

"Anyways, pleasantries aside, I do think it would be ideal for us to leave now, the sooner the young lord can finish his gauntlet the sooner he'll be able to join us in the field" worded Saladin and Sirzechs nodded

"Lead the way Saladin"

At the words of Sirzechs, the praetorians filed back into their convoy carriages while Praetor Saladin joined both Sirzechs and Ryden in the middle carriage which – thankfully – didn't look overly luxurious in appearance

Before they left Ryden thanked both Venelana and Zeoticus for their hospitality to which they scolded him for his words, saying that it was not hospitality or duty that had ordained them to assist him but that of family looking out for family and told him to get the war done with and get back home

Ryden had left soon after with the oddest feeling in his stomach and a burning feeling in his eyes but he fought back his emotions and dived into the wonderful feeling of the classic 'butterfly' feeling he got before any competition, losing himself to the feeling

While both Saladin and Sirzechs spoke at length about reports and other military related issues he was soon to be exposed to, Ryden simply sat in silence

Waiting for his time at the gauntlet

* * *

Ryden knew the devils civilization took after human architecture pretty closely but when they arrived where the gauntlet was being hosted that thought was heavily confirmed. Currently the architecture took after roman styled buildings which felt odd at first due to the Gremory territory holding much more advanced housing then the one they were in

Back in the Gremory territory he felt like he was simply in another country with family friends with how modern the buildings took after, slanted roofing, leaning mansions with glass walls and a high stool bar seemed way to advanced for their time but Ryden assumed that maybe the devils had advanced to modern human times quicker with humans simply catching up

He was wrong though, when he asked Sirzechs on those specifics a few days ago the red headed devil got flabbergasted when he'd asked how they knew of modern architecture

Turns out, the Gremory getaway estate was a prototype build gifted to the Gremory's from the _Sitri_ family – one of the Gremory's closer family friends.

This was proven to Ryden when they entered the Bael territory which suddenly grew more 'Roman' styled then he'd like to have expected

The territory held a lush greenery biome but had roman styled housing then the modern kind, brick roads and cobblestone housing which was built to look extremely luxurious, but at the forefront of his vision stood the Bael clans crown jewel

The Coliseum, which was effectively named _'The Crucible'_

It stood head over heels then any building he'd seen so far, the large pillars aligned at the front of the crucibles passage way stood over 50 feet tall – maybe more – and seemed designed to allow _Titans_ entry, currently the entrance way to the building was crowded with spectators and civilian nobles, the latter's being asked to help vote the combatants on their overall performance

At first Ryden dreaded entering through the front as his appearance would most likely cause an uproar, the reason being was that before Ryden had left for the gauntlet, word had gotten out from Sirzechs personally that his secret younger brother would be participating in the trials and because of that, many other high ranking noble families had sent their own heirs or relatives to compete against him

This was one of the negatives that Ryden had found himself loathing more and more and that being the devils incessant desire for glory and recognition, to stand out

It wasn't his thing, but he assumed it to be a cultural trait and had no choice but to buy into, thankfully though their true stop was not at the front gates but the back entrance which had reporters and... Were those cameras?

Ryden had to rub his eyes a few times to make sure he was seeing things

Nope, the man was defiantly using an item similar to the large, over the shoulder camera used for interviews and the women in front of the camera even had a _microphone_ in her hands

"Seems the paparazzi have found their way, along with the news" idly muttered Sirzechs as he eyed the red carpet entrance with mild amusement, eyes roaming over to see a confused Ryden

Saladin grunted, not at all amused "Bunch of cretins" he muttered

Meanwhile Ryden was fumbling with his understanding of devil culture, they had microphones and cameras but he never heard of TV's in the Gremory getaway estate, did that mean Venelana and Zeoticus were troglodytes? While the world – or hell – spun they simply ignore the greatest low life invention ever?

Ryden's thoughts paused when he noticed them stop before they even reached the back gate, but he soon realized a few other carriages in front of his and from those carriages came obvious nobles, the ones he'd be competing against

Ryden had inquired on the number of combatants that usually competed and it was answered in the hundreds

It was expected really, most of those that go into the gauntlet usually end up as initiates that filled in the designated roles of their given weapon and would rank up the field, and only a handful get access to much higher ranks and even special rankings from the get go

The high ranking positions currently available were 1 sentinel position – this rank being new to Ryden as it was basically a 'captain' status rank, Sirzechs had went into more detail pertaining to the ranks of his forces, basically the squads consisted of 1 sentinel, 1 knight sentinel and a number of initiates, the difference between sentinel and knight sentinel was similar to a _captain_ and _lieutenant_ , which meant each squad had two leader roles then just the one as previously assumed

The others were 4 knight sentinel positions and the rest being simple initiates

Ryden did _NOT_ want to be seen as an initiate but he did not desire the rank of sentinel, he was too green to uphold the role of leader without a form of experience to back up his background, this form of ranking and recruiting was mostly frowned upon by Ryden but it was clear to him later that the devil species was bred into a state of chaos and war, each noble devil was trained to lead the lesser devils

But to immediately get a leadership role so soon without determining what happens to one's self when the 'bullets start to fly' was irresponsible

Would you freeze when chaos ensues?

What happens if you're second in command is taken down?

What do you do when you're cut off from your squad?

And he didn't know what he would do if he faced those situations, the constant looks of awe he got when he mentioned his desire to join the war effort spoke of insanity in his choice, and that could only mean one thing to him, this war was gonna be brutal

He'd asked these questions to Sirzechs before and it was clear then that those questions were mostly never drilled into the devil species, though strong they were, but military structure and organization was key to staying ahead of your enemy, the military's of his time would testify his words no doubt but from what he learned was that most ranks below _Elder_ were mainly treated like trophy positions to flaunt around

As Ryden mulled about in his thoughts, time sped by and the last remaining carriage to drop off the contending nobles was soon only him and because of that, he never got a glimpse of his contenders

"Time to go Ryden" worded Sirzechs, smiling slightly at the look Ryden developed

He was nervous

"Come young lord, I shall be your escort for now" spoke Saladin as he stepped from the carriage, the lights of camera flashes and loud chattered soon erupted and Ryden found himself experiencing a movie moment

Most of the nobles present here today were contestants that were seeking to join the military and to one up a Gremory – namely him – and had only joined the gauntlet to do just that, not to test their strength to see their own effectiveness but rather to prove to Ryden that he was not special

It was show boating really, among the many devil families the main thing that stood out from them was their deep competitive nature, before it was power hunting – king of the hill kind of trials – it was all a hierarchy on who was the strongest and apparently, since he was a noble devil seeking to join the military through the gauntlet spoke to the other nobles that he was legit and was seeking to prove himself in skill and power and not in influence and money

Kinda like when a kid goes the hard way and many other kids feel inadequate and for some reason develop a desire to follow after him

And now here he was, standing on a red carpet leading into the Crucible where he was to show off his power and status as the secret heir to the Gremory family

And he was the talk of the day, being the secret heir to the Gremory family suddenly springing from the shadows with a gusto, sliding into the gauntlet and arriving as the last one was like sugar to a child and by that he meant the crowd before him which nearly exploded when he stepped from the carriage and into the spot light

As Saladin led Ryden forward, many low-class devils stood by and watched him, most of them yelling out questions, pertaining to his past, others requesting an interview and many other female devils simple gushed at him, fawning over his – supposedly – dangerous and rouge looks so powerful he was to die for

He fought the urge to scoff

Gold diggers... he didn't even need to look to know he was right... though he couldn't help but feel slightly flattered

As he continued forward he noticed someone standing near the large entrance way into the coliseum, it was a women that had long blond hair that fell all the way down her back with multiple bangs hanging over her forehead, she was wearing regal clothing similar to his own which was tailored for not only looks but combat as well, she wore a long red dress accented in golden decal that reached down to her ankles which were wearing long thigh high, high heel boots, her dress was open at the top which exposed her shoulder's and her buxom features, she also had detached long sleeves that reached up into crowned shoulder guards that bore an unfamiliar devil sigil – that being of a bird like creature encased in a circular shape

The women was watching him, smug expression adored over her face and Ryden immediately knew she was gonna be trouble in more ways than one

Saladin paused to allow the obvious greeting/banter

"If it isn't the famed shadow Gremory" she said before she flaunted her hand in a grand gesture "fashionably late as one would expect, you take after your older brother well" Said the women, a smooth voice that prickled Ryden's spine slightly

He didn't admit it before due to only knowing two female devils so far – one of them being a burning hatred and the other being his adoptive mother – and so far he never really took in the appearances of those devils until now

It must have been supernatural beauty, defined features that accentuated curves and facial structures to appear more 'outstanding' then mortal women and the woman before him personified the feeling

However the cuddles he got from Venelana – a drop dead gorgeous women on her own – were somewhat of a inadvertent training for him, if he didn't at least grow numb to demonic beauty then he might have been caught drooling at the blondes appearance but after being the item of his mother's lengthily naps he'd found himself unaffected to being in close proximity to literal embodiment's of lust.

Ryden smiled, gaining his own smug expression "it's the only way to arrive to a _party,_ malady" he said before he bowed only slightly to the women. He'd learned the distance in a bow measured the respect and conceding nature within it, if he bowed too low then it would be like accepting a dominate alpha – basically it would've looked like he wanted to suck her off... not a desirable choice.

The short bow only expressed greeting and the women mildly hummed at his action before she herself bowed, however it was more of drop of the head, hardly a bow and Ryden noted that "I don't believe we've met... My name is Rosalina Phenex, Younger sister to Indris Phenex" she said as if Ryden was to know who that was, he acted like he did anyway.

"Ryden Vale Gremory, younger brother of Sirzechs Gremory" he greeted kindly "To what do I owe this greeting?"

Her hand supported her cheek as she smiled at him, kindly but with an undertone of aggression "It would seem I'm to be your last opponent that is, if you make it that far... I dearly wish you luck Lord Ryden, or I may take what you desire"

Ryden remained smirking, making sure to not let the undertones break his features "The only thing I desire Lady Rosalina, is a challenge, and I dearly wish you can fulfill that desire, otherwise I might need to search elsewhere"

The women blinked at his words before she giggled into her gloved hand "Oh my... a man after my heart" she chuckled again, before her gaze turned fierce "If it's a challenge you want, then I shall grant it to you"

The women then walked past Ryden, eyes locked onto Ryden's deep blue before she disappeared behind one of the large pillar supports – bright orange light shown soon after.

Saladin slightly whistled at Ryden "I think she likes you" he said which a small grin at Ryden's deadpan expression

"Maybe... I will soon see her true colors when I fight her" replied Ryden who followed after Saladin in towards the central coliseum

"You think you'll make it that far?" probed Saladin only to hear Ryden scoff

"I know I will" he said simply and Saladin laughed quietly

"You are confident Young lord, but do not let that cloud your blade, pride is the most popular sin but is the most deadly to carry in battle"

"Indeed, I shall endeavor to not indulge my pride and let my blade be my words" replied Ryden

Saladin hummed at his words, which carried to much wisdom in his book for the young lord to possess but he considered it was one of the many things he'd learned from the late family of Vale

His thoughts ceased when he noted where they were to which Saladin stopped before he pointed ahead "You are to head into the main hall of the coliseum, there you will be given your number for participation, considering lady Rosalina's words I'd say it would be a while before your first match, calm yourself and collect your mind" Saladin's hand fell onto Ryden shoulder "I will be at the main viewing point guarding General Gremory, Best of luck to you Lord Ryden"

"Thank you Praetor Saladin, and it was a pleasure to have met you"

The large man in imposing armor smiled and bowed at him before he walked off

Ryden simply followed Saladin's instructions and disappeared within a crowd of lower ranked devils

* * *

Sirzechs sighed deeply when he dropped into a lavish throne meant for him, it wasn't really his style but his current status as 'general of the red legion' required him to stand on a pedestal of sorts, the lavishly decorated throne being one of those many pedestals, he sighed again as he admired the decoration within the observation deck, most of the coliseum was dominated in white – similar like his getaway estate – and was decorated in royal purple metal and crystal which had a few purple torches lit along the large gladiatorial arena below

An echo of cheers rang out, causing him to glance down and witness a single devil – about med-class – celebrate his first win

He sighed again

It was a sort of a habit of his whenever he grew nervous, it wasn't for him obviously, but rather his little brother, the whole trip to the arena Ryden had been dead silent, his eyes practically glued to staring at the floor of the carriage, his eyes set in marble – not stone – but marble. It was clear to him Ryden was nervous – extremely so, not only did he have a competition to win but he had zero excuse to lose, it wasn't as if he'd outwardly told Ryden to win, it was more along the lines of him expressing his gratitude to him by gaining more fame for his family and Sirzechs found himself silent at that

Ryden should be dead to rights alone, without a roof over his head and zero chances of understanding his power, he'd have lived a life of confusion and fear if he didn't adopt the child, Satan forbid what would have happened if he was left to roam free, his new legendary sword was testament to that thought... And the anger didn't help either

The boy was icily good at concealing his fury, at first the child appeared to exhibit no mental issues when it came to his past, almost like he didn't remember it – all the laughing and joking he'd done over the week – it was all a ploy, an act to contain his anger and drive

Like a professional

It terrified Sirzechs, whenever he'd spot him training on his own he'd have no expression on his face, only focus, but when he'd approach – or anyone else for that matter – and he'd suddenly grow a slight smile and throw around some idle banter and humor

 _Mental distractions_ , – like his sighing problem – he'd do it subconsciously to help him cope with a few annoying thoughts and or problems, Ajuka had forwarded some more information regarding Ryden's continued advances in mental health

Turns out Ajuka had not just scanned Ryden but had actually created a long distance monitory system so to keep track of Ryden's health and mental stability, his friend had said Ryden was go for battle and he himself never witnessed anything hinting to mental issues which had him agreeing as well but it was more and more clear that Ryden Vale was a man of many mystery's

He sighed again

"~ _It would seem you have grown nervous Sirzechs, why is that?_ ~" whispered a chilling voice, one directly in his ear

"HA!" he jumped at the suddenness before he turned around and nearly blanched "S-Serafall, W-what are you doing here?" he asked the short woman before him

The women in question appeared like that of a child with a buxom figure and had black hair done up in twin pigtails with a small Barrett hat sitting in between, her attire consisted of a military dress jacket – almost like Ryden's – which was a deep green accented with black decals that fell down to her lower calves, she had black military boots that reached below her knees and fingerless gloves with attached metallic braces along in between her knuckles

The woman's natural ocean blue eyes bore into his own, left eye twitching while her left foot tapped repeatedly against the marble floor

"You have _a lot_ of explaining to do" she growled out, her teeth elongating slightly

Sirzechs felt the need to sigh but fought it back with a deep gulp of terror at seeing the one woman he did not want to see right now... especially now

"Well... you'll need to stay to see, I can't really explain" he said, negotiating skills taking a piss

The woman did not seem convince nor interested "We are currently facing another invasion from the east and you are here jerking around at a gauntlet tournament?" the woman had gone from being furious and now seemed downright... there was no word to describe it

"The Devil we found in the Halphes territory is here, in the gauntlet!" he said quickly which slightly caught Serafall

"And? I find one devil to be so important to warrant your presences to be extremely unlikely"

"The devil has powers Ajuka and I have never seen before, he survived months in the old-Satan's hands without harm and even showed extreme potential when training" he added in, voice calming down slightly

"...And?"

"During his time in my care he was able to release _Infernum Fulgur_ "

It was those final words that caught Serafall flat footed, her face was set in wide eyed shock, in all the reports from Sirzechs she had never been told about the release of an _Infernum Armis_ , such a feat was never done before and Sirzechs had kept that from her?

"Why didn't you tell me Sirzechs, such an ally is to be shared, not hidden" reprehended Serafall

Sirzechs had an easy reply to that, having experienced it long before Serafall had "Long distant communication can leave behind faint traces of demonic frequencies, I could not risk the old-Satan faction tuning in an hearing Ryden's accomplishment, it was too risky and you know what they are like when something prophetical happens"

Serafall nodded visibly, it was normal for tactics like those to be used and the old-Satan faction had grown annoying good at tracking their communication channels, it was almost like they needed to change them every hour to be one step away from exposing key information, it was so bad they had to resort to Currier and familiar's relaying messages... even surgical communication sigils

Before Serafall could respond a soft chuckle echoed out from behind her

From the door came to individuals, said individuals bore similar features, the first man was a younger devil compared to the one beside him, this man was Praxis Bael – the soon to be head of the Bael family – and the other man was Zekram Bael, current head of the Bael clan and president of the _Council of the 72_

They both had black hair and purple eyes, one of them boring a kind expression and the other holding a serious expression

Zekram Bael had the standard noble attire, Wealthy jacket – accented under shirt and premium pants with dress shoes. Praxis Bael had on a Roman centurion outfit which left his large muscular arms exposed. His chest plate, pauldrons and greaves were dominated in onyx black metal accented in gold along with purple Gems, his long fur accented cape fell down to his thighs and was embroidered with the Bael clan sigil, which was a heavily designed 'B" within a golden circular sigil

Sirzechs sighed again at the new arrivals; it was one thing to have Serafall present but those two as well? It was safe to say that Sirzechs' plan to get Ryden incorporated into his forces quietly were looking more and more slim

Sirzechs bit the blade anyway "Ah, uncle, it's good to see you" started Sirzechs slightly joyously which caught the attention of Praxis, who slightly grunted in return

"Must you address me so casually General?" replied Praxis

Sirzechs simply nodded "It would be awkward for me to address you as such, all things considered"

Zekram grunted as well before he slammed his hand on Praxis Bael's back forcing the built devil to grunt at the sudden assault a small laugh leaving his lips "let the boy speak casually Praxis, to be so wound up can lead to terrible health, and besides, what's a little conversation between uncle and Nephew gonna do?" spoke Zekram

Praxis nodded calmly "if that's the case" the man started before turning to Sirzechs "Where the hell have you been Nephew? The red legion has been away with orders for a week, it took all of us – your commanders – to manage the order" spoke the much older devil, his eyes locked onto Sirzechs'

Sirzechs sighed – out of habit – before he dropped back down into his seat "many things have come up that warranted my presents, the legion was left in good hands for a simple week long leave

Serafall slightly grunted "Recruitment runs don't take a week Sirzechs, and what was it that warranted your attention more than fighting the old-Satan's? Surely you are aware of the current lines we hold" said Serafall before she piped up again "It's that devil you found in the Halphes territory isn't it? The one you just told me about" she asked but it was more like a statement then a question, the two others looked to Sirzechs questioningly, having not heard of this devil Serafall spoke of

Sirzechs nodded "guilty as charged"

"What's this devil to you Nephew? To warrant such attention?" pressed Praxis, Sirzechs sighed... again

"You won't believe this uncle, but recently I've learned that I have a younger brother..." he said simply and both Praxis and Zekram blinked in shock at his words, even Serafall rose in her own seat

Praxis shook his shock away "My sister had a second son?" asked the devil

Sirzechs replied evenly "Yes, he was born many years ago – around 500 years – near the end of the great war"

"Why did she not tell me?" asked Praxis

Sirzechs hated what he had to say, it was the only way for their cover up story to work and unfortunately it would make enemies for not only Ryden but his own mother as well, he had made sure to warn his mother of their cover story and she had accepted, saying it was not inherited power that drove the devils but earned power that wrote history, something both he and his parents knew, Praxis Bael however... was known to have a much more narrow view

"Shame, most likely. Ryden never inherited the power of destruction, instead I did, me and me alone" spoke Sirzechs, Serafall nodded, understanding what that meant while Zekram mildly grunted but Praxis looked angry, judging by the man's clenched fist

"My own Sister, birthed a defect? How is that possible? She was the strongest" spoke Praxis before his eyes Glared to Sirzechs "You mean you spent an entire week training a Defect, a lowly abomination that wasn't even gifted our power?"

Sirzechs eyes narrowed dangerously but Praxis didn't notice "This is a waste of time, _our_ time should be spent stomping the foolish old-Satan dogs at our walls yet we stand here waiting to watch Trash fail? I will not–"

"Do you know where I found him Praxis Bael?" asked Sirzechs, using the devils full name with a voice so dangerously calm it froze everyone in the room

The devil knew the Bael heir before him was a fool of an uncle, inherited power meant everything to him because soon the man would _have_ everything, he was arrogant and foolish, raised in a life of luxury and fame, never once tasting defeat or shame, the only reason the man was a commander in his army was due to the man's experience, skills and his beloved _power_

Sirzechs was not one to belittle the weak because they always have something to prove, his praetorian's hailed from low rank houses to mid tier and they held such skill with a blade no noble could face one without losing a limb or two, Sirzechs had lived in the banner of the Gremory house long ago when the demons reigned over them like tyrants, great king Bael was a monster but he was wise and cunning and didn't destroy his own people like some demons did but raised them strong, forced them through the most grueling of training – the ones that sought to fight by its side that is – and when they came out of the frying pan they _ate_ the fire of war

The old generation of Bael, Zekram's generation, were the most terrifying devils to fight beside; his mother and younger brother – Praxis Bael – however, merely survived in the shadows. His grandparents were killed in the great war while his mother had to raise her younger brother on her own and by doing so they never were _forged_ by Bael's own hands but rather taught what power was through simply hearing about them and training with runaways, his mother never loved war like her clan did and refused to expose her family to it, though she fought in the war, she never fought alongside the Bael horde

But Praxis? He was all talk, spoke of the great king Bael like he was a hero when he'd been terrified of it his whole life, more so then his older sister and he had the gull to belittle weakness in others?... Sirzechs guessed his hatred for the weak was more of a hatred for his own weakness in the past

It was pitiful

Now only recently have the demons passed and Sirzechs could see their influence was more of a flame that tempered his kind into true warriors then what stood before him today, he knew it, Zekram knew it, any devil that lived under the tyranny of the old demons a single millennia ago could see the weakening in their kind, though his kind sought peace they still clung to the old ways in the worst way possible

Praxis shook his head simply at Sirzechs' sudden question

"I found him in the Halphes territory, surrounded by my captured men and women – all of them having been executed – except him" continued Sirzechs "Ryden doesn't speak of it but I have a feeling what he saw" his eyes turned to regard Praxis, his blue eyes gone... only red remained "for unknown reasons, he was immune to their assault, according to him they tried everything – even an ultimate class devil – and yet _nothing_ worked, so instead, the interrogators used my men to torture him" all present widened their eyes, except Zekram

Sirzechs sat there calmly before he glanced down to his chest and stood up and unbuttoned a strap on his Flock jacket and turned to show the devils behind him "they bled my men and women to try and break him, forced him to watch as they gutted them before him... for 6 months my brother watched innocent people being slaughter, just to get to him – just to get him to crack" he dropped his hand and exposed his torso to the three devils before him which showed a long scar across Sirzechs' chest – from his left shoulder to his right hip "the reason I trained him – the reason I _wasted_ my time on him was simple – no one has survived torture at the hands of the old-Satan's and no one has _ever_ harmed me, not a single. One" he glanced down to his chest and idly ran his finger over his fresh scar "it's humbling in a way I suppose, to be able to understand that you're not the end all be all, that there's always something out there that's larger – stronger – than you, that has surpassed limits not many have seen in a _long_ time"

Sirzechs eyes turned to regard Praxis – his foolish commander – with deep red eyes that spoke and shown of a tempering flame he'd faced all on his own, many years ago

"My Brother did not inherit the power of destruction" repeated Sirzechs "Instead he inherited something else... something even the demon Bael would be proud of, and if I had to waste _months_ forging him into what we need then I'll gladly spend it"

Sirzechs closed his jacket before he sat back down "My loyalty is to our survival as a species, I seek no glory for my actions and I will use anything I can to make sure my species survives"

Praxis Nodded before he shut his mouth, having not expected his nephew's response

Zekram butted in after that so to take the attention off of his descendant "what power do you speak of General? Bael was known to have held much strength" questioned the oldest devil

Sirzechs simply smirked at the rare moment – an inquisitive Zekram was a rare occasion. Sirzechs simply fell back into his lavish throne, ignoring the quiet entry of Praetor Saladin and regarded Zekram with a concealing gaze

"You'll need to stay to find out, lord Bael" he said finally

* * *

Ryden suddenly sneezed... loudly

Many devils in the room turned to him oddly at his horrible hygienic containment skills but simply ignored it in favor of collecting his thoughts "damn dust" he muttered, just to cover his ass

He'd found himself in a large dome roofed room filled nearly to the brim with low rank devils and medium ranked devils with no other high ranking devils in sight, the only high ranks in the room were currently pulling the classic 'cool kids corner' what with a few of them standing off to the side, eyes closed and one leg up against the wall. It was so edgy Ryden had to look away lest he get lacerated, the devil's were nervous, the slight shaking in the devils knees were enough to signify that and the odd banter and nervous chuckling was also a dead give away

Did these devils not have a prep game?

The other high ranking devil was a giant of a man, standing nearly ten feet tall and was the only one in the room not shaking in nervousness and he could understand why. His full body was fully concealed in bulky armor – nearly covering every weak point Ryden could see and seemed to give off this energy similar to the praetorian Armor Praetor Saladin wore, only more noticeable due to the obvious size difference

Ryden sighed before he leaned back into the wall behind him, idly watching the magic crest hologram that hovered over his left hand, it signified who goes next and would light up red from its blue state whenever it was your turn in the gauntlet

He softly rolled his neck – feeling the lovely cracks – before he closed his eyes and summarized how this gauntlet went

It was tournament styled – that much he knew – but had qualifying matches that started for the majority of the low class which weeded out the weaker devils and brought up the more potential lower ranked devils so to be able to compete among Ryden's crowed, the High-class devils

It was a different way for the gauntlet this year due to the sheer numbers in the recruitment list, that being a good _thousand_

Ryden wasn't going to face that Rosalina chick for a while because he had his own qualifying matches to handle just like she did, and that required him to simply defeat a random number of mid-class devils compatible with him. The medium-class devils whose names filed into the magic crest on his wrist were those very devils, currently that being only 2 at the moment

Ryden had done the demonic sigil test and passed with flying colors – simple as that – and now had to wait for the lower ranked devils to reach a level of compatibility with him, which technically meant one thing to him

Among the lower ranked devils, the high class devils were the roof or the harsh filter that smacked down any devil not strong enough to defeat them, any devil that did make it passed just one high ranking devil was literally pitted against the other high ranking devils in the gauntlet, so it meant you had to win four more times against impossible odds to get the highest ranking position available

So in the end, Ryden was a boss battle, the large and in charge stage master that needed to be beaten for any kind of hope for a future in the military a small grin played itself on his lips – he hoped they all had enough badges for this – being high ranked did have some perks, not being looked down upon daily was a damn good thing for his anger issues, last thing he'd needed was to drop the gloves with some prick, the only thing he had to deal with was a prissy women with so much smug it hurt or perhaps the few judgmental gazes being sent his way

But he could careless

A soft ding echoed from his magic crest and many low ranked devils in the room shook slightly when a third contender was added to his list of victims, realizing they had been sitting beside a high-class devil this whole time many of them shuffled away

Ryden hummed slightly but ultimately ignored it; his calm dismissal was seen as a form of arrogance and confidence that slightly spooked the devils around Ryden, causing many of them to shuffle away from him even more when he turned to look at them with a small, kind – but very disturbing – grin

"Scaring the poor low-born's, Lord Ryden?" questioned a familiar female voice

Ryden glanced down and cringed slightly "Fuuuck..." he muttered quietly, having known the owner of the voice, he glanced up to her seconds after his sour expression was immediately replaced with a smile "Just trying to enjoy the lovely atmosphere" he replied while looking towards Lady Rosalina before he glanced upwards and leaned back in his seat against the marble wall, he ignored the woman's presence even when she sat down beside him

The women giggled slightly "I doubt you'll find enjoyment in such a dull room as this" she muttered and Ryden shrugged at her words, not really finding a good response to that

He glanced to the women casually "is there something interesting about me that's got you following me around?" he asked finally, having noticed something odd of the women's present's.

The women beside him – if he was watching correctly – seemed to grow microscopically flustered at his words; her cheeks dusted the faintest of pink

"I see no reason to follow you for nothing carnal Lord Ryden - as much as that may disappoint you – I merely surround myself with power and I can sense yours as clear as day, more so then the others around here" she said "which has me curious..." she pressed, her eyes regarding him closely "how does a man like you – raised in a family of low born's – get so powerful?"

Ryden had to hand it to her, she was very good at sensing his energy which was probably her pheromone senses kicking in... Her proximity namely being one of the other reasons. For a noble devil that knew of his 'upbringing' she was leaning in Offaly close to him, he'd assumed she'd be repulsed by him having history of being close to 'low born's' but it was obvious it was the opposite, or maybe it was tolerance...

Ryden smirked playfully at her "My aren't you the nosey one..." he said and again her cheeks dusted the faintest pink, Ryden's head title slightly in wonder, for some reason he felt the need to add something in just to see if his suppositions are correct "...Pervert" he added before looking away

The women's head shot to him quickly, her eyes wide and her cheeks now fully flushed at is words "W-what? I-I'm not a scandalous woman! U-unlike perverts, I simply hold curiosity for the few I take interest in, not unbridled lust"

"Isn't that the definition of a pervert?" he added, one more test and his estimate will be confirmed

The woman's eyes widened at his point before she simply turned away, her eyes done up into a frown, she even huffed into a slight pout

He wanted to laugh, she wasn't what one would call a _Tsundere_ but rather she was the embarrassed type, easily flustered when put on the spot and proven wrong, and he had to admit, she was cute when she pouts, the smugness didn't fit her well

"In any case, I'm flattered you'd come to me for comfort" he said after a minute. The woman released a chuckle which helped her reel in her previous embarrassment and brushed his idle flirts off like leaves on the lawn

"Don't flatter yourself to much Lord Ryden; I've simply come to see if _you've_ passed your qualifying matches" she replied, her eyes locked on him with a smugness he never thought reachable, especially on a face like hers, considering the minute prior

"Have you?" he asked and she nodded simply at him, a sigh escaped her lips soon after

"It's a shame really... being gifted with power only to be surrounded by weaker beings, often times I wonder what would it be like to rise up and win the hard way"

Ryden's eyes blinked at her calmly, he hadn't expected that from her, he shifted in his seat before replying "I'm sure many present would love to have what you have, do not belittle your power as it is what you yourself had called it, 'a gift', the best thing you can do is reach out to higher heights and accomplish things those below you could not achieve"

She smirked down at him, how she managed to get the high ground on him was lost on him "Speaking of your own ideals Lord Ryden? Or is it what you were raised to believe?"

"Bit of both..." he said casually "I've always believed that those who have the ability to do what's right have the responsibility to take action, anyone who hordes power without using it is simply a coward"

The women looked slightly shocked at his words but refrained from replying

Feeling a soft vibration on his wrist Ryden raised his left hand to see the magic crest flashing red, he stared at it for a moment before he hummed in surprise "how 'bout that... only three opponents?" he said before standing up an strapping his large sword holstered in a custom made sheath to his back "looks like my party is starting" he said before he started to walk off but paused – snapped his finger – and turned back to the woman watching him "I thank you for the company, for as short as it was the silence was killing me and I needed a icebreaker so the conversation was much appreciated" he flashed her a smile, one that he swore didn't have the kind of effort he got from the many lower-class devils in the area "I'll see you in the final Rosalina" he said

And then he turned and walked off without even looking back and he continued towards the large doors that held his name over it

"Good luck to you, Lord Ryden... Don't keep me waiting" she replied back calmly, her previous competitive nature returning full force

Ryden simply waved over his shoulder, not bothering to turn back to her... the looks of lust he was getting from the lower class devils in the room was horrifying and he refused to glance into those eyes of theirs lest he get glomped

* * *

He found himself standing near the large archway that led into the Gladiatorial arena, a massive magic dome sat over the whole arena perfectly which kept him from entering, a single adviser devil stood to his right who held his hand up – obviously signalling him to stop and wait

 _ **[For the next contestant; coming from the house of Gremory!...–]**_ an announcer voice started out and Ryden found himself grinning from ear to ear "are you fucking kidding me?" he said to himself, the adviser beside him slightly shuffled at his words but said nothing

 _ **[The Bael Clan would now welcome, Lord Ryden Vale Gremory!]**_

As the announcer finished his introduction the crowd outside exploded in uproar and applause, many if not all of the crowds occupants stood high and cheered like a prolonged war cry

Ryden grins grew even larger

He'd never been public announced into an arena before; it kinda fulfilled a childhood dream of his. Now If only they added in some theme music then that would fulfill the dream... maybe the sudden sound of shattering glass followed by heavy bass, or maybe–

Ryden shook his head to clear his mind, it was rambling and the pregame jitters was hitting him full force but he needed to focus, the very LAST thing he needed to do was lose to a bunch of mid-class devils seeking to prove themselves

The announcer went on about his mysterious appearance or reappearance and on to his prodigy level sword skills and his favoring of the sword-spear before the announcer stated his mentor was his older brother – Sirzechs Gremory himself, the following roar from the crowd spoke of the latter's fame

After which the magic wall keeping him from entering the field was suddenly opened and Ryden walked out and into the massive arena which erupted into loud cheering at his appearance, and oddly enough, many of them threw petals of red flowers into the air, it confused him slightly but he quickly figured that it must be some kind of symbol of respect to the Gremory family which was famous for its obvious trait – Red hair. He remained in a neutral expression as he walked towards the center point of the arena, where a full circle was and stood there

He stood in it and waited patiently; being the high ranking devil and "boss" he was the first one to enter the arena and set the stage

And so he did

He reached out and summoned the dimensional rift, the tear slicing into the space before him before he yanked out the large swordspear, giving the blade a series of expert twirls he finished by slamming the blade into the ground – adding in a bolt of red lighting for flare – which crashed into the black blade and channeled down the metal handle leaving his arm undamaged and releasing into the ground below him

 **BRVVVVVVV!**

The bolt cracked the flooring and shook the stadium fully and Judging by the subsequent roaring in the crowd his actions had set a particularly terrifying stage

He smirked slightly... this should be fun

The magic gate before him opened which allowed his opponent entry, the announcing voice echoing out his history, territory of birth and a little bit on his dream which was to fight the old-Satan's and bring peace, the same thing every low born desired

It was touching and nice to see such passion

 _ **[The Bael Clan welcomes the challenger, Khiron of the eastern forests!]**_

The reaction in the crowd was loud but he could tell the energy was in his favor, which he expected since his status as a High-ranking devil and his Gremory 'heritage' was enough to win him over a good number of fans simply based on those two points alone

Ryden blinked and regarded his first Challenger, he was built for a mid-class devil which spoke of years of training and commitment – he wore heavy armor over his shoulders, chest, arms and legs and sported a spear as his weapon of choice

"A lancer I presume?" spoke Ryden

The man – Khiron, pronounced as Kie-Ron – nodded at his words "Yes! I will be your opponent" he said

' _Obviously'_ muttered Ryden internally before he raised his swordspear in his chosen stance – the same one he used against Sirzechs many times before – before he released a deep stock of air and gestured for the man to come at him with his free left hand "let's dance, Lancer Khiron"

 ** _[Match start!]_ **the loud voice announced and like that... Ryden felt the butterflies in his gut vanish

The man grunted before a set of black wings exploded from the man's back, his rush was fast and surgical which was assisted by the devils black wings but Ryden simply side stepped and drove his knee into the devils stomach, having learned that lesson from Sirzechs himself without the follow up of pain

The devils grunted at his attack and stumbled into a combat roll before he turned and thrust his spear towards Ryden who batted the blade away with a simple twirl of his swordspear

"Tsk..." Khiron clicked his tongue before he jumped back some distance away; only to be smacked in the back of the head by Ryden Who'd suddenly appeared by his right flank

!?

Khiron pivoted and dropped low to avoid the man's large blade which crashed into the ground with a loud bang, cratering the earth with ease

?!

Khiron was slowly losing traction of his attacks and fought back the panic that rose in his heart when he was parried and counterattacked for each strike he threw at Ryden

For a good moment Khiron fought tooth and nail, performing maneuvers he'd never done before just to remain away from the higher class devils massive swordspear, it reached a point that Khiron found himself rolling away from many of the devils acrobatic swings and maneuvers, moves that defied the laws of gravity if he was to be perfectly honest

He ducked low to avoid a thrown swordspear that twirled in the air like a spinning disk of death and before he could counterattack the weaponless devil the weapon suddenly lurched back into the devils hand and then had no choice but to duck again from a momentum filled follow up strike that would have decapitated him

The devil before him Dropped his blade down onto his much smaller blade, having caught the fleeing mid-level on the backpedal, the weapon in Khiron's hand cracked under the massive weight it carried, Khiron looked into the eyes of his opponent, they were focused, deeply so – impassive and cold – and then the devil spoke, shocking him to his core "30 seconds" he said and Khiron's eyes widened, it's only been haft a minute!? With how fast both he and his opponent were moving and how relentless Ryden was it felt like he'd been fighting for a good 2 minutes! Let alone 30 seconds

"Times up..." uttered Ryden and before Khiron could react, the man's blade was coated in red lightning which exploded outward, knocking the devil back suddenly, it was so sudden and so powerful Khiron never felt the impact with the brick wall behind him as his vision was already blacked out

 _ **SLAM!**_

The limp form of the mid-class devil slamming into the wall rang out which left the stadium quiet

...For but only a moment

 _ **[Lancer Khiron is out, time of match: 37 seconds, Lord Ryden is the victor]**_

The cheers rang out loudly when the announcer's words echoed throughout the coliseum and the crowd made themselves known with an energy he'd found unwarranted, the mid-class devil before him had insurmountable odds to face, Ryden had trained under Sirzechs for a week straight and only got in ONE crippling hit on the man, a hit that was deemed lethal to anyone else besides Sirzechs. Sirzechs may have been harmed by him before in previous bouts but that was when Sirzechs was holding back immensely – his demonic energy defenses lowing in the process. Only a couple days ago did Ryden truly face Sirzechs at his best and he felt it, just because he couldn't take true damage didn't mean the air in his lungs couldn't get knocked out with the force of a 20 freight trains, the devils demonic defense – a natural cloak of protection over his body, depending on his demonic energy – was the strongest among his kind and he'd cut through it, arguable though, it would have cost him his life if he didn't have his own protection, he still landed a hit that required a _Phenex tear_ to close though so that was a win... a Pyrrhic victory more or less

Sirzechs however... was _laughing_ the whole time

It was either His response to immense pain or he was elated to have faced a worthy adversary, Ryden knew of passionate swordsman and their desire to find an opponent to test their skills against and while Ryden didn't have the skill yet, he did have the means to survive long enough to actually let Sirzechs burn off enough steam to make it a work out

What bothered Ryden right now though was the crowd's energy at an expected victory; Khiron may have years over him and may have even seen combat experience, but Ryden had what every hardworking man hates: Latten power – plot armor – whatever it's called in today's age and he felt a bad taste in his mouth at that thought

He'd learned before that when you're stomping on an opposing team – one you're competing against, not killing on the battlefield – you don't rub salt into the wound, you act like you've been there and you get your points and you line up for the next whistle, doing any form of show boating or celebration only shows poor sportsmanship and it dampers the opponents confidence

This isn't a soccer tryout, it's a military recruitment tournament. The last thing any recruit needs before being shipped off to war is a piss poor level of confidence

So that's what Ryden did, he nodded to Khiron's downed form and turned to stand in his circle again, the white light that carried the loser to the medical room shown over the unconscious devil leaving Ryden alone in a now silent arena

Many fans having seen Ryden's respect to the challenger

"Next" he called out, calmly and casually

* * *

The first round of Ryden's qualifying match was enough to stave off Sirzechs' nerves and to show up the two other devils beside him, Serafall was watching Ryden closely, her analytical eyes scanning Ryden like one of Ajuka's many formulas. And Praxis – surprisingly enough – seemed content enough to withhold his negative comments

"The Boys competent enough, he read the mid-tier like a tome, as expected" commented the latter devil

"His speed is noteworthy, fast enough to challenge most devils and win... how has he achieved that speed without his wings being out? And what was that technique? A flying blade that responds the command of the wielder?" muttered Serafall, eyes boring into Ryden's back, questions flowing from her lips like an open wound

Sirzechs hummed softly at their words but didn't answer, Ryden was proving himself quite well for someone like Praxis to have a positive comment – personal opinions not withstanding – and the show of respect was a nice touch to add, many higher class devils never really try and show themselves in a kind light to the lower houses, the rare few being highly popular and loved for doing it, yet most never try and show respect to the hard working devils below them

Another issue to whine about for another time Sirzechs mused

In the end, Sirzechs himself was pleased with his performance, the way he handled the lancer was textbook; he was always close in the devils guard, and focused on keeping that close proximity for as long as he could so to wear out his opponent enough for him to weed out his mistakes, that and along with his relentless combos and acrobatic strikes were enough to get his opponent to make a mistake, the sudden attack from Khiron being that very mistake Ryden had been probing for

It was a wild, panic filled strike that held more hope of scaring Ryden away than intent to harm, and Ryden took advantage of that brutally and used what Ryden called a _static burst_ or was it _Prana burst_?

In any case, the technique – as described by Ryden – was to coalesce the energy of Infernum Fulgur into his chosen weapon and release a powerful burst of lightning, which only released out a fraction of power upon physical contact with whatever was in his way, the energy would channel through the weapon and smack into anyone or anything dumb enough to block a blow from Ryden, that being Khiron's spear which was made from metal and conducted the demonic lightning perfectly

It was why there was such a violent reaction

"It would seem your younger brother holds in him many mysterious, General Gremory" spoke Zekram who was casually leaning back in his chair, eyes locked on the blade sheathed on Ryden's back

Sirzechs nodded "I've learned the hard way that he is not one to become content with what he has"

"Oh? and what would that be General?" the questions coming from Zekram were bluntly probing, Zekram already knew what Ryden had at his disposal, though the oldest devil was from ancient times he was not however alive during the reign of the Infernum Armis but he did know of their sealing, and the release of Infernum Fulgur must have been an eye opener for him

"I'm sure you already know the answer, ancestor" replied Sirzechs simply

The eldest devils grunted in amusement but fell silent once again

The second opponent had entered the arena

* * *

Ryden stood rooted to the ground as he took in the appearance of the devil before him, she was taller than the last one, maybe a few inches more and had short brown hair done up in a pony tail. She wore a form fitted outfit that seemed to be lined with a metallic alloy that seemed to stretched and flex along with her muscles, to add more to the defense and also mobility, she had something similar to Venelana's outfit but looked less 'Glamorous', obviously in lower quality then what his mother had access to

She was a lancer, just like Khiron, but went more towards the mobility then defense as the few armored sections fit more snugly to her body, the only sections not protected where the backs of her knees, elbows and collar which went for good defense of important arteries while also keeping the joints free for longer ranges of movement

 _ **[The Bael clan welcomes, Helena of the north]**_

It was obvious now that anyone who didn't have a high-class rank – like himself – weren't given last names but rather a title, like in some of those medieval games he played, the default one being which territory one hails from which was north – east – south – and west, from then on titles are given if one completes an outstanding achievements

...interesting

Ryden drowned out the announcer in order to assess his opponents preferred style, unlike his Previous opponent she remained silent, either out of nervousness or she was simply soft spoken, her stance even spoke of agility as she favored to lean on her right leg while keeping her left slightly raised

 _ **[Match start!]**_

Just to spice things up Ryden chose to go on the offensive, his power forcing his body forward at critical speeds, Helena's eyes widened considerably at his attack and quickly side stepped to his right. Slamming his swordspear into the earth directly where Helena was Ryden followed up by using his weapon as a Pull volt and quickly distanced himself from his previous position – which exploded soon after.

Keeping the pace and assault, Ryden lunged forward again and jabbed his massive blade directly at Helena who again sidestepped and countered

Ryden smacked the Blade away with his hand, the metal on the woman's weapon clicking off like nothing leaving Helena's eyes to widened before she clicked her tongue in annoyance

The crowd gasped at his gutsy move but Ryden drowned out the crowd long ago

"HA!" she yelled before doing the same thing Ryden did and Pull volt herself towards Ryden into a powerful axe kick which Ryden chose to dodge, a large cloud blew out from the force in her kick – dust and debris flew outwards in multiple directions

While the woman was preoccupied with the debris of her own kick, Ryden snuck his swordspear into the woman's legs and hooked his blades Blunt portion with Helena's ankle and pulled quickly, the action causing her to stumble forward onto her stomach

Her shock was short lived as she speedily rolled to the side to avoid his own axe kick, twirling his weapon Ryden allowed the blade to lurch forward on its own towards the reeling woman who made the mistake of batting it away with her spear, effectively creating an opening for Ryden to land an airborne round house kick to her Liver

"Gah!" She yelled out before her form was suddenly sent flying by an unseen force coaled around Ryden's offended leg – his kick having been augmented by his 'force' ability

Just like Khiron, her form slammed into the outer walls of the arena, cratering the section with the force applied and fell unconscious soon after

 _ **[Lancer Helena is down, time of match: 57 seconds, Lord Ryden Is the Victor]**_

Thankfully, his second win didn't warrant uproar like last time as the whole crowd simply clapped and cheered casually though it was loud, it however was less then boisterous as before. It was good; Ryden didn't feel like his matches should be at all taken very serious, or rather his highly expected victories

While Helena was extremely quick she also over stepped her reaches and committed to much to her strikes, the few strikes that did come at him were fast and precise but they did not threaten Ryden's Defenses even slightly as the blade that he'd smacked away felt like a pebble being tossed weakly at a steel wall, this should have been a red light for her – if her weapon didn't harm him, then would her leg do any different?

Ryden dodged for a reason for _her_ benefit, not his

Ryden sighed – nodded to Helena's downed form – and took his place back in the arena's central circle, he didn't even say anything as his mind was slightly put off by the sheer difference the mid-class devils had to him, the contestants he was facing were the best suited to facing him yet all he'd faced was lancer class devils, which was already placing the pressure on _them_ more than him, as soon as he picked up the swordspear nearly a week ago he'd understood its pros and cons, when wielded in the right hands, the swordspear could face and win again both Knight and lancer's _easily_ , he was pitted against two lancers so far and that style was the one he'd studied the most which meant he knew the ins-and-outs of it perfectly

The main point being right now was that all Ryden had done was beat his opponents with simple skills more then with his powers, perhaps his power was what the fans wanted to see... judging by the fact they were so silent

He sighed softly, the judges may count that towards his final mark; Sirzechs had told him the devils of today favor inherited power more than truly acquired power which to him was _absolute bullshit..._ he made sure Sirzechs knew that

After the form of Helena Vanished in white light the magic dome shimmered but remained shut, but Ryden stood patiently. Apparently the last opponent was said to be much stronger than the other two and he hoped so, just that last thought on inherited power was enough for Ryden to commit to his next course of action

He'd demonstrated skill with his blade twice, now he'd do so with the assistance of Fulgur charging his strikes

He hoped his next opponent would survive

* * *

Sirzechs hummed again at Ryden's shown skill and nearly let a prideful smirk appear on his face at his second victory, key word 'nearly' as the opponents Ryden was facing were more lackluster then he'd like to admit, the crimson devil would be the first to say Ryden's skill was exceptional for a man with zero experience with a blade, this _Intuitive aptitude_ was a large boom to Ryden's growth which played into a major factor in Ryden's victories

The opponents Ryden faced were exceptional, having bested a number of opponents prior to Ryden even showing up to the Crucible and carried a promising future within his forces, yet they couldn't match Ryden's plethora of abilities, ranging from heightened understanding of any chosen weapon, control over not only a powerful element but also anything he can focus on – toss his opponents around like rag-dolls – and finally _invulnerability_ , nothing that was sent his way could best his defense, nothing short of an _Infernum Armis_ could punch through his defenses as far as he knew and the only one currently released was in Ryden's inventory, even Sirzechs' prided Bael blade was worthless against the man

Sirzechs wanted to shake his head, the evaluators must be having a nightmare of a day with organizing opponents for Ryden to truly test themselves, and with Ryden's use of only weapon skills and a few ability releases, it was clear the opponents didn't warrant that much effort to take down,

"His skills are well received by the crowd and evaluators but they haven't seen anything noteworthy in his demonic element, is he holding back?" questioned Serafall only for her eyes to widen "wait never mind, don't answer that" she said quickly

Sirzechs raised a brow at her "And risk killing his opponents? I don't think Ryden would use his _Infernum Armis_ in a test match, especially when it's not against high-class devils"

Praxis' eyes widened at his nephew and he sputtered for a moment before he could speak " _Infernum Armis?!_ He released an ancient weapon!? How?" the dumbfounded nature on Praxis Bael was a nice sight for Sirzechs who couldn't help but throw a smug expression at him

"It asked him to..." he replied simply and Praxis chocked on his words

Serafall grew confused at that while Praxis had a hard time forming words again "wait, by _it_ you mean _Infernum Fulgur?_ They can talk? I didn't realize those things had sentience"

"Well if it makes you feel better, Ryden said it didn't have a particularly nice voice – almost like a conjunction of voices mixed together to form telepathic messages only he can hear" Sirzechs lightly shivered at that "it was hard for him to truly explain, and it kept asking him to call it 'mommy'" Sirzechs shivered again "I knew the old ones enjoyed their creepy pranks and multiple voices before but I wouldn't be able to stand the idea of having that in my head all the time"

"Is he possessed?" asked Serafall, her eyes now looking down to Ryden who stood idly by waiting patiently, his opponent was just like him... fashionably late

Sirzechs shook his head seriously "No, I'd asked him specifics on what the blade desired and all it wanted so far was freedom... and violence" Sirzechs held his thumb and index finger close together in a show of measurement "... a little bit of violence"

Serafall grew slightly nervous at that "I still think he's possessed, no one's crazy enough to unleash an _Infernum Armis_ without covering all their bases"

All Sirzechs did was shrug "I asked him if it tried and he responded saying the last one who tried to possess him, had his head explode suddenly... he told that to the blade and it promised him it wouldn't"

Serafall's head shot back slightly in shock, her eyes wide "Well that's... disturbing"

"You make it sound like you'd know what it wants" piped in Zekram who'd been listening in, both Sirzechs and Serafall turned to the oldest devil, eyebrows raised

Zekram slightly chuckled at that "I was not around when the demons sealed the _Infernum Armis_ but I did learn that the weapons themselves did not wish for them to be sealed, it's no shock to me that the weapon on the boys back is sentient – they've always been – and it's the eternal calamities that speak of their rage"

Serafall nodded, her eyes glowing slightly in understanding "The high winds in the East, Ashfelds raging volcano in the north and the large boiling ocean to the South"

Sirzechs nodded at where she was going "And the endless storm in the east... well, the _former_ eternal storm in the North" added Sirzechs, finishing what Serafall had been hinting at

These were the locations of all four calamities within the underworld; previously Sirzechs had assumed the _Infernum Armis_ to be myths as he never learned of their sealed locations and only heard stories and seen glyphs containing images of their weaponized forms, the only one that's image hadn't been forgot was _Infernum Fulgur_ , arc energy given physical form and purpose – namely to destroy – but purpose none the less

But now that Ryden had unleashed one from its cradle, some of the theories of their legend began to make sense and that mainly being the words spoken by Zekram who had most certainly been keeping their location secret for centuries, and said whereabouts were glaring them dead in the face

Loud, pissed off and very deadly

Natural disasters, four – now three – spanned the majority of the underworld

And if word got out of their location, then the old-Satan's would stop at nothing to unleash them, just to show off that their ancestors of old, were on their side

They were zealous like that...

"Aye, they desire freedom from anyone capable of survive their power, and they don't care who it is that does it" finished Zekram

Sirzechs glanced to Serafall, both of which holding urgency upon their features

"We can't allow them to fall into the old-Satan's hands" muttered Sirzechs "the destruction one could cause alone would be enough to destroy all of the underworlds inhabitants"

Serafall turned to him in her chair "And threaten our goal of peace" she added

Praxis for the first time in minutes finally spoke "and leaving the blade in your brother's possession is wise? What if he loses it during his first deployment?"

Sirzechs regarded the question with simple poise, already establishing an answer "I doubt an ancient Blade capable of sentience and total annihilation would let anyone take it from its chosen wielder, let alone let its wielder die so easily" his eyes glanced down to where his knew scar was located "safe to say the blade is most safe in my Brothers hands"

Praxis Grunted in acknowledgment, having overheard the weapons history from their conversation

Serafall sighed deeply "I haven't even met him yet and he's already giving us more problems than benefits"

"Come now General Sitri" said Zekram "The boy hasn't even seen combat yet nor has he been in true conflict, we have no idea what he's capable of"

Serafall point down to the arena, her eyes holding confusion within her aqua depths "this doesn't count to you?"

Zekram chuckled loudly at her naivety, while she was experienced in warfare she was still Sirzechs' junior "hardly..." he said before looking down to the arena, eyes filled with slight contempt. "My time may have been full of violence and despair but we knew how to make warriors, fighting without the intent to kill only dulls ones blade and that's all this is" he said while gesturing to the arena "a dull play pen..." Zekram then turned back to the three devils behind him "The boy has defeated two promising devils with exceptional skill in under a minute each _without_ the intent to kill, which begs the question..."

" _... How much blood will he spill when he's released?"_

Sirzechs slightly shivered at Zekram's deduction, he'd seen it then. When Ryden faced off against Khiron Sirzechs had seen the expression on Ryden – Cold and focused, deadly and efficient – the same expression he'd seen before in a mirror once upon a time

 _Tranquil Fury_

Zekram smiled lightly, his old age becoming more obvious with the expression "The boy has promise, and has overcome many obstacles to get here... let's see if he can bear us some fruit, yeah?"

* * *

Ryden quickly plunged his nose, feeling yet another urge to sneeze

He wasn't the superstitious type but two times was pushing it, that and the feeling of someone's eyes – more analytical then the crowd – boring into the back of his skull had him wondering who it could be. He'd told Sirzechs to chill before they left for the Gauntlet; his senses for some reason always picked up Sirzechs' gaze on him, it was a tingle in his skull – like the one now – but for some reason he knew it wasn't Sirzechs as he'd feel scrutiny in the feeling, yet this tingle felt nervous, apprehensive and downright judgmental, how those all fit into one look he'd never know but whoever it was, was practically glaring at him vehemently

After what felt like a small eternity, the magic dome over the arena shown before his last opponent entered

He wanted to whistle, it was a women who wore a full kit of luxurious knight armor that was silver in color and accented in gold, her head was hidden under a helmet with a 'Y' shaped Visor that was topped with a red tuff of fur that fell behind her helmet, she had a large tower shield with a longer the usual Long sword as her appointed weapon of choice

Bulky defense with a long reach but quick control

He wanted to whistle for two reasons, one was the fact her form was poised and strong enough to walk in the armor almost unhindered to the weight it must have had on her, the second was a more primitive side of himself, even covered completely in bulky armor, the craftsmanship was so accurate they even made sure the armor accentuated her feminine features.

He could appreciate attention to detail... that's all it was, details

 _ **[The Bael clan welcomes Valeria... From the far corners of the Murmur territory, Valeria has stood over all her peers with her strength and commitment to not only her family but her fellow refugee's as well, many weeks ago Valeria assisted – alone – in escorting 100 refugee's to the territory of Agares which now dwell safely in the Gremory territory, her actions and steadfast defense**_ ** _have earned her the moniker 'Juggernaut of the south'... the Bael clan welcomes you]_ **the announcer spoke solemnly and even addressed the Woman personally

Ryden's eyes slightly widened, the Murmur territory in the south was directly behind enemy lines, Lord Murmur's alliance to the old-Satan's had become news just recently – it was one of the topic's Saladin and Sirzechs spoke of on their trip here, it was during that time when Valeria had fended off countless inquisition soldiers for 3 days while her family and many others escaped the territory, and it turned out Sirzechs himself was the one to have taken them in. In order to pay off the debt her family and her people felt towards the Gremory's for their kindness was to swear loyalty to the cause and join his very legion which they pooled enough money together to fit her with premium made armor... only for her to face off against a Gremory in the Gauntlet.

The irony was not lost on him here

"Well... There's a joke in here somewhere" uttered Ryden idly, stabbing his swordspear into the ground and leaning on it casually, his eyes giving the new comer a sarcastic grin "Just in case you are aware, I won't be holding back like the last two I've faced"

The armored bulwark of a woman simply chuckled softly, an oddly light tone mixed in with the helmets mysterious voice changer **"I'd be insulted if you did lord Gremory, I did not train endlessly in order to be treated like a child"**

"By recounting your title I'd say you're far from that, _Juggernaut of the south_ " Ryden said, smirking slightly at the slightly drooping of the woman's shoulders

" **I did not ask for such a barbaric name..."** she said, her tone holding slight disgust which Ryden found himself blinking at, she disliked her Given title?

"Do the people you protect rally behind it?" he asked quickly and the women hesitated before nodding

" **They do..."**

Ryden sighed deeply "Then do not hate what brings hope, at the moment hope is what keeps the people you've protected a reason to strive and continue. Build on that hope" spoke Ryden, his words were delivered casually but the meaning in them held more impact then he'd thought

" **T-thank yo—"** she started but Ryden interrupted her

"Do not thank me just yet, while your people see you as their _Juggernaut_ **,** I only see you as Valeria of the south..." Ryden unsheathe his blade from the ground before he lifted the blade to his free left hand and dragged his nails on the flat of the blade in a ripping-like fashion, the action causing red lightning to explode out and coalesce around its onyx black edge dangerously, even the clouds began to darken slightly which caused many gasp's to echo out from the crowd

He took his favored stance which now due to his actions was not exalted in the eyes of the devils in the crowd, it was dangerous and imposing to all who stood before it. Ryden smirked and gave a challenging look to Valeria, his free hand gesturing 'come here' "Now come, Valeria of the south – prove to me of you title, I will test if you are worthy of it"

The woman before Ryden tensed at his words but he could see it, in her eyes had been born a newer conviction then before and he could also feel her smile from where he stood. He hadn't thought on it before but most lower-class devils usually looked up to high-class devils like role models of sorts - rarely sure - but its mostly towards the ones that treat lower-class devils fairly, the biggest example being the Gremory family which was one of the most popular of Houses for showing kindness to the weaker folk.

Ryden wasn't one to shy away from stepping up to affirm someone's accomplishments, Valeria had been a hero to her people when all accounts said to their capture, yet she stood tall and took the brunt of the force like a wall.

 _A juggernaut_

While Ryden was shown to hold a challenging smirk, deep down he was holding the women before him with high praise, it was like seeing a hero up close – like seeing King Arthur in the flesh – he just couldn't stand by and watch a woman that went above and beyond the call of duty struggle with understanding the role she had taken upon her own shoulders.

Like all hero's he'd studied, most of them never seek fame for their deeds and simply go by their own ideals – gaining the moniker 'hero' for their deeds in the end while the ones seeking heroism usually end up becoming what they hate. And sometimes, the unwanted status of 'hero' can stagger the bearer fatally, leading to tragedy...

a common ending to most heroes

Ryden knew – as a registered and recognized high-class devil of the Gremory family – that his words carried an immense amount of motivation and weight to one that perceived his family as saviors, and he used that to help solidify the woman before him lest she loss everything in the future.

He'd seen and heard of these moments many times

The struggle to grasp ones deeds, the sudden humble nature one feels towards those that revere them so greatly and then finally realizing the weight they placed on themselves

He saw it in so many damn movies it was staggering

Ryden's smile grew at that thought before he took in Valeria's guard, it was simple to read but harrowing to break, the tower shield would be the main defensive line while her blade would be offense push – obviously – but her armor allowed more movement then it should provide which had Ryden factor in the possible reaction times.

He did that the old fashion way – a rough jab to the shield, guard high for possible counter attack

The strike was easily block, having slightly grazed the woman's shield and the lightning coating the blade did as he desired, conduct its energy through the metal plating, and fry the woman's nerves for a possible flanking strike

However the demonic element simply fizzed out, appearing like messily sparks one would see in an electrical outlet

Ryden hummed and ran calculations on the defense before he pressed on; Valeria's defense was solid and seemed to react casually to Ryden's probing blows as most of them were redirected and outright stopped altogether

Ryden hummed again, his probing attacks having been expended; now it was time to see her reaction time

In a blitz of movement he was around the woman, his blade held chest level and poised for a one handed thrust to her armored shoulder plate but it was not meant to be, as the woman – rather quickly for a heavily armored warrior – turned and smacked his blade to the side with her shield

Collecting himself calmly Ryden let the blade slide in his grip until he held it near the pummel and followed the counters momentum and spun quickly for a return slash. Valeria saw his follow up while she was going for her own counter, in her mind the Swordspear was large and way too cumbersome to wield in close quarters and had based her style on capitalizing on that yet seeing Ryden's fluid follow up counter to her own had her reevaluate his skills quickly.

She'd seen Ryden's previous bouts and was impressed on the man's skill with the weapon, but most of his opponents fought with the same type of style of Ryden's and it was easy for him to counter that with using the close quarters style his weapon provided, but against her style? Not possible

She learned the hard way

 **WHAM!**

Before Ryden's large blade could pass through her defense and shatter her armor Valeria raised her shield and took the brunt of the strike, yet she didn't expect the force behind it. It took her off her feet for about a couple of meters before she landed on her feet and skid across the field, leaving two distinct trenches

She glanced up from within her helmet to see Ryden approaching her slowly, a smile playing on his face

"You didn't plant your feet..." he idly commented

Valeria wanted to grumble, he was right about that. Rookie mistake that was and she'd underestimated the force Ryden could employ in his attacks and she had even seen Ryden kick someone so hard they were knocked out in the first hit.

Her shield had literally saved her hide

"And that shield of yours... old Praetorian repulsion shield right?" he asked and Valeria felt her chest tighten slightly, that last counter was her ace in the hole and Ryden had learned of it, she really should have taken him seriously from the get go – take advantage of the high-class' incessant habit of holding back and get a win in on a high-class.

Son of an imp!

"I'm guessing that armor is also Praetorian... mother a part of the creed?" asked Ryden simply

Valeria didn't answer, the man learned way to damn fast

She twirled the sword in her right hand while tightening her hold on her shield **"I thought you'd be going all out Lord Ryden** **or have I failed** **your test?"** she asked, her tone sounded mocking

Ryden's nose raised slightly and blinked at the woman's words before he sighed softly "actually no, currently I'm doing as best as I can under these restrictions" he said as he raised his hand and watched as red lightning or _arc_ energy coaled around it "I was told this could level a mountain – if you can believe that – so I'm kinda holding back from accidentally vaporizing you, hate to kill a new recruit right?"

" **I don't need your mercy, do not insult my pride so casually... fight me like you intend to kill me!"** she yelled at him, insulted he'd held back even after he said he wouldn't

Ryden's eyes dropped into a haft lidded gaze with one brow raised and it arguably made Valeria question her own sanity by its conveyed message but she stubbornly held her gaze through her helmet

"Fine, if you desire to hold your own personal pride higher than your duty then I'll oblige you"

As if his words were the trigger, Ryden's facial expression went from calm and serene to one of cold calculation and apathy

His form straightened and his clothing began to ruffle as an unseen force covered and surrounded Ryden, his coat tails flailed around witlessly and his collar flapped angrily. His fingerless gloves clenched as if he was focusing, his right hand squeezing his weapons shafted dangerously tight – his form began to cackle with red arc energy while the distant claps of thunder sprung up within the darkening clouds in the sky.

"I was going to save this for my higher-class opponents later but you've demanded to be treated just like them" he said, Valeria had to tone down her nerves at the sheer disinterest in Ryden's voice, like it was hollow "Therefore I implore you to stay focused, do not let your guard down... not even for a second" after speaking he bent down low – leaning forward while his left hand supported his weight

"...This is gonna hurt"

His form vanished from his previous place leaving behind a visible displacement in the air along with a small fracture in the ground

Valeria acted on pure instinct and turned on her heel as fast as she could and directed her shield towards Ryden's sonic fast strike; she had no choice but to use her repulsion shield at her maximum output

The first strike slammed into her and two explosions rattled out that torn the ground she stood on, the first one being the large electrical blast of crimson arc energy and the second being her own shield, the combined force was enough to displace the hard ground violently and send Valeria a few feet back

She huffed hard but kept her attention on Ryden, she couldn't afford to question Ryden's words prior, his speed had increased drastically and his form practically personified the storm, the red light flashing around her was the only tell tale sign of Ryden's position but it changed to often, leaving Valeria guessing where he'd be

Left!

Her instincts gutted through her mind like a knife through flesh which allowed her to respond to Ryden's second strike just in time which she responded with just as before

Her repulsion shield flared and her opponents kinetic force was nullified, the Arc energy slammed into her form but her magic canceling armor absorbed the energy and fueled her own in return

She noticed Ryden attempt her left side again and responded by risking an offensive attack. Dropping low she shield raised just over her head and poised her sword to jab, once Ryden's spear tip glanced her shield due to her change in height she activated her shield and jabbed out only for something truly terrifying to happen

Her sword shattered

" **Wha –?"** she muttered out, shock rocking her core like a fully fledged boulder

However, that was her mistake

"Pay attention!" yelled Ryden before he landed a powerful kick to the woman's shield, her attention having be divided on her sword more than staying on him gave Ryden enough time to stop himself and land a decisive and controlled hit square in her shield without the repulsion cancelling his kinetic force

Her form buckled slightly before she rocketed back when a large explosion of Arc energy rang out and sent her flying, luckily or unluckily for her, her previous position prior to being hit was at an odd angle to the rounded arena walls so her form was sent careening along the outer arena walls, cracking and denting the wall as she flew

Her form stopped a moment later among a large cluster of debris, her armor was surprisingly intact and Ryden speculated the metal must have been close to his own Gremory custom Flock jacket meaning it must have some kind of self repair and damage absorption woven into its make, he glanced down at the cut along his abdomen where Valeria's attempt to skewer him had failed horribly, a moment later and the mysteriously divine fabric knitted itself back together. Ryden sighed, He'd focused immensely on perfecting a fully defensive and mobile form for when he jumped into the battle field sometime in the future, this was all thanks to his contract with _Infernum Fulgur's_ personal 'buffs' to its wielder, which namely meant he could take on the properties of arc energy

So he was fast AF now, that and along with his defensive training had made him more like a juggernaut, a very fast Juggernaut

The irony was staggering

Ryden studied the form of Valeria – it was unmoving. He sighed again at that, for how fast his meet was with this woman he'd found himself liking her but was now forced to put her down for his own goals, it was life – Ryden supposed – but it didn't mean he'd like it at all, it was clear Valeria wanted to become a praetorian, hence her armor, to honor her mother's legacy or something... she may just be retired, but it still slightly stung to have to put down someone's aspirations for his own but it wasn't his call, he had no place to demand anything and he had no real desire to put himself down just for one's own goal

He had his own anyway

Ryden stalked towards Valeria's downed form, his match was over and he'd passed his qualifying rounds flawlessly, though he revealed more of his abilities then he'd liked, he still felt his answer to Valeria's cry was warranted, a show to the lower-class devils that Valeria's struggle was not only noticed, but openly acknowledged

It was the devils own way of showing acceptance to the lower folk, kinda masochistic in a way

He'd show more respect by carrying her out... or he would have

Valeria's form twitched slightly before the woman began to move, her breath coming out in pants while her helmet slipped off her head to reveal a Green haired beauty, her hazel eyes – drooped and misty – from fatigue and pain forced open to stare at Ryden, she was either glaring at him or just staring - Ryden didn't really know - but for her to stand up after that kind of hit spoke words that the crowd saw to appreciate.

Taking a hit from his kick was admirable; though he'd targeted her shield, his true target was the wall itself which would be more than enough to render a physically weaker devil unconscious, Ryden had trained his skills to complement quick take downs in surgical area's so to maximize his efficiency as he'd rather not be bogged down by one target alone, especially in a cluster fuck.

While the woman glared/stared at him Ryden paused and waited, waited to see if the woman had anymore fight left in her "Are you done?" he asked simply, regardless of what the woman demanded, be it for pride or honor, he would not kill her and if she insisted then he'd simply drag the woman back to the medical camp and pay for her mental therapy.

She huffed slowing, the hit had most likely knock this week's worth of wind out of her lungs, and she look 2 seconds from passing out

"I'm not going to kill You Valeria – _Juggernaut of the south_ – my blade will only taste the blood of fools, not patriots, lay down your arms... you've proven yourself to me" Ryden added, if she didn't listen then he'd simply slam the woman's head into the wall behind her, should knock her out long enough

"N-no... I-I'm... not... done" she finally said

Ryden's left eye twitched

She slammed her shield into the ground before her and leaned on it "... not until... you hit me with... your strongest attack... only then, will I be done" she said, her breath coming back, she reached down and picked up her helmet before placing it back on **"NOW HIT ME!"**

' _And I thought I was crazy..."_ mused Ryden

He glanced down to his hands, the red arc energy still coaled around his arms and body and with a thought he could have more

"You asked for this Valeria... stand tall" Ryden said after a minute of collecting himself

He raised his swordspear over his head, this action caused the blackened clouds to darken slightly more before a large red bolt of crimson Arc descended upon Ryden's blade. A loud crash roared out upon its contact with the blade – the blackened steel metal changed violently to a bright crimson while violent Arc's danced along the weapon, distant thunder claps rang out in symphony at the coming strike, excitement in the natural cry of the sky

Ryden's grip changed to two handed as the violent shutters in the weapon caused his aim to blur, his second hand gripped the pummel while his first hand only reached haft way up the shaft, the loud build up of demonic electricity screeched loudly

Then he simply dropped it forward, slamming it into the ground with as much force as he could control

 _ **BTTTTTZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!**_

A second bolt of lightning crashed down onto the ground floor, connecting with Ryden's strike which quickly shot forward... rolling thunder unleashed for the first time in a millennia

 _But its roar was loudest not out of joy_

 _...But of frustration_

 _For its first command was not to kill..._

 _...but to spare_

 _It obeyed... for now_

Valeria's eyes were as wide as saucers, never had she seen such an attack up close, she'd heard many stories of the power within High-class devils and even some ultimate-class ones but this... this was not what she had expected. She forced all of her demonic power to her armor and hardened it to its maximum, pumped the same amount of energy into her suits magic absorption plates and activated her shields repulsion ability to activate it like a beating heart.

She braced hard, her free hand coming up to assist her fractured left arm and her legs dug in deep into the cratered ground below her, her teeth clenched and her eyes set into full concentration

The rolling pillar of pure Arc energy moved fast, like a bullet and it hit with the force of a hammer harder than every war hammer she'd ever blocked combined, but she managed what many in the crowd thought impossible

 _The bolt had been halted_

It slammed into the woman with incredible force that sent out an impact shockwave that rocked the arena which drowned out her cry of effort, even from behind the protective dome many had felt it and the crowd roared in approval, the high class devils watching however, only looked on impassively

For a solid minute the bolt fought for every inch Valeria had, the power was enough to chip away at the ground below them yet the woman simply remained rooted albeit her position was pushed back severely

The large bolt of arc energy lasted for far longer than Ryden liked, he'd told Fulgur to not kill the woman and while the weapon was dangerously pissed at sparing a life Ryden made it clear that if she did die then all it would take for him to put it back in its place was a short trip to its mountain. Ryden knew threatening a blade as ancient as Fulgur was stupid but he'd bath the damn thing in blood soon enough and if he could – up root the damn old-Satan's themselves with it! But it was hard negotiating with a blood thirsty blade

' _Fulgur... did I stutter? I said SPARE not TEAR! Cease this assault NOW!'_ commanded Ryden internally

The blade on his back pulse dangerously and Ryden found himself glaring forward, his eyes glowering with a deep hidden message in emotional energy which was registered quickly by the sword on his back which pulsed again, slightly dimmer then before

The effect was instant, the massive bolt stopped and the loud cry of the skies most volatile element vanished leaving ears ringing and eyes seeing splotches from the bolts sheer brightness

Ryden's expression shifted quickly to shock, he expected many things but what he saw brought a smirk to his lips, Valeria stood still and motionless, her form frozen in her eternal blocking stance – legs held firm and ready. Having been slowly pushed back by the bolts mighty force she still remained unmoving, Ryden could sense her heart rate and could see her chest rising slowly which forced relief through his veins. He sighed deeply and moved to Valeria's form

He stopped just beside her, facing towards the wall behind her that held a split scorch mark, the sheer heat from the Arc energy having been close to a miniature sun, Ryden's eyes glanced to the unmoving form of Valeria after he regarded the _art work_ on the wall "Glad to see you're still alive" he said

No reply was made but he could see the tremble in the armor's shoulders, the only response there was it seemed

"You've done well, Valeria – _juggernaut of the south_ – you've proven many times already your worthiness in my eyes... there is no reason to continue" commented Ryden, his voice calm. While the crowd was cheering loudly at the display of power, Ryden noticed many also watching him closely – some of them evaluators but most of them simple fans ranging from many different ages that held worry in their young and old eyes, some containing hope and others anger directed solely on him.

They must be the friends of Valeria or the refugee's she had saved, Ryden mused... he wanted to laugh at that thought; here he was playing as "the boss", the big bad noble devil that needed to be overcome for some noble quest like adventure story to continue. Seen so many times in cartoons and anime, no matter how long Ryden was from those stories, he always found entertainment in them and right now, this was _the test_ or the _lesson_ that the 'hero' would learn from an unbeatable figure.

Valeria's form started to shake while words began to mutter out in faint whispers "I... M-must...N-not... fall... N-not... here" she said, it was the faintest of whispers but Ryden could hear them, the desperation and the fear of falling – most likely in front of the children that idolized her – so he knew then what he had to do.

Before Valeria's form could fall forward, Ryden jabbed his spear diagonally in front of Valeria's shield – sheathing it deep in the earth which halted her decent violent. Ryden's action causing many in the crowd to pause and watch wide eyed at the actions of a noble keeping a lower class devil standing; it was common among Ryden's 'kind' to enjoy seeing those below them fall at their feet, yet to see the opposite was destined to get a reaction.

Fortunately for them, Ryden was no noble – that was just a fortunate convenience granted to him by severe luck

His hand reached out and rested directly on Valeria's breast plate, effectively holding her in place and keeping her from falling "then do not fall..." he said simply, like it was an easy thing to do. He ignored how stiff and rigid Valeria went upon his words and actions and simply smirked down at her slightly slumped form "I can understand your determination now Valeria... I do not know the true story of your heroism but I can see the effect it has created" he said while looking up at two children, both of which staring down at Valeria with wide – hopeful – eyes, eyes that Ryden felt jog a dreadful memory of his own

 _Filled with tears and despair, they stared at him... eyes hopeful for a savior that would never appear_

Ryden shook his head lightly "we both have seen the horrible deeds of the Old-Satan's, but while I couldn't save any of them... You have" he said lightly while glancing down at her, Valeria's voice hitched slightly at the look in his eyes but remained silent "Do not shirk under the weight of the hopeful, do not cower away from the pain you will bear in their place, doing so will only hurt you more in the end... stand tall – _Shield_ of the south – for a shield's place is upright and firm"

Ryden smiled slightly at his words and to Valeria, it sounded a little cheesy but he didn't think Valeria would think so, right now – during this time period – poetic literature had yet to fully grace the world let alone reach hell, so Ryden most likely sounded like the most inspirational person in the eyes of not only the devil laying on his arm but also the many devils with powerful hearing as well...

...Who stared down at them with wide expressions of shock

Even a glimpse at the VIP spectator's booth Ryden could see Sirzechs staring at him with a look that almost burst with pride and joy, a few other's he didn't recognize – a woman and two other men – were also looking at him, one with wide eyed shock and another with a small content smile and the third with a deep scowl.

Mix reactions he supposed

Ryden suspected that due to the Gremory's fame for kindness his reputation was one in the same as that, but now his actions _and_ words probably shot him up to the point his popularity would be seen as the devils version of a _saint._ He may be getting ahead of himself but the looks coming from the two children spoke to him that he may be getting there quicker then he thought; instead of anger being directed at him, it was now small smiles – some even large ones brimming with tears.

The devils society was incredibly different then earth

He glanced down to Valeria when he felt her softly shaking again, but it was not the nerves tension and strain that caused her shaking, but rather her raw emotions.

"Thank you... Thank you..." muttered Valeria softly, her eyes freely leaking tears before her consciousness slipped away finally, her weight finally drooping low but Ryden refused to let her body fall until the white light enveloped her

 _ **[Knight Valeria is down, time of match: 5 minutes and 10 seconds, lord Ryden passes onto the final stage!]**_

No loud cheer echoed out like the first two matches after the announcer, no roars of joy at the display of power or cues of infatuation at his masculinity, all that filled the stadium at that moment was applause and a damn near standing ovation as well

Ryden wished he had a large hat on so he could pull the brim down to hide his small blush, standing OV's _always_ got to him

Just to show his appreciation to the respect of the crowed, he waved casually and tossed out a kind – closed eyed – smile in a random direction and turned towards where he came, which thankfully for him, was open for him to leave at liberty.

However he'd learn of a particularly popular picture some time later...

* * *

Serafall leaned to the side, a look of disturbed disgust adoring her face as she tried to gain as much distance from Sirzechs while looking as refined as possible

It was a few minutes since Ryden had left the stadium and the crimson haired devil had yet to wipe the massive – joy filled – smile off his face that screamed something forbidden that neither the two other males nor Serafall could understand

...They wouldn't even try to anyway

Zekram ignored the odd emotion on Sirzechs' face and simply coughed before commenting "Well... I didn't expect _that_ "

Praxis grunted, his way of begrudgingly agreeing but refraining from commenting

Serafall's head nodded "Yes, for him to show such levels of respect to The _Juggernaut of the south_ was extremely unexpected in my opinion, does Ryden understand his actions?" her finger tapped on the arm rest of her 'throne' "I wonder if he was even taught about what kinds of treatment one uses towards the higher class and the lower-class... it would be interesting to see what he's like when fighting the higher-class"

Zekram grunted again "I think you've forgotten General Sitri, lord Ryden has changed her title, it's now ' _shield_ of the south', a rather fitting title and the crowd has taken a liking to. I for one like the change, it calls out the people more"

Serafall's eyebrow raised slightly "You'd use her to rally soldiers?" she asked

Zekram merely shrugged "Obviously, her actions in saving over one hundred civilians from the murmur territory and all the way to the Agares territory have been the talk of the council for a while now, it'd be foolish to not take advantage of the perfect image the people can rally under"

"Add in Ryden's words of inspiration and you'll have hundreds swarming to join the cause" added in Praxis Bael, distinctly refraining from referring Ryden with the 'lord' honorific

Zekram nodded simply "exactly"

"Are you all done scheming politics?" called out Sirzechs, whose eyes fell onto the three with a bored expression on his face "if you'd all cease the constant scheming the second you entered then you might have noticed it is unwarranted"

Praxis' brow raised while Serafall spoke out "Our 'scheming' is what makes results Sirzechs, don't ignore them"

Sirzechs merely shook his head "if you'd been paying attention to the people rather than your duty as a general, then you might have noticed that today's devils do not require manipulation for results, their actions speak louder than any political move you can make, Knight Valeria has been but one example of heroism, with her actions more will rise up to become the same as her... the devil race has always been good at uniting under oppression, Ryden's words was only the icing on the cake" spoke Sirzechs, a calm tone in his words "There is no need to manipulate what is already in motion..."

"What about the next matches? What will they bring?" asked Praxis

Sirzechs nodded simply at the good question "validation" Sirzechs answered easily "Ryden has made himself the ideal role model of inspiration for the lower-class, while Valeria's actions show that rising against the old-Satan's and defying their word is possible, Ryden's words have inspired hope and courage in order to do that, this is something that every military solely needs"

Zekram smirked at Sirzechs quietly, he was learning

Praxis merely nodded, understanding of the uses Ryden could bring to their cause

While Serafall simply watched the replays of Ryden's fights and then his fight against Valeria ' _shield of the south'_ – she noted the change in name quickly – she found herself smirking at the frozen image of Valeria laying slump in Ryden's outstretched arm, there was something strangely artist of the image

 _A sign of Nobility supporting its people in times of peril_

Her smirk grew wider at that thought

Yeah, that did look good

* * *

 _Holy shit this was a long one_

 _I found myself a few days ago writing this bitch of a chapter and noticed a distinct lack of Gauntlet action that which I had promised a few times already_

 _So I decided to extend the chapter to a 20,000 chapter special almost, I found my story lacking action and drama which was probably the reason my story has seen so few reviews (not much to talk about yet) so here it is_

 _A little thing about the gauntlet is that I had planned to simply toss Ryden into a fight against 4 or five high class devils and see what I plan of the outcome but then I said "fuck that! There's hardly any planning into that! No build up of introduction of any new characters what so ever" so here was the qualifying matches which had actually been the boon of an introduction need to introduce the lower class devil OC's I've made and while only one of the three are important, they still open the world up and expand on a few things I wanted to cover_

 _And I did... Yea!_

 _Low class devils are seen and named after a first name and a title name. Ex, Valeria and nobles are usually identified as 'lord *then First name*" as 'Lord Gremory' is reserved for the lord of the manor or house, same as Duke or great king_

 _Oh and quick thing to add, the reason some of the characters, especially Valeria, were introduced so quickly and suddenly was mainly a mechanical reason, my writing is a_ _ **"3**_ _ **rd**_ _ **person, limited omniscient"**_ _and is also closely associated with Ryden's perspective so if it seems like I'm tuning out valuable Intel then it's simply because Ryden purposely ignored it, not because I'm lazy (I'm not!)_

 _Also I have a few character designs to help paint a mental image for you guys!_

 _Infernum Fulgur's design is based off of_ _ **General Glauca's sword**_ _from "final fantasy 15", but is modified to appear more 'glass-like' then what it does in FF15 kings glaive, almost like the moonlit great sword from Blood-Bourne._

 _Ryden's outfit is based off of_ _ **Ravus Nox Fleuret's outfit in FF15**_ _, the only difference being the color pallet change and the fact the design is 'flipped' for reasons... heheh_

 _Yeah I know, a lot of FF15 designs but what can I say? They sure as hell know how to make some damn good looking outfits (I've got my eyes on those Kings Glaive outfits)_

 _Rosalina Phenex's character model is copied directly from_ _ **Satellizer El Bridget**_ _from "freezing"_ _anime, she fit the bill perfectly, blonde hair and blue eyes and drop dead gorgeous figure... the family trait! She's the eldest sister to Indris Phenex who is known as lord Phenex in canon (he needed a name)_

 _Not sure who Valeria would be based off of but I'd lean closer to_ _ **Nel**_ _from "bleach"_

 _And no, before you guys ask, I'm not romancing every female character I make, I've already got the harem for Ryden planned out and it will surprise the_ _ **shit**_ _outta ya'll_

 _Oh and Praetor Saladin is obviously based slightly off of_ _ **Lord Saladin**_ _from "destiny", I needed a grizzled looking military leader that would fit a nice 'Sgt. Johnson" type role_

 _Anyways, if you like the chapter then leave a review and if you didn't then tell me why, I love feedback but please don't flame me as I'm a little white boy who finds soy milk spicy_

 _and as always thanks for tuning in_

 _Peace!_


	6. Threats in the Shadows

**-Threats in the Shadows-**

 _In total, I've been in hell for six months, one week and some change_

 _You might think I knew everything there was to knowing my enemy, to understand that what stood before me was not as much as a beautiful woman, but a monster fully convinced her ideals were the right reason, that her decision in life was the right one_

 _Understandable really... I'm mean in the end, there is no good or evil in the world, only whoever is left standing tell the story, some believe in one ideal and the other, same thing_

 _In the end, no matter how much one glorifies war, if you step back far enough and look at the reasons_

 _...Well they look retarded_

 _History is written by the victors and the survivors when the fires die down and the dust settles, and their stories shape the world around them greatly_

 _My story... speaks of the hunter and the hunted_

 _I didn't know my enemy before, I only knew rage and hate and I'll be the first to say that I was... 'Hasty' in some of my actions before joining the war_

 _After my qualifying matches, I learned quickly that my enemies..._

 _...Were always right in front of me..._

-X-

Ryden sat calmly, sighed deeply and leaned back into his seat

He had been escorted to a break room soon after his qualifying matches were complete, in fact he was personally escorted there by a Bael clan representative... Which was basically a butler, it was a butler that escorted him... Ryden had a hard time getting used to that. Before it was 'do the dishes' 'clean your room' or some other random chore, now it was like everything was done for him and he couldn't help but feel like a child because of it. It felt like he was one request away from getting a maid to dress him every morning

Hell no to that...

It was even a classic mustached and bald headed Butler even – the complete package deal, stereotype and all.

Now he sat in a lavish room decorated in white linen and golden silk, and purple torches that lit the Roman like room moderately – he didn't really know what Romans lived in but it definitely felt like Royalty and the constant color combination made Ryden think every clan had their own 'color scheme'. Gremory's had the German red, gold and black while the Bael clan was the already established style

He was told about the Sitri family but not their family colors but he got this overwhelming sense that the color 'blue' would be dominate... maybe a bit a pink?, he had no idea if that would even look good, let alone a scheme fit for a noble family.

Anyways

His seat was almost throne-like as it was tall enough to make him conscience of his already acceptable height but it was forcing doubt in him by its sheer size alone, goblets of the Bael clans finest _spirit_ – what they called alcohol – was placed beside him but even if he was told his system was more 'supernatural' then before he dared not test his luck, he asked what _hell waters_ alcoholic percentage was and it turned out it wasn't an alcoholic at all and was practically the devils version of Pepto Bismol, so the spirit at his arm rest went untouched by that because even if he now could take 30 Jagermeisters and walk it off without doing something stupid, he would rather not test how hardcore devils were to alcohol

He really hoped it wasn't an insult to leave a perfectly good drink lying around, he'd heard of some cultures find it insulting to leave curtain foods alone when offered, Like Italians!

It wasn't like there was any lower-class devils struggling to make ends meet out there, fighting every day to get even a glass of what he was given for free...

That thought alone made Ryden grumble before he took a sip and then down it in one gulp, like hell he'd waste fine liquor now that he thought about it, and felt it

The liquid hit his pallet smoothly and Ryden nearly moaned at the soft burn – like a shot of fireball cinnamon whiskey – that rolled down slowly and calmly, it was a good amount of it as well and Ryden downed it all completely

"Holy shit it's been so long since I've had something like that" muttered Ryden, his chest was practically glowing at the soothing heat "Now I hope I don't wake up in the Marbas territory, Sirzechs said those guys are party animals"

Just to make sure he didn't pass out from whatever side effort he'd get from chugging an unknown powerful spirit, Ryden stood up – slowly – and walked calmly towards a fancy looking device in the central portion of the room

It was like a disk shaped contraption that gave off this soft energy that Ryden had been wary of since entering the room, he'd ignored it for the most part and simply sat robotically and awkwardly in the chair for 30 minutes to an hour waiting to see if anyone showed up while staring at the goblet like Sponge-bob did to the glass of water but now that he had some alcohol in him – the universal item of excuses for doing dumb shit – and that he'd been alone for so long, he decided why not kick the damn thing

It was a soft tap, nothing like a curb stomp he'd first thought of and As soon as his foot made contact the reaction he got nearly threw him from across the room when bright iridescent lights exploded out from the contraption. After gearing down his bearings Ryden stared at it, oddly pondering what in the blue hells he summoned but soon its function quickly became apparent; it was a hologram – a televised hologram! And seemed to show off detail in a complete 360 degree fashion – he'd walk around it a few times but the large 'B' in the center always faced him, the large letter that obviously represented the Bael family house softly pulsed

And he'd found it... the question he'd been searching for...

Devils DID have TV!

It wasn't like he expected it to be, no remote changed the channel or any kind of use of an electronic device was seen, only the disk shaped device and the hologram was what devils had

It was silent for a moment longer before life sprang into it, obviously it took some time before it was synced up to whatever broadcasting station close by

...And his pants nearly fell off at what he tuned into

It was a dream; it had to be a damn dream. Ryden found himself quickly falling back into a random seat – the large comforter couch – and zoned out at what he saw _and_ heard

"By the Satan's he's awesome, there was like a massive Arc bolt louder and larger than anything I've ever seen, mom was terrified but it was AWESOME! And then Lady Valeria took it head on! AH! It was _SOOO_ cool" gushed a young child

The scene changed suddenly

"I know he's a noble but I've never seen or heard of one treating a low-class devil so kindly before, it makes me glad I came to them so long ago, the Gremory's are too kind" a woman spoke, a mother by the looks of it and she was smiling brightly when a random crowd member muttered something off hand

The screen fizzed out before Ryden felt his being cringe deeply at what he heard next

"I WILL BEAR ALL HIS CHILDREN!" yelled a gorgeous woman, another woman was hanging off her shoulders "SO WILL I!" she added in

After the last one Ryden's mind went blank at what he'd just done "Oh no..." he muttered, now that he showed off his power his 'manhood' was practically open season for any devil wishing to bear his children and judging by the sheer number of blushing teens in the crowd behind the two louder and older girls spoke to him just how large a _fan-club_ he had just made

And it was at that moment that he knew... he fucked up

The fiasco went on for a few minutes with Ryden staring at the screen with wide eyed shock, his cheeks lightly dusted as the comments – positive ones – rained down from the mouths of the many spectators and even a few of the evaluators praised his honor and patience in battle, it was hard for Ryden to accept the praise, he wasn't adverse to taking compliments as he enjoyed the odd one from now and then but this was extreme

Ryden sighed, he should have accepted this from the moment he decided to help Valeria. She was a struggling hero facing many obstacles – most of them originating from her own humble nature – and to make it even more awe inspiring was that she was a low to mid-class devil who became a hero in the eyes of many lower classed devils then the nobles and like history shows, the weak always raise the one most relatable to their own struggle, for him to show such levels of kindness to her struggle and to outwardly acknowledge it not just as a high-class devil but one from the _Gremory_ family spoke volumes of his actions

But then, like always... you can't always impress them all...

"What is your opinion on Lord Ryden?" spoke an interviewer

"I think he's all show and no go..." spoke a male voice, Ryden's head shot up at that and took in a new figure, it was a man – roughly close to his age in appearance and held himself with a classic MMA ego expression and Ryden was _this_ close to dubbing him the devils version of Connor McGregor as his full face beard and short 'fade' hair style was a blatant reminder of the Irish fighter "He has three low-class nobodies show up and he waste's time fighting them fairly? PFF what a joke" spoke the man, completely unaware of the sheer decrease in popularity he just subjected himself to

The glares from the girls alone... could kill

Ryden smirked "the absolute madman... underestimation? Check, arrogance? Check, follow up?" Ryden tittered his hand a little in befuddlement "we'll see..." Ryden mulled it over as the interview before him kept going

"Your words speak of confidence, are you so sure you could beat him?" asked the interviewer and the man seemed almost tempted to hit the poor guy, Ryden's eyes slightly narrowed at that

He was easy to piss off, he'd note that down

"Tsk... easy, that twig of his couldn't cut through me even if I let him!" replied the high-class show boater "And I hope he's watching right now, YOU HEAR ME! _~Lord Ryden~,_ I'm gonna whoop that low born raised ass all over the arena, and you gonna wish you mom was around to heal you up from that! HA!" finished the devil before he walked off, completely disregarding all others around him

"And that's the interview with Lord Brinyalf Stolas, next match is between the challenger Lord Ryden Vale Gremory for the position of Knight sentinel and Lord Brinyalf Stolas – the defender, stay tuned..." after that and the _commercials_ kicked in, something Ryden idly dwelled on for a moment but his main thought was on the _colorful_ character his next opponent was gonna be

"...Wow" he muttered while nodding at his own choice of words. He was dumbfounded at the attitude he just witnessed, from the corner of the room _Infernum Fulgur_ shown slightly and Ryden's head bobbed a little bit at what he'd just heard "Yup, seen those kinds before" replied Ryden, a smirk growing on his lips "I've been _chirped_ at so much it kinda amuses me at this point... Heh, gets my mom involved, classic"

The blade shown again but brighter this time and Ryden sighed deeply, his hands cupping his face in exhaustion "For the last time woman, I'm not killing allies" he retorted and the blade again shown "Oh for Pete's sake I know you wanna kill shit, Had it not been for the laws of this land I would've been slaughtering Old-Satan pricks days ago but I gotta do shit legally"

The blade shown again but slightly dim this time, as if it was teasing – judging by the look Ryden suddenly developed

Ryden sputtered off at what was said "Oh no... I ain't calling you that! Just cause I said 'woman' doesn't mean I'll say it now" the disturbed look Ryden developed after the subsequent reply nearly sent Ryden into a mild coma but he was saved by two people

"Your right, he is a little insane" muttered a female voice, tone laced with surprise

Ryden turned from the blade he was speaking to and noticed two figures, the one he was most familiar with was obviously Sirzechs and the other one was...?

"Um? Hello?" greeted Ryden, confusion visibly apparent as he locked his gaze on a young looking girl "who's the kid?" asked Ryden while pointing casually to Serafall and very quickly he realized his mistake, Sirzechs' words caught in his throat and his amusement grew to the point he had to turn around and attempt to contain his laughter which was a losing battle

"Little kid... Hahaha" laughed Sirzechs

The small woman however took his mistake in stride but it was clear her friend's amusement was not helping her patience at all; her left eyebrow twitched slightly when Sirzechs' containment slightly broke, filling the room with a loud laugh before it was muffled by his hand again

She took a deep breath before she lightly bowed "It's a pleasure to meet you Lord Ryden Vale Gremory, My name is Serafall Sitri, Commanding General of the 'Blue' legion" she said, voice light but deadly serious

.

.

.

"Oh Shit..." muttered Ryden quietly

Serafall nodded simply at his rather odd reply to his mistake but she dropped it when the man quickly stood up but did not salute, Sirzechs had told him to not salute a general unless you're in the legion of the general or in any legion at all, sure he was technically an initiate but he was one in the _red_ legion, not the blue one so if he did salute then he'd have sworn fealty to her on the spot

Not part of the plan, considering how serious the woman looked

Ryden's emotions were slowly delving back to his more reclusive form, he'd figured this state of mind being the best for conversations as he'd been able to think up better replies and subjects without using his more 'advanced' form of dialogue, it was how his mind worked now he supposed... multiple states of mind had their benefits

"It's a pleasure to meet you General; I apologize for my early conduct... I was preoccupied with the praise I've been getting" said Ryden, eyes filled with amusement

Sirzechs chuckled slightly "I can see that..." he said before moving to stand in front of the hologram, within Ryden could see a madly blushing mother being teased by a smiling boy "Quite the fan-base you got going on Ryden, can't say I'm jealous though..." he said, Ryden simply shrugged at that, It wasn't like it was his intention

Serafall smirked at his words, her eyes looking back to the hologram that held multiple kids shouting their praise for Ryden "It was a shocker, what you did" she said finally, Ryden glanced to Sirzechs but he simply crossed his arms, his larger armor giving off no sound all the while. Serafall turned to Ryden, her eyes now holding interest "why did you help her? Knight Valeria? You have not met her prior to this gauntlet so why?"

Ryden hummed softly, his reason was already set in stone but he had no idea if Serafall was in the know of his secret, he'd trusted Sirzechs with that info as the man seemed competent enough to take the hint but this Serafall before him gave off this 'by the books' feel that had him on his toes, she clearly disliked humor and even seemed more authoritarian then Sirzechs. Since entering the room the only emotion on her face was blank interest.

"It was what we both had gone through" he answered and noted the woman's raised brow "I was witness to the atrocities of the Old-Satan's as was Valeria, though she was luckier, it's sort of like kindred souls I'd say; we have a lot in common" it was vague but it was that way for a reason, with how that Brinyalf spoke of the low-class devils and how far below he saw them – even if Valeria was twice the devil he was – he still considered them below him, how much worse was it for a high-class General like Serafall Sitri?

"Is that all?" she asked simply

Ryden's eyes narrowed at her constant questions and Sirzechs registered how dangerously thin they were, almost like the time he had first met the man – cornered and ready to strike. Serafall was treading in dangerous waters with her prodding and he had not tested the outcome of his own questions

He butted in almost immediately "Know the limits of your questions, Serafall" muttered Sirzechs, his eyes on the woman casually who locked gazes on him, shocked ones actually "prying into a past you have no part in is dishonorable" he added in

The woman's eyes widened suddenly before she suddenly stiffened "Oh! By the Satan's I've done it again" sputtered the woman, her expression and mood doing a complete 180 from her more emotionless one, her eyes landed on Ryden quickly who was blinking like a pepper spray victim "I apologize for my intrusive questions, sometimes work gets me all riled up and in the moment" as if to add in her apology she rapt her knuckle on her head while sticking her tongue out slightly

Were... Were all devils _this_ bipolar?

Ryden's eyes blinked rapidly, confusion written plainly on his face as he tried to download what the woman before him truly was thinking, before she seemed uncaring to her questions and almost didn't fathom what she'd nearly garnered from him, but now she was apologetic and downright bubbly – albeit in a cringy way.

Seeing his confusion Sirzechs stepped in again – slightly and intentionally bumping Serafall – and addressed Ryden calmly "In case you were wondering Ryden, we simply came here to congratulate you on your performance in your fist matches and I must say, your training has paid off very well" spoke the red haired devil

Ryden nodded and forced the previous event from his mind by shaking his head lightly, at times he was put off by the sudden changes in emotions from these devils. He straightened before he fell back into his seat "I'm not so sure about that Sirzechs, Khiron and Helena were skilled in their own way but they severely lacked in potential of challenging me, did you get any news from the evaluators? Perhaps they had been short handed in giving me some sort of challenge" said Ryden calmly; genuinely hopeful it was some kind of mistake on their part

All Sirzechs did in question was smile widely and snort at his search for an excuse while Serafall's eyes slightly rose in question "I'm afraid Ryden" started Sirzechs "that what you seek isn't possible, the evaluators chose the best possible opponents for you to fight but it's unfortunate that you are simply too much of a prodigy in the art of the Sword-spear" replied the devil

Serafall nodded at that before adding "it's a curse for use strong devils, it's rare to find challenge"

Ryden sighed deeply "Well, glossing over the fact my ego has inflated to a massive degree at least Valeria was a challenge – sort of" Ryden's eyes narrowed at that but Serafall cut in questioningly

"What do you mean by that?"

Ryden thought on it for a nanosecond "I mean by the fact it was a challenge to get past her guard without killing her, by far the biggest challenge a stronger individual has over a weaker opponent is by holding back, if I was actually trying to kill her then I'd have defeated every opponent in under 15 seconds, but then where's the fun in that? Not to mention the fact their allies" Ryden scratched his cheek softly with a single finger in contemplation "Hope these high-class folk can withstand more, because I'm seriously itching for a challenge"

Serafall rose slightly at his words, her tone a mix between scolding and interest – however that mixes was beyond Ryden's comprehension. "It's not wise to underestimate your enemies Lord Ryden, neither is it to seek defeat " she said, Ryden soon figured her scolding side was more fake then genuine and it was by that point Ryden knew Serafall was testing him. Perhaps she was interested in what kind of character he was away from the crowd's watchful eye

He had an easy response to that question

He frowned slightly in a casual sense, as if insulted by her words "Yeah I know that, I never think of underestimating my opponent General Sitri, doing so puts the accuser in the worst possible danger" then he raised a teasing brow "and seeking defeat is not unwise, defeat is the best teacher one could ever get – not on the battlefield of course – but in a tournament? Definitely"

Serafall nodded at that, a smirk rising onto her lips "That's good to hear Lord Ryden, I was afraid you were the arrogant sort but it seems your far more wise then even some of my advisors" she said before her finger tapped her lower lip in wonder "Say, I have a question for you"

Ryden nodded lightly "Shoot"

"What is the life expectancy of Strategy?"

Ryden blinked at that, it was a twist of words or a reorganization of them because it sounded familiar to him. He studied the art or war a few times back in his time – he even planned on enlisting himself because of it – and he ran through almost all of the Sun Tzu's book to the very meaning behind them but he also studied other theories as well

One was from a German officer named _Helmuth Von Moltke_ _'the elder'_. He studied military strategy so much he considered it his favorite hobby, so much so he believed war was humanities _bread and butter_ – narrow view on humanities purpose yes – but his studies revolutionized military strategy to a serious degree

Serafall had just asked him that mans most famous quote...

"The moment it's used, General Sitri – the minute an attack begins, any plan becomes spotty and unreliable because of the enemy adapting to your own attack so in the end... _No battle plan survives contact with the enemy_ " he quoted

Sirzechs eyes glowed with surprise and pride and Serafall's heart rate skipped a beat and her breath hitched strongly

"I want him..." she said, her eyes locking on Sirzechs who also locked his on hers

"Nope, he's mine..." he said simply

Ryden's left eye twitched slightly; there it was again – same as the time in Ajuka's military tent – the feeling of being an object of immeasurable value

"Oh come on Sirzechs! He's perfect for my force; at least with me his intelligence would be used fully rather than be told to 'charge into battle first, think later'"

This time Sirzechs' eye twitched

"Ooook ladies, you need to chill" placated Ryden before the two could predictably drop into senseless arguing

The two clicked their tongues at one another – like children – before turning from the other and pouting – like children.

It was hard, _really_ hard to get used to how violently the devils change in emotions, it felt rushed in a way. The first impression he got from Serafall was a strict 'by the books' general that carried the same dreadful aura of authority normally seen in overachieving substitute teachers. Sirzechs had even hyped up the feeling with how the man would whimper at her mention or completely divert the subject _away_ from her which gave Ryden the impression that she was going to be a major problem for him

Now though?

His mind was doing flips and cartwheels. Serafall was not as terrifying as Sirzechs had made her out to be, arguably though he'd only known her for a few minutes it still painted a better picture then the one he'd made for her

She was fine, not close enough to know his secret but good enough that he won't be completely wary of her actions and words. She'd been testing him this whole time, though her questions veered into dangerous waters she had not completely known that as she was simply trying to get a bead on his character and now that she desired him in her own forces rather than Sirzechs' spoke to him of his passing that test

"Are you kids done sulking?" asked Ryden

Both the devils turned and regarded Ryden with frowns of their own "We are not kids!" they both said

Ryden blinked at them, his eyes haft lidded and expression holding so much deadpan it caused them to reel back, light blushes on their faces at his parental like expression that screamed 'really?'

"Riiight... Anyways! Sirzechs, do you know when my next match is?" he asked

Sirzechs went to reply but a knock at the door interrupted him

"Lord Ryden, your next match is in a few minutes, please proceed to the arena when you are able" spoke a voice from the other side of the door

"On my way!" yelled out Ryden before he sighed and regarded the two casually "Well that was convenient" he added

Sirzechs nodded a little while Serafall seemed crest fallen, obviously wanting to converse more with Ryden then what she got. Seeing this, Ryden gently patted the woman's head causing her to stiffen at the action "I'm sure in the future we'll be able to talk more" he nodded a little to himself "perhaps even talk military strategy if you wish" he added and nearly sweat dropped at her sudden star gazed expression on her face

"Promise?" she asked, innocent nature exceeding baseline parameters

Ryden bit his lip at her expression, for a being 30x his age she managed to pull off an innocence that was downright adorable, add in the fact her body was a mix between child-like and fully developed seemed to be an exotic type of adorable... Ryden swore he heard police sirens for a moment there

"Promise" he answered back genuinely

He heard a chuckle off to his right and glanced over to see Sirzechs in the midst of leaving "Well Serafall, are you gonna kiss the boy or are you coming?" asked the devil who smiled like a Cheshire cat when Serafall blushed head to toe, Ryden stepped out of the woman's way slightly when she went off to chase a now fleeing Sirzechs who yelled his best wishes before vanishing, and soon enough Ryden was alone again

Fulgur shown slightly and Ryden's shoulders drooped "No, that was _definitely_ a hallucination" he said before glancing at the empty goblet at the end table and nodded "The alcohol in me says so"

The light within Infernum Fulgur shown rapidly, as if chuckling

-X-

It took Ryden a few minutes to get his things together and that mainly being his sword and flock jacket, the heavily customized jacket was comfortable but it was really time consuming to put on, what with all the zippers and buckles along with straps took more time then Ryden expected but he managed with enough elbow grease and cuss words

Then he was off to the races, it was a few minutes of walking from his VIP lounge room but he remembered the way to the arena easily enough, after passing a few fans of his – ones who excitably waved at his arrival – Ryden found himself cornered by something he never experienced before

It was on his way towards the arena's entrance when he stumbled upon a crowd of _interviewers_ , who – upon spotting Ryden like a hawk does a fish – zerg rushed him with barely contained zeal, it was a miracle none of the smaller devils got trampled in the rush and even more a miracle when he avoided such a fate as well. His back was to a wall now, and his wide eyes of shock expressed his surprise at the ambush and Ryden was silently cursing his inability to avoid such a thing

He sighed lightly, his expression dropping to a more calm and patient façade for polite reasons, the devils were a competitive species and no matter how indifferent Ryden was to the drama of this event – similar to the Drama usually found in _WWE_ – he relented to giving the press what they wanted

Hype... and a little drama

"Lord Ryden! What is your plan in this coming match? How will you respond to Lord Brinyalf's taunts?" spoke a fast interviewer, some even glared at the devil but Ryden ignored that

"My plan is simple" he started before shrugging "Win"

He said it simply, there was no battle plan capable of surviving a supernatural fight, Sirzechs and Serafall only had a short visit and he couldn't get any info from Sirzechs pertaining to Brinyalf's house ability, all he knew was that it was called _'diamond back'_

The press before him grew restless at his reply, seeing it more a show of confidence towards Brinyalf then a lack of planning on Ryden's part and soon enough bright camera flashes filled the crowd of reporters and interviewers and a loud slew of questions echoed out, to many of them strewn together for Ryden to answer clearly

"What secrets will you show!?"

"What reason do you fight?!"

As if by luck the crowd went a little silent and a girl – a young girl – stepped forward and took advantage of the energy lapse in the crowd in order to drive a question Ryden clung to

"How will you respond to him slandering the devils you faced and respected?"

It was a more personal question then the others and soon enough the many interviewers grew silent and anxious of his reply even the loud noises from the crowd outside died down to hear it – something that Ryden noticed instantly . The cameras flashed and the room grew silent and it was clear to him his reply meant more to them then it really did to him

He began easily "I was raised to understand that no matter how loud a word is spoken or in what way it's delivered it can never hit harder than any action" he replied before glancing down to his hand, it clenched a moment later "Actions speak louder than words, and the actions of the three devils I faced speak louder than Brinyalf" was his finally answer and almost immediately he found himself fighting a smile

The looks of slight awe in the devils before him was infectious and he'd be lying if it didn't make him feel good that he was the one to make them feel that way

The woman before spoke again "And what do you have to say to Brinyalf Stolas and his words of underestimation?" she asked

He shifted in his position before speaking "See a wise man learns from his mistakes and lets the blunders of his brothers serve to fill his plate, so best you be on your way lord Brinyalf before that tidal wave breaks..." to add into his threat Ryden leaned forward slightly and focused a small degree of arc lightning in his eyes "...Cause you don't want to come and meet the _**Reaper**_ that awaits"

The threat was taken from one of his favorite rap songs – his only one – and he used a small bit of it point across but its meaning was carried dangerously close as the devils before him remained rooted on the spot, eyes wide with awe at his words and Ryden saw it fit to make his escape then and there as his objective of hyping up the devils was done; the roar in the crowd exploded outward so loud in approval that it reached down into the arena's entrance way forcing Ryden's smirk to grow wider

While he was walking towards the arena's gate – smiling like a goof ball all the while – he failed to notice a familiar figure standing by, her blonde hair done immaculately and red blouse firm and cleaned. It took Ryden a moment but soon enough he did notice her. He had found himself wondering what the woman was doing most of the time. Being followed was one thing he was not used to as his younger sister was the only one to have followed him around in her young years but in her older teen years – being only a period of four years younger than him – she had grown out of that habit and it was a small remise of his when she stopped

Rosalina Phenex however was different, while his sister followed him more for learning and the typical 'brotherly role model' shtick there was _obviously_ NO lustful reasons behind it. Rosalina however was more obvious

He'd done his research on _that_ field many times – the vehement requests from Venelana being the main motivator for a reason he took too long to notice – and from that research he had found out that female devils will subconsciously follow strong devils without even putting much thought into it, Venelana had said that most young woman nowadays do so and build excuses for such actions but they always carried this underline level of visible lust when doing so

The constant glances below the belt...

The flirtatious glances...

The proximity breaches, etc.

It was clear to Ryden that Rosalina was infatuated with him and he was confused on how he managed to Garner the beauties attention in the first place as he had not done anything to catch the woman's attention. He had not met Rosalina before this day which then spoke of curtain phenomena from his world

 _Love at first sight_

It was an odd thought to have – even now – and one that almost caused him to chuckle. Rosalina may be an arrogant woman, her subtle looks of condescending expression and her rather prideful comments were glaring examples of that flaw in character but he'd experienced those issues before from some woman he knew

His own sister being one...

He was almost 23 years old; his sister was 19 and she'd had her fair share of dates – So she says – and she was beautiful in ever right and Ryden felt no shame in admitting his sister was drop dead gorgeous in all categories. Rosalina and his sister – Sophia Vale – were almost one in the same, arguably though the former was blonde while the latter was snow white but in the end they had this feel to them that spoke of a perfect relation

They wouldn't get along at all if they ever met...

Ryden knew that his young mistake of constantly praising his sister's beauty and intelligence was an unhealthy development for her as she grew more and more confident in her actions and words, thankfully she was never bullied and even developed the Vale signature trait; Overwhelmingly humble

Probably the only factor that differed between the two, While Sophia was a humble Brat that often expressed her frustrations to him in private, Rosalina seemed to do the opposite of both however. She was not humble – inquisitive maybe – but she was not one to dismiss praise and looked to revel in the feeling openly

Her frustrations however, well he'd been the receiver of a minor gripe but it could hardly pass as a frustration venting out unless the woman was incredibly patient but Ryden had his doubts

"Are you going to ignore me?" asked a frustrated voice

Looks like she did openly express frustration...

Ryden shook his head lightly "Just trying to figure you out right now Lady Rosalina" he idly commented, her eyes widened slightly at his choice reply before they fell into a smug expression

"I never realised I effected you this much" she commented and Ryden simply nodded while turning to look towards the arena

"I usually try to keep the consistent actions of _stalkers_ close to mind" he shot back, his lips raised into another smirk at her sudden developed blush, it appeared so furiously that it seemed unhealthy to him

"I'm Not a –" she started but Ryden raised his hands quickly

"I know" he said plainly before he locked eyes on her, teasing eyes that hinted mild interest "I was teasing Lady Rosalina, I found your blush from before rather beautiful so I wished to see it again" he said, smoothly as he could

Another blush rose to her cheeks and even up to her ears and Ryden found himself picking up a smug expression of his own "there it is" he idly muttered before he reached out and tapped her nose lightly

"Boop" he said upon tapping the nose of a madly blushing Rosalina who backpedalled and slapped his hand away

"Cease your teasing this instant!" she yelled, blush still withstanding. Ryden chuckled softly at her, his mission to tease the woman a success before he raised his hands in a mock show of surrender. Arrogant she may be but it wasn't a permanent issue it seemed

"I Concede madam" Ryden said before he narrowed his eyes lightly "But I must ask, what reason do you have to meet up with me?"

Rosalina's blush vanished instantly at his sudden change in topic – 180 degree change in emotion – and regained the usual dignified look she always held but this time it was spiced with a little haughty seasoning, a classic Tsundere

"I'm here to wish you luck in your next match" she said while folding her arms

"Wait... aren't you my last opponent? If that's the case then why are you wishing for my victory?" he asked, Ryden was slightly put off by her words as she seemed like she'd never wish anyone luck – it was the first impressions that led to him assuming that.

Rosalina remained still, her eyes trailing off to the side away from Ryden's gaze "I do not wish to face _that_ man, that is all" she said simply, clear venom displayed

Ryden's brow raised slightly "Brinyalf Stolas? Don't like him?"

From her spot against the wall Ryden could see her stiffen at the devils name, her hands clenching harshly and her eyes lit with a subtle flame that caused Ryden's head to lean back slightly in shock

"'Don't like him?' You ask..." she muttered before a venomous glare was directed at him "He is the definition of arrogance given form and the personification of perversion, the only place he deserves to be in my eyes is as far below me as possible and if I have to wish luck to my rival then I'd gladly do so" her eyes cooled over but her anger was still present

"Make him bleed... and I'll reward you for your deeds" she said, her eyes still locked on him – they even narrowed slightly in order to see what kind of reaction he would have to the offer

Ryden's eyes slightly widened before he whistled "My... What in the nine circles of hell did he do to you?" he asked, and he really shouldn't have

"That's none of your business" she replied and Ryden had to huff at her choice reply, her anger was clouding her integrity and now Ryden had a chance to think on this

She was making him the middle man for some kind of personal grudge towards Brinyalf, in short – school drama for adults – and not to mention their hundreds of years past adults in his book, Rosalina may look young but he could tell very easily that she was decades older than him

Then his mind made multiple connections, she was a noble girl most likely raised in a wealthy environment surrounded by maids and butlers doing her every bidding without question, to add to this concoction of shitty character building, she was drop dead gorgeous and not just _hot_ but _Solar flare_ hot, and it wouldn't shock him if she'd heard that millions of times before which In the end effected her mindset _horrendously_

Now she's in her older years, childhood mindset still present and her belief that everyone around her was her maid, family members, admirers and suitors would most likely bend to her wishes if it gave even the slightest chance of getting lucky

Her constant presence in his life at that point became clear

Time to put his foot down...

"You're making it my business by bringing in your personal affairs into my match" he replied casually but his tone was scolding and slightly harsh, something that caught Rosalina off guard as shown by her widened eyes, Ryden pressed on "I don't know who you think I am but I'm gonna make it perfectly clear that I WILL **NOT** be your lap dog Rosalina Phenex, I'm shocked my first impression on you gave you that idea... Reconsider what you think of me" his eyes turned to regard the female, eyes held in a sharp edge "and do it quickly as I'm not one to wait around" his words were spoken calmly but with a parental edge that seemed to cause the older woman to reel back a good inch

She wasn't expecting him to bite back...

Ryden turned from her and walked away towards the entrance, completely missing the blush on Rosalina's cheeks "Thank you for the advice _Phenex_ but I will not tarnish the Gremory name with the title of 'lap dog', settle your personal issues on your own" with a wave over his shoulder he disregarded her presence entirely. A long time ago he had made it clear to those around him that the only one who could boss him around was his parent's and boss for obvious reasons pertaining to parental respect and professional obligation

Rosalina was a stranger among strangers in a strange world filled with strange occurrences', he'd been through way to much shit to be bossed around by a woman who thought too much of herself. He wasn't some paper thin shmuck running around all over the place seeking as many side quests as he could fit in his quest log, no. His father raised him to be kind and humble but not meek, and taught him the many signs of bossy, narcissistic people he _would_ encounter in his life

Surprisingly, Rosalina was the second one

Was it harsh? Maybe, one doesn't garner that much hatred from a woman without being something of a monumental douche among the buggery squad of nobles but then again in a world of douches, not one of them likes the other, so for all Ryden knew it could be just a squabble of territory between two prissy princesses fighting over something petty

And to make matters worse... it was between a guy and a girl!

Titanic testosterone Vs. Extreme estrogen... lovely combo

Ryden grumbled harshly, he was in such a good mood before this. He just did something that was near the edge of a fantasy dream which was to be in an interview of any kind – didn't matter which kind – and do something memorable, and said interview was in _hell_ no less!

Ryden grumbled loudly

"No matter where I go, I always find drama..." he stood rooted in his spot by the entrance, he was early by a few minutes and the pre game amp up show was running wild outside, that being something of a listing of all the opponents Ryden was to face

Ryden was curious what it looked like but when he tried to see it, his mind froze at what he saw...

In the middle of the arena, nearly 100 feet in the air, hovered a massive holographic image of his mug plastered in perfect 2160p graphics if not sharper

Ryden gulped at what he saw and heard, his face was there – eyes closed and smile perfectly done – his hand poised in a leisure wave, below his picture sat the Gremory symbol along with an animated detailing of red roses falling from the sides of his picture

And with that came the loud cries of his large female fan base that seemed to have spawned out of thin air within a manner of hours after his match with Valeria.

It was odd for Ryden, aside from his massive ego boost he was having a hard time processing what this kind of event was. For the high class devils this was merely a short competition to get their hands on a high rank to fight the old-Satan faction in luxury – prissy little shits – but for the low class this was something of a weekend long event, almost like a live concert of sorts. He'd already learned that the lower breed enjoy seeing high class devil's fight because power display was like porn to them. Ryden's nose crinkled at the odd analogy but it fit well

With how enraptured the lower class was to the event it was clear that the enjoyment of this event was like nothing Ryden could fathom

From the little squabble between Rosalina and Brinyalf and the sheer overwhelming atmosphere in the crowd, the Gauntlet was much more then what Ryden had initial thought. He was an outsider simply going through the motions – winning to get in line to fight the old-Satan faction – but these devils did more than just that, his lessons from Zeoticus about status building within the government's eyes was usually done in two ways

The first was pretty much a roll of the dice: your born into a family that holds outstanding leverage within the _council of the 72_ , main examples being Praxis Bael. The other way was military achievement which started here – in the gauntlet. Kinda like pre-ordering a game and getting a 10 level boost without actually doing anything but you actually do something here... It's just that you have a chance at gaining fame without the threat of death looming over your head

For the low class, it was a chance at recognition

For the high class, a way to step out of the shadows of the family and into his or her own light... Though nowadays it was rare for any high-class devil worth their salt to come through the gauntlet as they simply used political leverage to gain rank... He was the first in a long time to do it the hard way.

Without even realizing it, Ryden was one of the main reasons this event was happening, as his goal to seek fame the hard way garnered the attention of a bunch of _copy cats_

He'd mark that down as another accomplishment on the fantasy level: Accidentally forge an event similar to a fully sold out concert

Then the atmosphere changed, he had tuned it out before but the announcer had been rattling things about him and his past actions in greater detail then in the qualifying matches and during that time the crowd ate up the story like candy, the loud roar in return when the announcer mentioned his childhood family, the Vale family – a _mid_ -class devil family – the crowd nearly exploded after they learned their new idol was 'one of them'

It was surreal for Ryden; he was a normal person who spent most of his life seeing famous people elevated by their fans everyday of his life. He never really desired the feeling or experience but he wasn't against the feeling if it did happen to him either, to see the crowd cheering him and his name – his real family name – sent a pleasurable spark down his spine that easily brightened his mood

 _ **[The Bael clan fully welcomes Lord Ryden Vale Gremory to the field]**_ called out the announcer, his voice filled with joy and energy; the crowd exploded into violent cheering, red petals falling from the crowd and _fireworks_ sounded off all along the stadiums outer rim, the colors mixing perfectly with the beautiful demonic sky above

Ryden's eyes were calm and tranquil as he stepped onto the arena's field – the crowd exploded further as he did so – but inside he was reeling deeply, this was massive for a simple weekend event and the devils part of the Bael clan out did themselves with the spectacle, and the fans energy and their own effects made it all out to be like a Stanley cup final game

And he was the favored 'team'

As he entered the arena calmly the fans died down and the energy within the stadium settled into a controlled applause, every low born devil – and mid-class devil – remained seated and still while a good handful of noble devils that sat in VIP observation booths clapped as Ryden's opponent made his entrance

 _ **[The Bael clan welcomes Lord Brinyalf Stolas to the field]**_ announcer's simple tone echoed out plainly for all to hear

Ryden wanted to chuckle. It was like a _WWE_ title fight match, here he was playing the 'baby face' role while Brinyalf was the typical 'heel' – the one everyone visibly and legitimately hated. The moment was so obvious to Ryden that it was hard for him not to smile, in order to occupy his mind from the rather humors situation Ryden took in his opponents appearance. The man wore no upper body protection, not even a shirt which exposed his oriental styled tattoos all over every well toned muscle group located on the torso. The only thing he wore was a long blue open skirt that reached down to his calves and black trousers and metal boots finished his outfit

A light build, built for mobility and quick movement

Ryden's brow raised at that before he mulled over what the interviewer and Brinyalf had said during the their wonderfully friendly chat, they spoke of him not being able to harm him and that his _twig_ – the metal alloy sword-spear self augmented by him – wouldn't be able to pierce him, and here he was shirtless

He obviously had some kind of supernatural defense skill...

Ryden nearly scoffed at that, he punched through Sirzechs' demonic armor easily enough... Ignoring how laid out he was afterwards, he still managed to do something noted impossible

"Heard what you said _filth_ " spat the devil before him before he literally spat at Ryden's feet "like I'd run from low born filth, so here I am" he said. Ryden idly glanced down at the glob on his armored boot – that was a pretty long shot if he had to comment, at least a 10 foot spit... he waved his hand and the spit glob was vaporized without notice

He'd applaud in any other moment but the loud booing coming from the crowd was enough to garner his attention

Ryden's brow rose at that, the booing growing louder before regarding Brinyalf casually "Not very popular are you?" he asked, barely even a hint of caring at the man's previous action

Brinyalf glanced up towards the crowd and sneered "I care very little for those below me; I see no merit in their applause" he said simply, like it was normal

"I see... and the nobles? I'm sure they matter right?"

Brinyalf smirked at his words "The Higher class have always been more important, let trash remain trash"

"Careful Brinyalf, you assume too much" replied Ryden, eyes swimming with amusement "If my memory serves me well, Lady Rosalina Phenex asked me to send you her regards"

Brinyalf's eyes swam with similar interest "Oh? And what did my Fiancé have to say?" asked the man

Oh now it made perfect sense to Ryden. The colorful and friendly devil before him was Rosalina's soon-to-be... He sighed deeply at that. No wonder she hated his guts so much, the guy was not just a prick but a full fledge _cactus_ , he hadn't heard his perverted side yet – god forbid that happened – and his full on arrogance was downright disgusting, it would be a miracle if Rosalina actually liked the man

Not a very well flushed out character was he?

' _I'm way to damn nice...'_ muttered Ryden internally, his inner white knight kicking in to full protagonist mode

Ryden smirked at the devil "Turns out your _lower_ then trash in her eyes..." he said calmly, Brinyalf's eyes widening as he spoke "... she even asked me personally to bleed you in front of all these fans, with a reward mentioned none the less!" as he finished Ryden could see the devils face took on an impression similar to his hair

It was working... go on, get pissed

Ryden's smile grew when the devils demonic energy spiked, his torso bulged slightly before his entire body was covered in a thick blue crystal like armor that accentuated the muscles perfectly, his eyes lit into a bright blue light and his blonde hair dyed into a greyish hue, Ryden now knew what the Stolas family trait 'diamond back' really was... impressive

" **Once I'm done with you, I'm going to visit that bitch and give her what's coming to her"** spoke the heavily triggered devil

Ryden sighed again "again... your assuming too much, how about try and –"

Before Ryden could finish his sentence the devil abruptly struck out with a powerful right hook after shooting across the field in seconds, the force behind the hit sent Ryden flying back and into the large arena wall – cratering it upon impact.

The crowd gasped at the sudden assault, the attack was fast and powerful and had sent the heir of the Gremory house into the wall at near terminal velocity in under seconds

Within the wall Ryden mulled over his thoughts – his mind falling into combat mode as he did so – Brinyalf's speed was admirable but perceivable, had Ryden been paying attention to him then the sucker punch from the devil wouldn't have landed, unfortunately his playful self had taken over for too long

A mistake on his part, he did not calculate the reaction correctly and assumed the Stolas Heir to be more reserved then what stood before him. Ryden glanced up from within the wall and pushed himself from his rock coffin – debris falling out as he did so – and walked calmly towards the already advancing Brinyalf, the man's now large and heavy build cracking the ground as he moved

Many fans within the crowd cheered at Ryden's casual display while he measly ignored the small rocks on his person and launched himself directly at Brinyalf

His speed was greater due to him augmenting himself with arc lightning and slammed into the heir's chest with relative strength, unfortunately Ryden's assumption on the devils defenses were severely lacking as his strike didn't even budge the heir who simply huffed at the 'pillow punch' and smiled smugly down at Ryden

" **I knew it! You do hit like a dreg, weak and –"**

Ryden easily interrupted him "Apologize, I assumed you to be weaker than Valeria in durability, I shall endeavor to strike harder" worded Ryden, hardly phased by his first strikes failure

Brinyalf's smirk vanished when he felt a massive build up of energy within Ryden's hand that focused into his fist before he flexed his muscles and hand abruptly

A sonic boom echoed out and Ryden's already connected strike suddenly produced enough force to send the other devil flying back and into the opposite wall, the crowd roared at what they believed to be a one-inch punch

A loud crash rang out along with the loud roars of approval in the crowd as the devil vanished in a massive cloud of smoke and debris; Ryden willed his demonic magic to open a rip in space, seeing a chance to summon his desired weapon

However before Ryden could call upon his sword-spear the crystal devil suddenly appeared at Ryden's left side

" **Not so fast!"** he said quickly

Seeing the strike coming Ryden ducked low and sent a powerful blow to the unprotected side of Brinyalf but it was simply shrugged off and countered with a retaliatory strike sent to Ryden's gut

Planting his feet and flexing his abs the force in the strike exploded outward upon contact with Ryden who didn't so much as budge. Brinyalf's eyes widened at that

" **What the hell?"** the devil questioned; Ryden simply griped the devils arm and pulled it over his shoulder – effectively taking the devil along for the ride. With a loud crash Ryden executed a perfect _shoulder throw_ before backpedalling away

As he did so Ryden forced himself to collect his thoughts, so far Brinyalf was obviously keeping him from summoning his weapon – the second the devil broke through the cloud and interrupted his summoning was clear to Ryden that his weapon was indeed a threat to him, just for safe procedure Ryden relented from trying again

He'd have to somehow find a way to gain enough time to summon the weapon

Ryden cursed his mistake, he should have come to the field with it already equipped but his mind was unfortunately preoccupied with other things

Ryden sighed deeply – dodged a high strike from a now collected Brinyalf – and forged a new plan of attack

When Brinyalf attempt to remove Ryden's head with a powerful right jab, Ryden countered by hitting the wrist of the offending limb, thankfully Ryden's assumption was correct as the crystal skin over Brinyalf didn't protect the devil from all forms of attack – only the full blunt and slash based styles seemed protected while nerves and joints lacked in defence. The strike was halted by Ryden's counter punch, which ceased all momentum within the limb; a text book move used in any type of martial art as it is widely know that there is a nerve or tendon within the wrist that – when struck – actually ceases all momentum and movement.

With his test done and his plan set in motion, Ryden got to work

Without giving the devil time to collect himself, Ryden sent a quick and powerful jab to the devils throat before following up with a powerful strike to the heart

Each strike hit with double the force he had used prior but Ryden used his telekinetic powers to keep the large devil close, his combo needed to be complete if he required any kind of after effect, just tossing an opponent as durable as Brinyalf around would only waste time and do minimal damage.

Brinyalf grunted at each strike, feeling every hit mildly and he would be lying if he didn't feel any kind of pain and for some reason his form was never sent flying upon every hit as all of them was actually double the striking force then before. his diamond skin did stop incoming blunt and slash type damages but surgical strikes to critical nerve and artery locations was definitely not something he expected Ryden to do

Seeking to halt Ryden in his tracks Brinyalf sent a quick right armed upper cut towards the red head in order to disrupt the smaller devils combo but unfortunately Ryden simply dodged to the left and delivered a crushing blow to the devils liver, forcing a good bit of air from the devils lungs and sending a massive bolt of pain into the devils system

Brinyalf growled at the feeling of immense pain coursing through him, the liver shot was strong enough to nearly turn ones body's system off completely and his legs felt like jelly because of it

Instead of collecting himself, Brinyalf saw red and sent a blind right jab towards Ryden who simply counter punched his wrist a second time before striking both his sternum and throat directly, reeling back from both the hits Brinyalf never managed to avoid Ryden's grapple

Gripping the neck area with his left hand, Ryden pressed his thumb down just below the devils Adams apple, cutting off the throat passage and then driving a direct punch to the temple, disorientating the devil immensely

Each hit was calculated in their force and each strike was strong enough to crack and fracture each section of crystal with relative ease. Ryden had been put off by the crystal before and had assumed the density to be similar to real diamonds, which was one of the hardest natural stones in the world – his world that is – but mostly his worries were unwarranted. The diamond skin covering the heir was actually _very_ similar to the diamonds found on earth which can be crushed easily with the strike of a simple hammer

Ryden knew for a fact he hit one hundred times harder than any hammer, the many bouts of hand to hand combat spar's with Sirzechs was enough for him to determine that, he'd shattered enough rocks and trees easily to get the message and read out of his physical strength augmented by his powers

Brinyalf's House trait was pretty to look at but in a fight against supernatural beings it was lackluster and seemed only dangerous to swordsman, _maybe_ the crystal density on Brinyalf was stronger then he realized but he wouldn't know that, his strength was intimidating to not only Sirzechs but to himself as well and he had hardly the time to fully see his strengths capabilities.

Brinyalf could be ten times tougher then diamond for all Ryden knew

" **Y-you... Bastard!"** Growled Brinyalf, having been pushed back enough the devil became enraged

Ryden smirked slightly when his enemy threw yet another heavily telegraphed strike towards him; counter striking again Ryden placed the pressure and pain and double his strikes output and unloaded multiple quick succession strikes to Brinyalf's sternum and solar plexus, when the man went to swipe at him with his right arm, Ryden ducked low under the swing and unloaded a second volley of strikes to the devils liver

Brinyalf retaliated _again_ with a return elbow strike with the same arm as before – Ryden bob and weaved under the strike – and quickly positioned himself for the final combo

In quick succession Ryden grabbed the devils head and pulled it down into his raised knee, slamming the devils head into his powerful joint bone painfully; reeling again from the disorientating hit Brinyalf failed to notice Ryden grab the devils right bicep and wrap his arm around the left shoulder of Brinyalf

Doing a two step MMA styled Hip throw, Ryden stepped once into the devils position and pivoted – at the same time pulling the devil over his hip – and slammed Brinyalf into the ground with augmented force equal to a freight train

" **Gahhhh!"** cried Brinyalf

Seeing his opportunity Ryden drew distance and summoned his sword-spear in record time

Giving his signature weapon a few twirls as a warm up Ryden returned to Brinyalf's downed form and drove his blade in a downward stab only for the heir below to roll to the side and away safely

 **BRVVVVVVV!**

A loud burst of arc energy exploded out from where his sword-spear made contact

Brinyalf wheezed deeply at his wounds sustained while he fought with his own lacking and failing vision to spot Ryden who simply stood calmly in the plume of smoke – a wave of his hand and the cloud vanished, exposing a calm Ryden who simply leaned on his weapon lazily

Brinyalf wheezed deeply before speaking **"What... in the Satan's... are you?"** he asked

Ryden's brow simply raised at the odd question "Your opponent" he answered simply before he scratched his cheek casually "... A heavily underestimated one at that" Ryden snorted at his own words. He couldn't be truer even if he tried

Ryden was under the assumption that Brinyalf – due to his family power – would build himself up to an acceptable degree of hand to hand combat knowledge and skill in order to complement his power perfectly, yet Ryden had literally manhandle the large devil before him as if he was a training dummy. It was hard for Ryden to assume the devil was _that_ arrogant in facing him – so much so Ryden's own expression changed into mild shock at that thought. If Brinyalf wasn't a competent CQC fighter then he must have some kind of other weapon proficiency and simply neglected to bring it due his already established arrogance

' _There's no way he'd that arrogant or foolish, it's either that or he has been fighting toddlers with severe osteoporosis his whole life... No, I refuse to think that low'_ Ryden theorized internally, eyes pensive and locked on a shaking Brinyalf, calculating the devils possible skills and tricks yet it didn't match with the devils personality, had Brinyalf been the type to allow himself to be tossed around and beaten by simple Krav Maga in order to lay down possible traps then he wouldn't be displaying such a high level of arrogance and ego nor would he let such crippling hits land – that liver shot he landed before was enough to _kill_ a normal human or a devil – yet he simply allowed the hit, he even displayed genuine confusion on his skills and power with no visible evidence of an act or ploy

Ryden had his doubts but he refused to let them cloud his mind, from beginning to end you always fight to win and to neutralize the target as fast as possible, no holding back. No mercy

Before Ryden could say anything Brinyalf lurched forward at an acceptable speed prior to before – however Ryden merely caught the telegraphed right hook easily in his hand, halting the strike with matched strength, Brinyalf tried to do the same thing with the other arm and Ryden dropped his weapon... Same result as before

Ryden sighed

"You and your sucker punches..." muttered Ryden, clear disappointment in his tone "... do you even know how to fight?" asked Ryden. He had to at this point as Brinyalf was exceedingly disappointing with no way of a backing up Ryden's opinion

Overwhelming strength was only useful in some scenarios, to be able to temper that strength into a style of martial art would be terrifying yet Brinyalf was a prime of example of 'all Bron, no brain'

" **Don't you dare... MOCK ME!"** roared the devil before he began to push forward, but Ryden gave no ground and only small rocks and tremors could be seen moving and resounding at Brinyalf's applied strength

"At a young age I was mocked because of my lack of strength" spoke Ryden calmly, eyes set into determination

"I was ridiculed because of my frail body" Ryden stepped forward and halted Brinyalf's strength with titanic force

"And do you know what I did because of it?" Ryden stepped forward and pushed Brinyalf back, the devil in question seemed shaken by the strength

"I took in their ridicule and words and turned it into strength" at the mention of strength, Ryden proceeded to do what many in the crowd believed impossible...

...He began to crush the crystal skin on Brinyalf's fists like it was nothing

" **You let the words of low class scum threaten you? Pathetic!"** Roared Brinyalf who tried to push back

The strength Brinyalf had was like flabby muscle built up by false grander. It was easy for Ryden to identify now, the devil before him – one hailed to be the 'personification of arrogance' – was not strong to begin with as it would seem the only ones he fought were the ones he was sure to beat easily, no challenge ever crossed the devils path and the effects were rather obvious

"I don't expect a fake and a fool to understand my words, nor do I care for your input on my motivation..." Ryden saw it fit to end this farce

With a quick kick to the upper inner thigh of Brinyalf's right leg, the force applied was enough to suddenly divert the devils attention to kneel; tossing the devils arms open for him, Ryden stepped up onto the one upright knee and used it as a stepping point before driving his own right knee into the shocked devils face – sending the devil into mid air below Ryden.

To add the finishing touches, Ryden twisted in mid air and dropped down – both hands held together and clenched tightly – arc energy built up in his hands before slamming them down onto the still shocked devils face which then sent the man directly into the ground with such force...

...It shook the crucible

 _ **BOOOOMMMM BRTVVVVVVVVVVVVV**_

A massive Arc bolt struck down onto Ryden's clenched fists – amplifying the kinetic force – before his fists then slammed into Brinyalf's head, crashing the crystal dome into the arena floor violently and loudly – a large crater formed because of it

The crowd was deftly silent for a moment as the cloud of dust and debris obscured their view

With a wave of some unseen force, the cloud parted quickly before revealing an unconscious Brinyalf directly at Ryden's feet, the crystal devils head imprinted in the ground

"I don't need to prove myself to you with words Brinyalf... my actions speak for themselves..." finalized Ryden, a somber expression on his face

Ryden's eyes slightly flinched when the crowd exploded in glee at his victory, an expression not seen by the crowd in their joy

-X-

Sirzechs and Serafall were rooted on the spot – expressions of expectance and slight shock at Ryden's applied CQC skill. The shocked eyes of praxis Bael were glued onto Ryden's form while Zekram was snickering to himself while muttering 'to the trash he goes' quietly in his seat

Even Praetor Saladin had an expression not normally seen on the grizzled vet, it was something Sirzechs noted to mention to Ryden when he got the chance as an exasperated Saladin was a rare sight to see and the 'devil' had garnered it with his skill and strength

At the time, no one spoke as there was nothing to speak of. Ryden's powers were becoming known to the four devils quite quickly and the entire crowd was growing fond of Ryden's style of battle

Sirzechs glanced to Serafall who simply raised a thumb up at him without looking

 _Congratulations_ was her message, a rather sour message by the scowl on the devils face if he had to add

Sirzechs smirked at that, his worries fading away as fast as they came; now with this win Ryden was a confirmed _knight sentinel_ while Brinyalf was now an _initiate_ – their roles basically switching positions. This was now clear game, win or lose Ryden was a sworn member of the red legion with a relatively high rank to boot

If Ryden could reach sentinel rank... then Sirzechs was be deeply pleased

Yet by those very thoughts... it seemed someone else had a different plan...

-X-

Rosalina Phenex stood in an observation booth a few feet above the lower class devils, her eyes lit with a ferocity she didn't think she'd feel. Ryden had done more then make Brinyalf bleed; he crushed the imp of a devil in public! And not only in front of thousands but in front of Lord General Gremory and General Sitri!

Rosalina nearly feinted when she identified Praxis Bael – the most brutal Commander in recorded history – as well as Zekram Bael in the seats directly beside the aforementioned Generals

It was just too good to be true!

Now her deal with the _Blasted_ Stolas House would be forted, her own power hungry brother would dissolve the marriage he forced her into and she'd be Free!

The large and dangerous smile that rose onto Rosalina was downright devious, her eyes were locked onto Ryden Vale Gremory – the rouge Heir, the Shadow Heir – as some have come to call him and she felt a slight rush of adrenaline course through her, his strength and power – coupled with his martial prowess – was extraordinary.

Her thoughts grinded to a halt, her cheeks dusted a faint red at where her very thoughts were leading, upon deeper thought on the matter caused her hand shot up to her mouth to stifle a cough – garnering the attention of her High class devil acquaintances

One of them, a younger man with short spiky black hair and faded beard named Nyx Oriax – raised a brow at her sudden action while another, this time a female devil by the name Abigail Valac did the same

"You alright?" asked Nyx plainly, voice calm

Rosalina felt her eyes widen before she quickly looked away "O-obviously! All this filthy air has gotten into my lungs, that's all" she said

If it was even possible, Nyx Oriax's eye brow rose further "Sure..." he said simply before he glanced back down to his future opponent who was simply standing in the arena casually – arms crossed and pensive.

Abigail stepped forward and slapped Nyx on the back harshly, a large smile dotted her heart shaped face when the offended man twisted around in a heated glare "Damn you woman! ~Gahhhh~ that freaking hurt!" he groaned out loudly but all the female did was giggle

Abigail only smiled like a Cheshire cat who simply glanced from Nyx to Rosalina knowingly, a moment later and she leaned into Nyx's form slightly, her hand hiding her mouth "Is it just me or is she staring at Lord Ryden a little to intently?" she commented quietly, her voice matching that of a teasing vixen

Nyx blinked at her words before looking back to Rosalina who was in fact staring at Ryden a little to intently, he'd known that woman long enough to identify interest and this Ryden fellow had garnered it... somehow

He nodded "It seems so" he said casually, not really caring... the last time she was interested in a man it usually ended in her loss of interest due to the devil heir in question doing the woman's every order without question within hours of meeting face to face

Nyx wanted to snicker, bunch of whipped weaklings. Who could take orders like that on a daily bases?

The devil heir of the Oriax family shook that thought from his mind, his attention landing on a peculiarly pissed off female devil, _lady Stolas_ he believed – she never really told anyone her full name – staring at Rosalina with a very murderous expression of hate

"Heads up Phenex, you got a pissed off mother coming your way" he idly commented

Rosalina merely glanced to the fuming Lady of the Stolas family, her eyes suddenly went smug and her eyes lit with a very disturbing joy that sent both Nyx and Abigail reeling

"Abigail... could you hold my seat for me, I will return when I'm done dealing with _her"_ spoke Rosalina sweetly and like that she stood up and left the observation booth, not even explaining on her reason of leaving

Nyx looked to Abigail with a look of confusion to which the woman simply shrugged

"Politics..." she said and Nyx simply nodded broadly at that, taking the message easily before forgetting the conversation entirely

-X-

Rosalina found herself in a bar like concession, idly sipping at a glass of fine wine while staring at the Holoscreen across from her, directly above the bar

In it was Ryden Vale Gremory who seemed oddly confused on the lack of action around him but Rosalina simply ignored that odd thought when she felt a power spike behind her. She smirked – almost darkly – before she twirled her bar chair around and regarded the seething woman coming her way

"You Bitch..." growled the arguably gorgeous woman, the woman's blonde hair was down up in a ponytail that fell down past the neck and seemed rather fitting for the woman's golden sundress

Rosalina simply smirked at that, the woman was previously an arrogant wench who wanted nothing more than for her to be a brood mare for her failure of a son and Rosalina's idiot of a brother had somehow roped her into it for _family interests_

Indris had always been an arrogant prick who only sought power, even if it meant 'whoring' off his own sister to a lower ranked noble house. But now that Brinyalf had lost his position of high rank status to Ryden vale Gremory – a low born raised noble – he'd lost his wager

And that wager was simple; when the challenger had first announced his participation in the gauntlet, Rosalina immediately proposed that should Brinyalf lose his match then she'd be free from this foolish and dishonorable engagement, after using the arrogant devils ego against him, Rosalina had driven the devil into a corner... and now here she was, cashing in her wager and getting her freedom

Unfortunately it seemed the woman was gonna try and play hard ball

Rosalina liked a small challenge "A bitch you say?" she said calmly, her voice holding nothing by smugness "... you'd like that wouldn't you?" she asked rhetorically

She quickly transitioned her legs, right over left before leaning on her right hand "that seems like a rather foolish thing to say don't you think?"

Lady Stolas simply growled at the woman before speaking "I speak of only what I see before me"

Rosalina simply glanced around the bar area confused before turning to lady Stolas regretfully

"I'm sorry to inform you this lady Stolas but I think you'll need to get your eyes enhanced as there are no mirrors here" shot The Phenex devil, lady Stolas' eyes widened at her insult and merely snarled at her

Rosalina sighed at the woman "Could you look any less undignified? You've lost the wager now simply state your loss and walk away with what's left of your dignity, simply clawing at my heels won't change your precious son's failure" again Rosalina shot at lady Stolas mercilessly who seemed inches from exploding in rage

"Rosalina! Not another word from you!" yelled a man from behind her, Rosalina merely rolled her eyes at her older brother's voice

"Stuff it ash mound, your wager to whore me off has failed and now I'm free" shot back Rosalina

Indris Phenex sputtered at his younger sister with shock in his blue eyes before regaining himself "Does this freedom mean so much to you? So much that you'd throw away your responsibility to the family?"

This time it was Rosalina who turned angry, so deeply angry even Indris recoiled at her expression of pure hatred directed solely on him "My responsibility to the family – to _father_ – _~dear brother~_ is the preservation of our species, not to spread my legs for whatever trash heap you find in your garbage"

Indris sneered at her as did lady Stolas "Don't raise your voice to me _sister_ , I am the lord of the Phenex house and what I say –"

"—means nothing to me, effects nothing of my life nor dictates anything in it" cut in Rosalina, her eyes ablaze openly with a wild _white_ flame so dangerously bright only Indris could look upon it safely, lady Stolas had no choice but to look away. "You've trampled Fathers last wish long enough, you **WILL** grant me my freedom or I'll be obligated to take what father graciously granted you out of pity away"

The Phenex clan head simply stared at his younger sister – hailed a prodigy and ultimate-class devil within the house – with terror in his eyes as he understood his sister's threat. He was to power hungry and fearful to see he had done something unforgivable. Their fathers last wish on the battle field so long ago had been to simply live freely as it was what their father had fought for to the end

As the Phenex house moto goes _"Free the flames of the mighty"_ spoke not of a prophecy but as a dream to free the wings of a Phenex to see grander heights all on their own, unbound by the chains of their oppressors and freed from the cage of foolish tradition, it was The First Phenex lord who denied the idea of multiple wives and simply settled with one and only one. That integrity mysteriously granted the Phenex house greater fertility that was sought after by almost all of hell

Unlike his sister, he was not a bearer of white flames – only regular flames – and was not seen as a stronger devil in comparison to his sister. His father had bestowed him the right of the devil house not because he was older – by a few hours – but because he was not promising enough to forge a brighter future... he was merely a retainer of the family right, a torch bearer

Not a true lord...

It was this thought that caused Indris to grow silent and for Rosalina to finally feel satisfaction at seeing her brother finally see his error

Lady Stolas saw all of this and grew furious "Indris you coward... you'd back down from your younger sister? What kind of a man are you?" she growled

Indris simply sighed softly and didn't even regard her with an apologetic look "I'm a man who has seen his error... and I back down from my sister not because I'm terrified of her, it's because she is right. I have dishonored my father greatly with this farce"

Lady Stolas face contorted in rage before she glanced over to the Holoscreen when an image posted itself on the screen, it was a read out of power output displayed by one Ryden Vale Gremory – the shadow heir – the one that had ruined her plans completely

It was his fault, all of it. It was that devil that destroyed her future plans with her family and her lord, everything was hinging on Brinyalf's victory, if he won then the Phenex wench before her would bend over at her command and the Phenex family would be roped in completely

2 devil families for the true lord

With that thought she went through with her plan, as premature as it was she still had a schedule to follow and even if the Phenex family wouldn't take the fall she was happy to be able to take Rosalina Phenex's precious Hero in the chaos

She reached into her dress and pulled out a stone – a glowing red gem stone – that pulsed with barely contained energy

Both Indris and Rosalina simply grew shocked at her action, not expecting the fall out of the engagement to throw the woman so far over the edge "You Traitor!" yelled the female Phenex when she identified the gem as a _Detonation rune_

Crushing the gem in her hand Lady Stolas revealed her true allegiance

"For the old-Satan's, glory to the true rulers..." she said before the magic released from the gem consumed her and someone else...

The Holoscreen suddenly changed to reveal Ryden glance down to a Bulging Brinyalf Stolas on the screen, both Rosalina and Indris watched as a few seconds later and the arena was engulfed in a massive explosion originating from the down Lord Brinyalf Stolas and soon later...

...The entire arena floor was covered in a second sun.

-X-

 _Whelp... that escalated quickly... I mean that really got outta hand fast._

 _While I was writing this chapter I got this distinct feeling of a lack of danger and it also felt like I was wasting time as this was a civil war story and not a Tournament story, so I did what I do best_

 _I threw a monkey wrench in it and kicked the story into second gear!_

 _So this chapter shown some light to a few things I wanted to clarify, my first point was Rosalina Phenex – who is actually Ryden's first harem member!_

 _BUT WAIT! Just because I say that doesn't mean we'll be seeing romance between the two almost instantly, it's kind of a pet peeve of mine when romance stories suddenly just shovel that shit onto readers almost instantly and imma make it my mission to disrupt that flow as much as possible so I can actually_ _ **forge**_ _the romance rather the rush it. I've always enjoyed a romance when both parties go through hell only to end up together... kinda the whole pay off really_

 _How do I do that? It's something that Marvel does really well and that's conflicting personalities, case in point is the interaction with Ryden and Rosalina before his laughable fight with Brinyalf. The two had a conflicting moment, what with Rosalina believing Ryden to be a simple follower while Ryden showed her that he was anything but which caused a rift to form between them_

 _These conflicting personalities will be dominating most if not all of the story, drama is needed for strong protagonists in order to replace the 'underdog' route most writers go for, since Ryden is a powerhouse I will need to make his life a living. Breathing. Hell, filled with political backstabbing, espionage, betrayal and_ _ **nightmares**_ _unlike anything Ryden or Sirzechs have faced_

 _A shit storm is coming, and this chapter was the damn holding it back_

 _From this point onward we're traveling up a steep mountain with no climbing equipment_

 _But of course there will be the classic 'anime' like moments strewn about from time to time, this is a DxD fic after all_

 _ **MysticSSJTwin**_ _ **:**_ _YES! That is exactly what I was building towards! Most stories I read make me want to do the same. Every character seems like it's the authors own personality reflecting into the story and it just turns into a cesspool of boring dialogue followed up with predictable actions from cardboard cut out side characters and overpowered protagonists done horribly wrong. I've stated it before that (in my opinion) the DxD fiction section is one of the worst places to go for stories (try crossovers with the Fate section, there 100% better). And for those of you wondering, I one time read a story where the Protagonist actually assisted in_ _ **Rape**_ _... yeah, even defended it as well. Then had Great red sit on his face (yup, dragon form and all) became super strong within two chapters (there goes the steaks) and fucked every married devil and even got one of them pregnant!_

 _It's those stories that just turn into wank off session, and their just BAAAD, not gonna even write down the story title as it's just a waste of time to read and I don't even remember it anyways... had to drink myself to sleep to forget it and it was the best choice of my life, carried that hangover with pride!_

 _But anyways, rant aside I wanted to build a character everyone can somehow relate to while at the same time being a flushed out character everyone can root for... this is not a wank session, I see no point in writing sex scenes and weird fetishes for the entire internet to see nor do I plan to make Ryden into a massive tool everyone hates_

 _I'm Canadian, I couldn't write a character like that even if I tried_

 _My character will not bow, bend or heel to everyone, and all of the side characters as well will have their own motivations in this war_

 _As sampled by Rosalina's own words..._

 _Now, I thank you_ _ **MysticSSJTwin**_ _for you awesome review, it made my week actually and was incredibly inspiring to see and read_

 _Anyways, if you liked this chapter leave a review down below or don't if you don't feel like it, add me to your favorites if you_ _ **really**_ _enjoyed the chapter or simply follow to get updated on my uploads_

 _That's all for now, next chapter will probably be out in a week or so, I can't really say but that's my deadline_

 _Peace!_


	7. Cloak and Dagger

**-Cloak and Dagger-**

 _How would I define terrorism?_

 _The current definition is any person or group, who would use violence to achieve a political goal_

 _The old-Satan faction would fit that definition..._

 _I learned from Sirzechs that during the small period of 'peace' the Anti-Satan faction was actually called the 'New-Satan' faction prior to the civil war, as it was the majority that believed Sirzechs and the other generals were far more capable of leading the devils and showed zero signs of tyranny and fury and even formed the_ _ **council of the 72**_ _government..._

 _...Literally inventing Democracy for devil kind._

 _It was the collective heads of the remaining 44 families that would send the lord of the house as representatives who would then vote amongst the other lords and ladies and pass laws pertaining to the future of their kind_

 _Unfortunately there were complications and arguments against this idea..._

 _And it was at this time when the Old-Satan faction made their debut_

 _What followed was civil unrest, complications within the established government and the systematic dividing of the species in its entirety_

 _Decades after the mysterious descendants revealed themselves; the species was facing total civil war as riots and executions became daily events. With almost haft of the remaining 44 devil families turning against the council of the 72 it was clear war was the only event on the Horizon_

 _With the aid of Zekram Bael, the New-Satan Faction reformed and created the_ _ **Anti-Satan faction**_ _, which was funded by the five families of Bael, Gremory, Sitri, Glasya-Labolas, and Astaroth and the assisted aid of 25 devil houses of the Ars Geotia_

 _Excuse me, I meant 24..._

* * *

 _ **BOOOOOOOOMMMM!**_

Within the massive dome a large explosion ripped the arena floor asunder, sending large chunks of shrapnel and debris everywhere, large pews of fire and flame licked outwards in massive waves and a heat wave roared out for all to feel; fortunately the crowd was spared of the massive blast due to the magic protection field that span the entire arena, leaving the shocked but unharmed crowd to stare down at where Ryden Vale Gremory previously was, a large inferno engulfing the arena completely before it faded into a large plum of dust and smoke, too thick to see through

"Is he alright?" asked a young boy, his eyes looking back to his father and mother with hope in his young eyes. The Parents seemed still frozen in shock at the sudden detonation but nonetheless answered

"Yes, He should still be fine" spoke the mother before she smiled warmly "He's a strong one, I'm sure something like that was nothing"

Her words placated her son enough but inside she felt her words were a lie. That explosion was much stronger than anything she had seen and Lord Ryden was in the center of it – the exact explosion originated from the down form of Brinyalf Stolas, directly at the young devils feet.

She herself had high hopes of Ryden's survival; she was rooting for the young lord's fame and glory as it was very rare for such a kind and noble man to grace the lands of the underworld for longer than a human decade... However her hopes were dying low... with a long period within the allotted time of response to the explosion and the lack of announcements from the arbiter of the arena her restlessness began to grow into an unease not at all related to the arena below her.

The looks on Lord General Sirzechs Gremory and Lordess General Serafall Sitri...

... _Did not look happy_

"Hun, we should get out of here, something doesn't feel right" spoke the mother, her troubled eyes still locked onto the fuming generals. This garnered the attention of both her husband and son, the latter looking horrifying of leaving

"What! We can't leave! We still need to see Lord Ryden Kick more Butt!" spoke the boy, his own blind admiration towards his childhood idol wasn't missed placed but it only caused the mothers anxiety to grow bigger, but thankfully her husband's hand landed on her sons shoulder – having easily read her emotions.

"You know of your mother's wisdom, let us be off" spoke the father, the boy seemed remised of leaving but he couldn't argue with his mother or his father, they had taught him that the elders hold more knowledge then the young blood

The boy thought on it for a pained second before he sighed loudly in defeat

"Ok..." relented the child, the father simply ruffled his son's hair in appreciation

Among the crowd of worried on lookers and civilians, the boy and his parents were the only ones to sense the incoming danger and moved to leave, as they closed in on the upper level exit an unknown figure suddenly entered the arena's stands, equipped with black armor similar to _Praetorian_ armor – big yet compact – however these soldiers appeared different as located on their breast plate sat a large Roman "I" embroidered in gold, Green cloth dangled from their waistband over their loins and rear which carried a devil insignia...

The insignia of Beelzebub...

" **You are not leaving"** spoke the imposing man before his foot lashed out, kicking the woman back down the stairs as a result

"Gah!" yelped the woman, pain inflamed her wounded gut which then enraged the woman's husband who caught her before she fell down the stairs, but before he could speak a sword was placed at his throatand the imposing armored man leaned in closely

" **Scream and you both die"** he whispered

However the Knight neglected his count...

"LET MY FATHER GO!" Yelled the boy, the scream had caused the crowd and the highly focused generals to turn and see the commotion, only to gasp at what they saw... the two generals bristled

A young boy gripped the large form of an _inquisitor_ by the leg that had a sword at the father's throat; this caused a massive outcry that enraged the Inquisitor who glowered under his knightly helm

" **You should have remained silent"** spoke the Old-Satan soldier before his sword swiped to the side, slicing the jugular of the father's throat, looks of horror shown on all that bore witness yet the cry of anguish from the mother and son spoke larger volumes... the blood red eyes of Sirzechs Gremory and the icy blue eyes of Serafall Sitri shone brightly but they didn't move, their powers were too volatile in such a tight area, raising his fist Sirzechs waved behind him and his order was absolute

 _Bring him that knights head_

Praetor Saladin and Praxis Bael jumped to action, leaving the VIP booth in a hurry to get to where the black knight was, Praxis ordered the Praetorian captain ahead while he moved to the announcement booth to warn the guard outside... they had been breached

Sirzechs nodded at that before he turned back to the scene... he didn't know his anger would spike so high at what he saw next

"DAD!" yelled the boy but his form was violently knocked to the side, the inquisitor turned his attention towards the boy – twirled the blood stained sword – and went to drive the blade through the boy's chest, the bodies of Sirzechs and Serafall tensed violently but paused at what they saw...

...The blade froze mid air, right before the boy's chest

!

The crowd gasped at the event.

" **What Blasphemy is this? Resistance is futile"** Spoke the inquisitor as he pushed his blade forward

Yet the only thing the sword did was vibrate dangerously, as if it refused to obey the command of its wielder. Before the Inquisitor could continue his attempt at killing a child a sudden build up of power unlike anything the low-class have felt so far built up within the large dome of magic, all turned to see a bright crimson light directly within the large plume of smoke

 _ **BVVVVVVVVV...**_

The sound of a deep groan of 'something' emanated from within the dome, the large red 'eye' within the cloud was directed towards the tragedy – red Arc bolts clipped around the red light that swelled with bright power – a warning, deep with intent. The entire crowd had no idea what was happening but seemed to back away farther from the scene out of instinct; both Serafall and Sirzechs seemed to relax visibly – being the only two to fully know who it was. The inquisitor however simply ignored the mysterious noise and pulled his blade back and held it above his head for a decisive downward strike

But it never came...

 _ **BRRRRRRRRVVVVVVVVVVVVTTTTTTTTTSHHHHHH!**_

Before the inquisitor could drop his blade the sound of a loud thunder clap roared out within the large dome before the sound of shattering glass could be heard, many devils stood in shock when a large red – glass-like – long sword pierced the large dome of _impenetrable_ magic and flew through the air so fast that it was like a red streak of _Gleeful_ light that carried Arc bolts along its edge

The target?

 _ **SHLICK! CRACK!**_

" **GAHHHH!"**

 _The very inquisitor that killed a young child's father right before_ **his** _eyes_

The Knight in question was impaled on the marble wall directly behind him; the large red crystal glass blade of _Infernum Fulgur_ sheathed 3 inches deep in the man's chest cavity, collapsing the lungs. Red angry Arc's of red Demonic lightning fused out into the nearest target which was the very being it was sheathed in

" **GAAAA!"** the violent roar of pain from the inquisitor was the sure sign of the weapons choice of torture, by command of its very master

 _Scorch the insides! Rend the INSECT! BRING. PAIN!_

The violent Bolts of Arc energy lashed out with overwhelming speeds that tore unoccupied seats and marble floor asunder but its wrathful spurn made sure to avoid the ones its master had deemed innocent, however the one it was told to have _fun_ with was free game

The devil's cries of pain echoed out within the coliseum. The shell shocked crowd remained frozen and with each decibel louder did the sentient sword amp up the pain, subsequently causing the devil to scream even louder. After a few more seconds the loud cry of Crimson lightning out did the devils tormented yell and all that could be heard was the loud groaning of condensed Arc energy along with the visage of a black knight gripping the crimson blade hopelessly

Then a crescendo was reached and the loud Arc energy ceased in its entirety, the thume of lightning carrying out for a moment like an echo. Its job was done with extreme prejudice. The devils armor was now a ghostly grey as if the energy had drained the life from even the armor and the figure itself was frozen in an image – an image of a knight gripping a sword sheathed in its chest.

One last bolt of Lightning kissed the figures forehead as gently as a simple zap and the body disintegrated into ash. Leaving the crimson blade for all to see

Many of them identifying the weapon almost instantly, the history of that very blade, infamous and legendary... and almost all of the other Inquisitors –hidden in the shadows – froze at what they saw

" _Infernum... F-Fulgur..._ " muttered an elderly devil, eyes wide as saucers

The very words spoken by the older gentleman sent murmurs within the observing crowd, almost all of them wondering where the blade had come from

"Aye..." called out a voice, the voice coming from none other than Ryden Vale Gremory, who stood at the bottom of the long row of stands, his arms crossed and eyes closed

... And completely unharmed.

Ryden sighed when everyone in view suddenly widened their eyes at his appearance "That's its name... don't wear it out" he said casually, hoping upon hope his casualness would ease what he knew full well was coming

Thankfully, the crowd didn't explode...

...Because the sound of crying coming from a young boy cradling his dying father was the only thing heard

" _Dad?... Dad?"_ the boys whisper was easily heard by all, including Ryden whose eyes softened when the mother crawled over to the boy and hugged him tightly from behind, easily conveying the message of sorrow as she too was softly crying into the boys back

Ryden froze at the scene before him, his stiffened form shown with concealed pain at the memories that flooded through his head...

 _A crying child holding his mothers head in his lap... the sneering grins of the executioners standing above him_

Ryden's hands clenched tightly at the scene

No, no he won't allow this... _Not again_.

His movement was not robotic nor was it subconscious, it was purposeful and convicted in the chosen path given. His hand reached into a tear in space – shocking many who bore witness – and pulled out a small glass vile accented in golden metal and capped with a pointed red cork

The crying mother and son didn't even notice him until he was placing the now opened vial to the dying man's throat, the clear water-like liquid left the vile and down the dying man's throat

The effect was instant and shocking

Sirzechs had gifted him a set of 3 Phenex tears upon 'graduating' his training and Ryden had saw it fit to use them whenever he could, that first time being at this very moment. In the back of Ryden's mind he was curious on how powerful the effects a Phenex tear had. At first he assumed it could close gashes and almost critical wounds instantly without any internal issues however he was told that not only could a Phenex tear do that, but it could also reattach _severed limbs,_ provided the severed limb was still available, and could even save someone from a _decapitation_ – arguably the time frame was very small to do it – but in the end Ryden knew for a fact the man before him – coughing violently – was in no danger of dying with a Phenex tear in sight

It was unfortunate however that most nobles wouldn't waste a vial of this stuff on a low born but then again...

... He was no noble.

Ryden took hidden satisfaction at the looks of absolute shock from the mother and son but simply bore a kind and reassuring expression. The man coughed again – clearing his throat – before he was suddenly hugged tightly by his son, whose eyes were filled with tears of relief and his wife's very much the same

"DAD!" yelled the boy, the emotions to powerful to contain

Ryden smiled at his deed and stood up to his full height and stepped past the consoling family, the cries of joy echoed out behind him. But he stopped, his eyes blinked at what he felt. He paused and turned to see a small hand gripping his coattail, upon inspection Ryden gazed down to the sight of a tearful but smiling young devil staring up at him with so much admiration and happiness it caused Ryden to look down with widened eyes

"T-thank you... Lord... T-thank you" said the boy, his emotions on full display

He felt a lump in the back of his throat at the tone the boy carried and the sheer gratitude not only seen in the mother's and father's eyes but also the watching crowd. He blinked again – Were kind acts like this so rare that it caused this much happiness? Was it so hard for these devils – hailed stronger than humans – to show even a hint of compassion? If it was so hard for them then he'd show them.

...He'd be the first.

Ryden turned fully and kneeled down to the child's level and gripped the boys hand softly, the boy was confused at first – maybe even slightly terrified – but soon enough froze when Ryden placed the empty vile used to save his father's life in his hand

Ryden didn't say anything, he felt words were useless upon his actions effect as the look of shock on not only on the boys face but the parents as well hinted to him he wouldn't truly be heard, the large crowd that bore witness to the event were one in the same as the family, he even noticed the two generals, both expressing shock as well

Sighing softly, Ryden ruffled the kids hair and stood up and approached where _Infernum Fulgur_ was impaled "Did you have your fun?" he asked, the blade shone brightly as if excited; Ryden chuckled

"You're a real nut, you know that?" Ryden replied rhetorically

Infernum Fulgur simply brushed off his words with a feint glow

Clicking his tongue Ryden unsheathed the blade from the marble wall easily and swiped the blade clean before turning towards the other varying entrance ways into the arena's stands. His eyes instantly locked onto another inquisitor who froze the second their eyes met; Ryden grinned softly at the sudden spike of _fear_ coming from the direction

~Found you~

"Don't fall asleep on me Fulgur, there's more prey looming..." he said before his grin grew savage – he always wanted to say this... "Why don't we welcome them, yeah?" nailed it!

Out of the corner of Ryden's eye, he made out the sight of the large holographic displayer – used like a large score keeping clock usually found at any kind of sport event – currently the thing was watching Ryden closely, and most likely having broadcasted his previous action for all to see. Seconds later a holoscreen zoomed in onto the sword he was currently wielding – causing the crowd to go even more silent. He glanced down towards it out of habit before twirling it a second time and raising it up into a two handed grip on his left side. The screen now showing off his serious expression

Without wasting time Ryden allowed the Arc energy of _Infernum Fulgur_ to coal around his form before he suddenly _reappeared_ at anotherstadium entrance way and to the surprise of the crowd – already in the midst of killing a second black knight.

Upon reappearance Ryden swiped his blade low at the devil's back legs – slew footing the devil and suspending him in midair – without hesitation Ryden moved faster than the devil could fall and turned around and swiped his blade down at the devils neck; Decapitating the inquisitor in his decent at rapid speeds only traceable by the bright red lightning coating his form.

The headless body hit the ground soon after but Ryden was already gone. Moving to the third target he'd sensed near another entrance way. Ryden sheathed the blade in the third assassin's throat before he could even register the danger

The knight gagged and coughed up large globs of blood that seeped through the few openings in the helm and seemed to reach out in shock towards Ryden who simply tilted his head almost mockingly at the knight before shifting his hand into a reverse grip – yanked the blade out – and twirled around to deliver a second decapitation kill

During this time the crowd had sprung into action – all of them immediately funneling out of the stadiums arena viewing section in an – oddly – calm fashion. Ryden was stumped at how orderly they were but breathed slowly in relief when he identified Praetor Saladin and some other Praetorians controlling the crowds exit.

Among other things, Ryden also noticed Serafall and Sirzechs being escorted out by a small squad of blue accented Praetorians led by a female praetorian – this one having a large tuff of blue fur on her helmet, similar to a Spartan – greeted the female general with a low bow before easily escorting the two VIP's out in an orderly and militaristic fashion.

Ryden nodded to himself after seeing that, whatever was happening was most likely the cause of the Old-Satan faction and with that thought in mind it was highly possible that both Serafall and Sirzechs were the prime targets than himself right now, it was highly doubtful the Old-Satan faction expected him to join the enemies side so early and they probably thought he was dead – somehow – so they most likely didn't have him in their devised plans. Unless of course they learned of his freeing an _Infernum Armis_ which wasn't possible either as not only did Sirzechs make sure the release was contained but his mother and father did the same if not to even greater extents.

So the terrorists were most likely going to be targeting them, and if that was their plan then they'd have most likely devised fallback points and were to ambush to the VIP's should they survive the blast. With that thought in mind Ryden needed to find a way towards the escort and assist anyway he can

His eyes slowly glanced down to the large crater in the center of the arena – directly were Brinyalf's body was. The whole body was charred black and cauterized by the severe heat the explosion had, so hot it vaporized the internal organs within the dead heir as well but for some reason the corpse was still visible. For whatever reason the explosion was detonated within the magic defense dome which was hailed as indestructible – _sure_ – so if anything the one to have detonated the bomb was either placed in a bad situation or simply jumped the gun too quickly. No way would someone target him over the Generals, though he'd made a name for himself with his actions in the tournament it wasn't as if word could get around _that_ fast

Or could it?

Ryden didn't know, all he knew was whoever triggered the explosion must have a _very_ small bead on him and his abilities.

Tsk, Amateurs...

Among the arena floor was one other victim which caused his mood to mildly drop when he remembered who or _what_ it was...

His sword-spear... his precious sword-spear was melted down into an unrecognizable blob of superheated metal. Though it was a simple training weapon, Ryden had grown fond of its design and use. He sighed deeply; guess he could always get Sirzechs to get him a custom one – which was recommended by him vehemently. Though the blade was favored by Ryden he did however have a few nitpicks with the thing, some of which were its material make up which was simple black iron – devils 'super' iron compared to earth's – and was argued as 'cheap and standard'. He'd asked about dragonite metal but was told that such a thing was impossible, not only was access to dragonite limited but almost exceptionally rare at the same time as the few forgeries that did have dragonite were completely sold out. Supply and demand was at an all time low and high – in that order – if he wanted to get dragonite then he'd need to find a dragon – not really hard – ask _nicely_ for some and then spend twenty plus _decades_ melting it down to a forgeable level and then mold it into a predetermined design... And that's ignoring the obvious 'NO!" that most if not all dragons would give upon the first step

So case in point; it was literally impossible for Ryden to get his hands on the devils version of _Adamantium_. Shame... He really wanted some

Ryden shook his head at the playful thoughts, his mind easing back into his reserved state; he'd been feeling a build up of energy coming from the left side of the stadium. It felt odd when he sensed demonic energy rather than emotions and gazes, it felt almost like a ripple in calm waters but this one felt like a massive wave then a–

 **BOOOOOM!**

Ryden slightly tumbled back against the marbled wall. A large explosion nearly engulfed the entire left wing of the stadium, near the concession area if Ryden was right. Fortunately the explosion was mild and small – seemly contained by wind of all things and the majority of it was far away from the civilians being evacuated. Clicking his tongue at his lack of movement Ryden turned and darted off into the direction of the explosion.

He could get some answers there

* * *

Ryden groaned to himself, when he stated the doorway entrance to the crucible was large he forgot to assume just how large everything else was, it was nothing like a stadium back at his time era as it would've taken him a few minutes to do a full circle around the thing yet here it was much longer.

Five minutes, he was running for _five_ minutes straight without even leaving the right wing, every sign he passed reminded him that he was in quadrant Z, considering they were using the old Latin alphabet left Ryden confused if he was even close to leaving the right wing.

And that wasn't all, the stadiums internal design was a nightmare to navigate in a timely hour

It was a winding maze of support pillars that span almost every nook and cranny in his trip towards the left wing. They were great for cover should a firefight occur but since he was using swords the many pillars were much more of a hindrance than a blessing but he could use them as mobile cover should a problem arise.

He spoke to soon

On his journey Ryden noticed bodies begin to make themselves noticeable, lots of them, and by the attire they wore he identified Bael clan guards, Butlers and even maids to be among the many dead on the floor, as Ryden's progress grew further into the new graveyard some of the bodies found seemed recently killed as noted by the growing pools of blood under a dead maids head.

A slight noise echoed out around him, it was faint – like the sound of loose gravel being disturbed – and sounded off to Ryden's flank. He paused in his movement and opening his mouth slightly – popping his ears – and holding it. It was a trick he'd learned in biology, by popping one's ears one could actually hear more clearly, this unfortunately only works in extremely quiet locations as any other ambient sound could interfere with the effect.

All was silent to Ryden, his eyes didn't need to glance around as his own senses and his hearing sense were working overtime so to identify his foe. His nose crinkled at finding nothing at all in the area, though Ryden couldn't make a bead as to where the origin came from he did however know then that...

 _He was in danger_

His head twirled around his position many times, scanning shadows and pillars with surgical precision and rapt attention. His senses for some reason couldn't make heads or tails of what was upon him. He sighed deeply to calm his beating heart and dropped his worries for now in order to inspect the downed maid at his feet, it was clear he was being hunted but he needed information on his hunter in order to prepare for the inevitable ambush

Ryden glanced away at the damage done a moment later, her rib cage was caved in and the back of her skull was shattered. Parts of her brain caked the marbled flooring. The woman's face was unrecognizable which showed signs of a sudden impact with a hard surface. Upon inspecting Ryden reached down and plucked a piece of marble stone from her cheek then glanced towards the nearest pillar in the area when a thought crossed his mind, conveniently the first pillar he noticed had a large and bloody imprint in it – roughly the size of a face.

Blunt force trauma: first hit was to the back of the skull which then caused the woman's face to smash into the marble pillar with the force applied – which cracked the devils skull open like an egg. The second hit was added measure for an assured kill, crushed the sternum so to collapse the lungs which were possibly punctured by the broken ribs within.

Ryden's nose crinkled at that. His fists clenching tightly

She was dead by the first hit – cracked open her skull like a piñata – the added hit was for enjoyment – must've been – as most headshots to the back of the skull with any kind of blunt weapon swung with a perfectly controlled swing could potentially blind someone should they survive and cause major cerebral damage to the spine as well, further inspection even caused Ryden to sigh deeply. Her skull and spine were detached! The nervous system was done, as soon as the spine is severed from the skull your done, game over, no twitch, no cry of pain, it's an instant kill

' _Sick bastards... they know nothing but overkill'_ spat Ryden internally, whoever did this was Fulgur's next target

The sword in question sparked in both agreement and Glee

However before Ryden could formulate a possible analyses on the killer a large form of mass impacted his side, sending him flying to the side gracelessly into three pillars before stopping upon contact with the forth. He slide down, groaned at the hit he had just gotten before suddenly lurching forward and rolling under and away from a sudden attack from a _bladed_ weapon

 **CRASH!**

"Damn, and here I thought you were made of paper..." mused a heavy voice

Ryden ignored the man's words and jumped briefly away and then analysed his new opponent, however he briefly scanned his flank and surroundings to make sure he was alone, his muscles relaxed slightly when he heard and felt zero signs of a possible second enemy

Ryden's cold blue eyes shone slightly with red lightning – the energy even coaling around his form as well. The devil before him had a head of long black hair done up in a low ponytail and a face cleanly shaven, purple eyes glowered at him with trademark arrogance while his large muscular arms covered in jagged metal plating wielded a double sided hammer and double sided war axe – both one handed in length – on the left and right respectively. He wore black and gold armor – jagged as well – that covered everything except the man's well tone stomach and chest, a long open black battle skirt hung from the man's armored wasted band down to his calves and jagged metal greaves hugged the devils legs tightly

Kinda looked like a Chaos space marine... Though minus a good 20 tons of armor

The devil spit towards the ground and clicked his tongue "guess I'll just have to hit harder" added the devil

Ryden fought a chuckle; he'd said the same thing to Brinyalf

Ryden took note of the devils applied strength from then on however, Brinyalf may not have done so in his fight so Ryden made it a point to keep tabs on the devils physical strength, fortunately the devil was slightly less bulky in appearance but it could be misleading as his own physical build hardly matched up to his own strength

Better keep that in mind...

"Funny..." muttered Ryden before he wasted no time to close the distance, unfortunately for him however he wasn't fighting Brinyalf and had no choice but to block a swing from the devils axe – having easily see his advance. His assault was halted and his right side was wide open to the man's war hammer

Instead of panicking Ryden simply pulsed his Arc energy around him – executing a Mana burst – before turning to counter swing with his own sword against the devils war hammer, the devils smirk upon seeing his choice of counter lasted for about two seconds before the expression morphed into shock... Ryden's sword easily shattered the hunk of metal like it was made of crackers and Lays chips

It was a... 'Illogical' end to a weapon that should have had the structural integrity to survive against a bladed weapon but unfortunately for him he never factored exactly _what_ Ryden was wielding as evident by the shock on the man's face; capitalizing on his opponents sudden shock Ryden twirled the blade to build quick momentum before slamming the flat of the blade to the devils skull

 **BRTTTTT!**

Upon contact the weapon discharged a burst of Arc energy which sent the devil flying past Ryden and through a handful of support pillars – twice as many as he passed through before. Ryden smirked to himself slightly before raising the weapon up into a high guard - the flat of the blade resting gently on his elbow – and pointed it towards the devils previous location which became shrouded in smoke and debris from the graceless landing.

He was silent as he waited for the retaliatory advance, the soft sound of marble chunks hitting the ground gave Ryden a good idea as to wear the devil was. A second later and a large boulder was thrown through the smoke directly at him at rapid speeds. His breathe pulse suddenly, adrenaline kicking in which caused mind to work overtime; seeing as it was a distraction Ryden pushed his hand out before he sending a wave of blue kinetic energy towards the improvised projectile and shattered the boulder to reveal a gleeful devil lunging at him – axe poised to strike his left side.

With a small grunt Ryden jutted forward and drove his shoulder into the devils chest, considering the devil was not expecting a counter so quickly the hit knocked a large portion of air from his lungs and his legs were nearly swept off the floor at the force. Seeing an opening Ryden jabbed his sword handle forward and clobbered the devils temple – disorienting him – with the pummel and then hopped slightly to Spartan kick the man in the already hemorrhaging chest area

Blood gushed from the devil's mouth – the kick obviously having broken a rib – which then punctured an internal organ producing internal bleeding

 _Keep the pressure_

Following after the devil Ryden twirled the blade – producing a static charge – and swung down at the devils head, the unnamed devil saw the swing and blocked it but immediately felt the static/electric energy course through his body, locking his muscles and also sending the man tumbling back by the discharge of Arc energy within the blade. Again the pressure on the devil was almost impossible to escape, Ryden closed all escape routes and always directed the devils trajectory towards a pillar whenever possible and kept his swings unpredictable. First a downward slash, then low followed up by a horizontal slash finished with either a second downward slash. After each combo Ryden always tossed in a bit of kicks, body checks and leg sweeps or even an odd few bops to the devils noggin so to keep the devil in a state of panic.

And it was working

The nameless devils face spoke to Ryden that he wasn't at all expecting this level of resistance or challenge and had Ryden assume that the devil was simple 'ad' control for his other accomplices, seeing as how no other body besides defenceless maids, butlers and town guards were the only ones on this devil's kill list it was clear he was not at all equipped to deal with high class devil's wielding crystallized natural disasters as weapons

Give him props for surviving this long

But that thought alone made Ryden grumble, this was a terrorist attack on Bael clan soil and here he was dancing with a devil that shouldn't be capable of surviving this long

His gloves were off by then

Unnoticed by the devil a coat of blue energy swelled over _Infernum Fulgur_ before it vanished – the blade becoming unnaturally sharp in the process. With a mild lull in the dual the unnamed devil back peddled and breathed deeply, causing Ryden's nose to crinkle at the sneer on the devils face

"What the hell? They never told me I'd run into a Noble" spoke the old-Satan knight

Ryden sighed "please, by all means, speak of your superiors orders out loud... make my job much easier" countered Ryden, slightly baffled a blood _stereotype_ made itself present, did the devil not realise he was still here?

The devil sneered at his words, obviously realising his mistake but he made no other move to speak again, the bloodlust shown by the man was obviously intoxicating the devils mind and arrogance. It was understandable in a morbid sense, as being undefeated or unchallenged does create a toxic and arrogant mindset in not only warrior's minds but anyone's for that matter

Ryden didn't know how many times he'd see this

Ryden sighed again, eyes set in a lazy gaze directed towards the reeling devil "if you run, you'll die... if you don't, you'll die, I give you the choice here... die a coward or die fighting" Ryden's eyes shown with red arcs, the blade in his hands glowing in anticipation "...you have three seconds to decide"

Hesitation wrote on the devils mug but the anger overrode the instinct to run – a natural devil action – and stood up and raised the twin sided axe to eye level, the angry sneer never once leaving the devils face "You filthy Anti-Satan Vermi—"

 _ **SCHLING!**_

In a flash of crimson light, the axe in the devil's hand was sliced cleanly in haft horizontally, causing the finely crafted weapon to clatter to the floor loudly which was followed by the two arms and torso of the devil that wielded it... the blade of Ryden Vale Gremory having passed without resistance through the devils armor like butter

Ryden's eyes were cold and narrowed, the faint wisps of Arc energy danced around his form that now stood directly behind the dead devil, the thick blood that coated _Infernum Fulgur_ slid off the blade easily, like it was oil.

Three seconds, he said... talking was unwise

"NO!" came a loud cry from a pillar behind him. Ryden's cold eyes turned slowly to see a woman and a small collection of Inquisitors standing not too far from him, Ryden's eyes locked onto the woman. She had long black hair that fell loosely past her shoulders and a pair of yellow eyes. She was wearing feminine armor similar to the devil dead at his feet, while he already knew of the inquisitors she however stood out among them as she didn't have a helmet and because of that her eyes that which were filled with shock and despair were clearly visible to him. It also became perfectly clear to him that the devil he'd killed was obviously the woman's lover

Ryden's eyes however remained uncaring, even angry at the look of sadness on the woman's face. His anger grew further as the woman regarded him with a look that screamed 'monster'... 'Murderer', his brow creased and his face contorted into a snarl – inadvertently causing his appearance to grow even more imposing – before he fully turned to regard the woman and her escort. His stance dropped slightly, knees bent and his sword brought closely to his right side – held upright – his gaze turning into a look akin to tranquil fury... a deep frown, eyes that spoke of the clearest intent shown for all of them to see

This woman was associated with a killer apart of the Old-Satan faction, a faction responsible for countless atrocities fit for only demons to conduct and she had the gull to regard him as if he was worse? They, the ones who murder hundreds for a foolish goal, they, who sought their own destruction

If they wished for destruction then he'd obliged them himself

His mind cleared of all hesitation

His thoughts aligned with only one directive

Only one goal

 _ **They are rage...**_

 _ **Brutal...**_

 _ **Without mercy...**_

 _ **But you... you will be worse...**_

 _ **RIP and TEAR, until it is done!**_

The blood red blade in his hands purred at his internal words, the feeling bleeding off of Ryden's form was intoxicating the sentient will within the blade with equal levels of bloodlust, the thoughts of its wielder flooding through the blade which caused the soul of _Infernum Fulgur_ to agree with its hosts intended actions

Ryden's form tensed and then distorted – having suddenly disappeared – before he suddenly formed at the front of an inquisitor, a swift streak of red and the devil in ancient demonic armor was split lengthwise. The rather large squad of old-Satan activists suddenly sprang into action. The large squad of knights closed in on the single form of Ryden but they underestimated the devils abilities and weapon

Ryden lashed out suddenly towards a knight that had gotten to close, the devil tried to block but the blade in the devil's hands easily sliced through the metal weapon and then through the devils armor – the head falling seamlessly to the floor and subsequently forgotten by Ryden a second later. Lunging forward like a bat outta hell, Ryden plowed through a couple of inquisitors with fluid force

His blade passed through armor without fail or resistance, the bright red gleam in _Infernum fulgur's_ glass casing shown with primed glee and joy while Ryden's eyes remained their cold disposition, his anger fueling his own brutality

 _A grieving husband holding his wife's headless body..._

Ryden appeared at the side of an inquisitor, his hand reached out and gripped the top of the devils helmet and yank him down until his form was fully horizontal, he then raised his sword and dropped it blade down on the devil's neck like a executioner... the body fell limp to the floor while Ryden held the head for a moment before tossing it to the side casually

 _A wife holding what was left of her child... Burnt remains_

Ryden twirled his blade before his form lurched forward – blade poised in a stab – which then sheathed itself in the chest of an inquisitor, the angry volts of the blades energy exploded out, the loose fabric caught fire and soon the devil was set ablaze. Ryden left the blade in the devil's chest and turned to see a fleeing inquisitor, leaving the other for deaths slow approach

 _Cowards... they run when they are assured defeat, not once facing what is coming to them_

"GET OVER HERE!" yelled Ryden, his hand having reached out and caught the fleeing inquisitor in a force grip, with a powerful tug the devil was violently pulled towards him which Ryden greeted with a powerful uppercut to the devil's

The force in the blow caused the head to be ripped from the torso which flew passed his form in a gory dishevel.

Ryden sighed deeply, exhaling a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding and glanced around himself, the inquisitors were dead and the high-class woman was all that remained, her eyes were wide in horror at his gruesome display and her body shook with barely contained terrorwhen his eyes finally fell on her

Ryden moved before she could speak, a garbled mess of a comment mostly pertaining to his association to demon hood dripped from her lips in a choked gasp as his hand found purchase around her neck... tight enough to hurt, but gentle enough to not crush the fragile devil in his hands

"Why do you fear me?" he asked her, it was rhetorical as her ability to answer was dashed to the side by his own hand moments before

His eyes narrowed at her scared gaze "is it because of my brutality? Or is it because I'm stronger?" he pressed before he leaned in to her visage, the blood red arcs of _Fulgur_ licked out from Ryden's form, caressing the devils cheek, forcing her muscles to spasm "I see no difference between my brutality and the ones you commit, I see very little difference other than the fact I have boundaries, limits that I refuse to cross... So take heed of my words, the undoing of the vile is by the hands of the victim and I'll collect the price of evil with my blade"

He dropped her gracelessly to the floor, her own fear causing her legs to fail her as she collapsed in a terrified heap

"Tell this to your masters... GO!" Ryden yelled, the harsh incline in his tone drove the woman to flee without thinking, pride discarded

He watched her leave, his mind easing as to what it was before and he found himself slightly unnerved at his own actions, actions he'd never had done before. He was not a man to threaten a terrified woman – grieving a loss – with promise of death, nor was he one to kill so efficiently

He felt a thume of energy course through him, the origin from the blade in his hand

Words of comfort, twisted and morbid yet accurate and assuring

 _They deserved it_

 _They don't deserve your kindness_

 _It is not there's to have nor is it theirs to feel_

 _Be at ease master..._

As dark as it was and as odd as it was, the ancient demonic blade in his hands was correct, he had seen too many vile acts to even think of forgiving anyone aligned with the Old-Satan's, a terrorist group of radical monsters fit only for his blade's edge, he shouldn't think of the pain they feel as it is only miniscule to the pain they deal to innocence's

Ryden even chuckled – comically remembering the quote he used to motivate his own rage.

However before Ryden could think a presences appeared to his rear, or what was left of it. he turned quickly and jumped back a good foot before regarding the haggard form of a Inquisitor, left arm missing and chest bleeding profusely, the devil's helmet was missing which revealed the pained yet angry face of a middle aged man, cleanly shaven on both scalp and face

Ryden stood rooted on the spot, silent and ready to pounce. The devil went to speak its last words...

 _ **THUNK!**_

Or tried to anyway

Before the devil could say anything an arrow – deep red and sleek – struck the devils head with such force the head snapped back and the body collapsed within seconds. Ryden blinked at the anti-climatic moment but simply turned to regard the one responsible

Correction: the _two_

Ryden remained silent as he identified the two. He'd seen them before on the large Jumbo-Tron before his match. The female was Abigail Valac and the male was Nyx Oriax. Abigail was actually his third opponent and Nyx was his second last... allies, for now anyway, Ryden could find it in himself to trust them as whoever started this assault was most likely a mole.

The woman – Abigail – approached him before Nyx, her eyes allured with flirtation

"Need a hand handsome?" spoke Abigail. She had long brownish red hair that flowed freely as well as red eyes that carried an underline of bloodlust normally seen in _hunters._ She wore a form fitting red outfit accented in black decal and small metal plates lined in her clothing covered every crucial area but allowed for silent movements and acrobatic capabilities, she also had two small pauldrons on her shoulders and her whole left arm was covered in detailed and extravagant metal plating. The bow she carried was thick in all areas except the handle which had a guard area that protected the users hand from outside attacks and on her outer thighs sat two quivers full of softly glowing arrows of various colors. For a moment Ryden glanced at her metallic high heel shoes which for some reason made no sound at all, a spell perhaps? Ryden guessed so.

Ryden shook his head "No, I thank you for the assistance but it was unwarranted" he replied, his tone – he noticed – was oddly cold and dead, if his darker had any effect at all then it was miniscule as the woman simply pouted at his lack of reaction to her flirts rather his dark tone while the man beside her snickered slightly at his disregard to her comment

Ryden regarded him next

He wore almost the same kind of outfit as Abigail Valac; form fit grey bodysuit accented in black and blue metal decals however his shoulders were covered in silver pauldrons that also connected to his neck, protecting it like a collar leaving everything else seemingly exposed. Just like Abigail, his metallic shoes made no sound either.

Hmmm...

However this man wasn't an archer like Abigail – a role Ryden was confused off – but a lancer instead. The spear he wielded was menacing to say the least; the whole spear was red in color with bulging 'veins' all along the shaft of the spear handle and the blade itself was twice as long as a normal spear – going on fourteen inches long and polished down into a perfect shine but what made Ryden slightly wary of the weapon was the soft red Arcs or electricity coiling down along the weapon

It was clear then that Nyx's weapon was made from dragonite... lucky son of a–

"Tsk, like you really needed it anyway" commented Nyx as Ryden sheathed his blade

Ryden crossed his arms as the two closed in on him, Abigail seemingly the more energetic of the two as her form was almost directly up in his grill within seconds, her eyes glowing with awe

He regarded the energetic woman – wary of possible change in emotion – with partial confusion at her first impression "well hello there... mind telling me why you're so close?" asked Ryden but it was clear his answer wasn't coming

Nyx sighed at his friend's actions and simply grabbed the devil by the back of the torso and pulled her back gently, the woman in question didn't seem to care at all at the action and kept her awed gaze on Ryden who found it hard to ignore, whatever he did to awestruck the devil must have been resent...

He'd have to grab his list of shocking deeds in a minute.

Blinking, Ryden disregarded the woman's expression and turned to the male passively "the more the merrier right" he said to answer the devil who even blinked at his reply

"Oh?" questioned the devil, obviously pressing the issue

Ryden sighed and pointed to the body of the dead terrorist "had I been paying attention then I'd have been aware of him before your assistance, however my lack of focus nearly cost me"

Nyx's brow rose before he glanced to Ryden's arm, memories of him batting a blade away with his bare hand flashed through his mind before he then glanced around to the multiple bodies of inquisitors scattered throughout the room, most of them so far beyond the term dead it was near overkill

"cost you?" he asked rhetorically before leaning down and picking up a piece of the noble devils hammer, the one he'd killed before the slaughter "Never thought I'd meet a devil so humble he'd willingly disregard his own achievements... especially one holding _that_ " he said before pointing a finger at the sheathed sword on his back

Ryden instinctively looked to the weapon upon his back which shone slightly upon his eyes landing on it

 _A reprehend spoken only to him_

 _It wanted him to acknowledge his victories_

 _As his were also its_

Ryden blinked, had he forgotten already? He felt his hands clench and the slight build up of power – familiar and always present – coiled around his form slowly, protectively and unseen by all except him and the red Arc's of _Infernum Fulgur_ even joined in on the energy build up, its desire to remind him that it was there to assist him – and him to assist it.

He was not on earth anymore, he was in hell and living among a culture that lived and breathed sin, pride and Greed being the two most dominant within the species, being humble was a nice trait but it wasn't the kind to warrant loyalty from fellow noble devils, quite the opposite... it garnered resentment, or even distrust, as a lack of pride in one's power could be detrimental to a unit

He was a Vale damn it! It wasn't his fault he was so humble

Ryden rolled his neck, resolve grinded down a good bit "Aye..." he said; he had no comment on the devils words. The devil was right after all.

Nyx sniffled before dropping the broken piece of metal "anyways... it would seem the terrorists targeted the left wing specifically, why? I don't know but we should get there and see what the situation is"

Abigail nodded at his words before she slightly gasped "OH! Wasn't Rosa in that direction? She left to deal with Lady Stolas if I'm curtain" she said

Nyx nodded as well – remembering that tidbit "Hmm... lady Stolas seemed rather pissed off last time I remember"

Ryden's eyes widened at that, his mind formulating a few connections "Hold on" called out Ryden, gaining the attention of the two, his eyes locked onto the both of them "You guys are aware that she was hooked in an arranged marriage right?"

The looks of shock on both Abigail and Nyx told him they were anything but aware

"Guess not then"

Nyx sputtered after a moment of silence "wait... that fool Brinyalf was her fiancé!" Ryden nodded at his question, Nyx rubbed his face harshly, eyes refusing to believe his words "Guess that explains why she was so happy after your victory then, she must have been in a deal of some kind that was nullified the second Brinyalf lost..."

Abigail meanwhile wrapped an arm around Ryden's neck – her being no shorter than him – and chuckled slightly before speaking in a deep vixen like tone "~Wonder what kind of _reward_ she has planned for you~" she said, her lips no farther from his ear than a hair's breath

Ryden fought the desire to give her a tic-tac...

Ryden ignored the proximity breach – wary of the state of the woman – and unhooked the woman's arm from around his neck and glanced to Nyx "How pissed was this lady Stolas?"

The devil in question mulled it over for a moment before answering "looked close to murderous actually"

Ryden sighed... he had a feeling but he wasn't so sure "Would it be possible her 'murderous' emotional state wasn't hyperbolic?"

Nyx nodded "Could be possible, seems way to coincidental that right after Rosalina left the whole tournament is bombed... I mean _you're_ bombed" the devils corrected before shooting a cheeky smirk at him

Ryden huffed at that "Funny..."

Abigail nodded to her own thought before walking in the direction towards the left wing "well then let's get moving!" she spoke with finality before she unslung her bow and took off, Nyx grumbled at her headstrong personality before starting after her

"Hey! What about the Generals?" spoke Ryden, suddenly remembering his other goal.

"They're fine, last time I saw them they were being escorted by both the blue legions Praetorian unit as well as the Red legions, now stop lollygagging and get moving Rookie!" called back Nyx

Ryden paused "Rookie?" he questioned but ignored it and ran after the two devils

Rookie he says...

* * *

Sirzechs growled deeply, his anger for the first time in a week actually becoming verbal. He'd known something was going to happen, he had a hard feeling the old Satan's would be on the move the minute Ryden had taken out the _Infernum Armis._ as much as he'd hoped the cover ups would work he knew the old-Satan's – while at times so arrogant it was unhealthy – they were however more clever than a prowler Imp. They'd done it before, the minute a 'prophesied' moment happens like the sky farts or the brimstone fields in Ashfeld suddenly start churning up thrice as much sulfur, then they'd immediately attack the nearest important meeting or event and preach about their returning king

A king that wasn't even in their hands anymore...

' _Bunch of idiots'_ he spat internally

He dropped his negative thoughts for now and simply mulled over the reports before him along with Serafall who was also with him inside a small – rapidly built – strategic tent a few miles from the Crucible, he'd dealt his orders already to Praxis and Praetor Saladin and the both of them were on their own tasks; Praxis and his division were to sweep through the city and search for any Old-Satan insurgence and execute them. Saladin was tasked with securing the surrounding buildings and houses around the crucible

This effectively secured the entire northern sector of the Bael territory which was the only part of the territory facing a barren land which was the only way a small force could manage to invade

"Serafall, how goes the evacuation of the civilians? And how many casualties are we facing?" questioned Sirzechs

Serafall brushed over a report issued by her few present sentinels "all civilians have been evacuated but so far we have no known information on the exact numbers of casualties but we have estimated a good 127 injured and 20 critically injured, no information on the deceased so far" replied Serafall before she tossed the paper to Sirzechs who scanned over it as well

"And the contestants?" he asked

Serafall nodded "Only identified casualty is Brinyalf Stolas... the one who I believe was the source of the explosion" commented the general of the Blue legion

Sirzechs blinked at her "why do you say that?"

"Prior to the event the Stolas and the Phenex family were engaged in a marriage arrangement meeting" spoke Serafall, Sirzechs blinked again as he didn't know of such a thing "the Phenex in question was one Rosalina Phenex who was to be engaged to Brinyalf Stolas" both Serafall and Sirzechs' nose crumpled in blatant confusion and disgust

Marry a prodigy to a subpar devil? Both generals wondered what was up Indris' ass when that came up

"What was the deals parameters' surely the Stolas family planned to sacrifice something for such a deal?" asked Sirzechs

Serafall merely shook her head "can't say, but as soon as you broadcasted Ryden's joining into the Gauntlet the deal went towards a bet, if Brinyalf loses the deals is off" she stated, forgetting to mention the opposite side of the deal as it was to painfully stupid to imagine. Serafall didn't know where Indris was but she planned to question the man's intelligence as soon as he found him, no matter the kind of deal Rosalina was a big card – going to the ultimate-class tier – and it was clear to her indris was not very good at deal making as just tossing a person such as her to a man who was not at all going to add up in the future – her point proven fully at the list of casualties – was a brain dead decision

She really wanted to make him aware of that... she _really_ did

She wasn't a fan of arranged marriages, not in the least. The last time her mother mentioned a deal the room was flash frozen and the words NO were crystallized on the walls in absolute zero temperatures and hoarfrost

She never heard a word of it again...

She cleared her throat "because of this deal I've grown suspicious of the Stolas family as almost immediately after Brinyalf lost the terrorist attack was commenced, something doesn't add up, or it does add up we're just not looking at it right" added Serafall, her analytical eyes boring holes in the wooden round table in front of her

Sirzechs hummed "Then I will request the presents of Lady Stolas, she will speak for her houses innocence"

"She was last Scene in the left wing of the stadium, directly where the second explosion commenced"

Sirzechs didn't miss a beat "then the Stolas family is then here by place on watch of suspicion of relation to the old Satan's and their actions"

In the corner of the room sat Zekram, quiet and content in simply listening to the two young devils before him, his elderly visage changed into slight amusement "you forgetting something important General Gremory" commented the elder devil

Sirzechs turned to him "and what might that be?" he asked

Zekram simply smirked before he tapped the air before him, a small hologram displayed a scene, an all too familiar scene to both of them. It was recently taken and published in record time of Ryden Kneeling down to the form of a cry child, giving the boy a priceless item that would hold unmatched value to all those who would see it, Ryden's kind smile was in full view, eyes closed and smile softly breaching his cheeks

Zekram hummed softly before he spoke "the boy has done the impossible, I've never seen a devil rise in fame so fast and so fluidly before but this brother of yours has shown me that I've still not seen everything"

Sirzechs nodded, aware of Ryden's increase in popularity "what does this have to do with Ryden?"

"He's still inside the Crucible"

The words were spoken by Serafall which caused Sirzechs to glance over to see her eyes locked on the image displayed on the hologram "I'd requested an update on all the contestants that have made it out and the reported stated that so far all but four have been evacuated"

"Who?" asked Sirzechs

"Ryden vale Gremory, Abigail Valac, Nyx Oriax and Rosalina Phenex" she listed

Zekram smirked "a match made in hell"

Sirzechs grunted "Do we have a way to track their movements, see the status of their condition"

Serafall nodded before she snapped her finger, upon doing so the tent was opened briefly before Serafall's Praetorian leader stepped in, her armor was made similar to Saladin's however it was built to accommodate fast movement and quick reaction then full blown protection, her helmet was held at her side, her long violet locks that matched the tuft of fur on her helmet fell slightly past her shoulders; her eyes set in stone

"Praetor Eris reporting, general... what are your orders?"

"Give me an update on the three we have inside, and continue to fill me in on them every 10 minutes" she ordered, Praetor Eris stiffened

"The three you've requested General were last seen moving towards the left wing, Lord Nyx and Lady Abigail were also identified rendezvousing with Lord Ryden haft way and have now continued towards the left wing" she summarized

Serafall beamed "very good... keep me posted"

However instead of returning to her task Praetor Eris paused "Permission to request something General"

Serafall tilted her head before nodding "Granted"

"May I suggest we try and contact the three with live communication? My team can insert a sigil within the entrance way which can transmit a direct line to a distinct signature within"

Upon Eris' suggestion Sirzechs cut in with his approval "I second this, should we establish communication then we can get direct information from within rather than leave a ten minute window"

Serafall countered "the quarantine field cuts off all internal and external communications and disrupts all teleportation sigils within, we can't keep a direct line for longer than a second before its disrupted"

Sirzechs listened to this closely while his mind remembered an important factor about his little brother, a factor that could prove substantial. During his siege on the castle in the Halphes territory Ryden was able to listen to the conversation between him and the Lucifage Duo perfectly – which took place between multiple layers of bedrock and black stone and he even managed to manipulate matter far beyond his understanding while under the effects of a disruption field

This could work

"What if I said I had an asset who could counter that?" hinted Sirzechs

Zekram smirked while both Eris and Serafall locked their gazes onto him "I'm listening Sirzechs... what do you have in mind?"

He smirked before he began to fill them in, the eyes of those present suddenly growing eager

* * *

Ryden didn't know what to feel at the moment

The trip to the left wing was of mild interest, aside from being hounded by Nyx's close friend Abigail the whole way about how he managed to not only free an _Infernum Armis_ but also shatter an indestructible force field of magic nullification. Ryden found ways to avoid the devils questions and by doing that he simply took up rear guard while Abigail – by self order – took up point. Nyx for his part was a silent but focused man, having barely spoken a word since they left.

And it was during this time when they all ran into the destruction laid waste to the surrounding area within the left wing, thankfully the area was far enough away from most civilians but there was still a small handful of unidentified bodies of maids and butlers among the debris and ash, they took a small minute to mull over the area, searching for survivors but there was none, the explosion that overtook the area was massive and nearly incinerated the entire wing from one haft of the stadium to another, had it not been for the wind he'd seen before then the whole left wing and the stands would have been destroyed, amassing a large body count in the process

Among the ash, the debris as well as the bodies Ryden found something among the destruction that caused him to pause. Within a clearing area a few feet from a concession stand lay multiple shards of Blue crystals – similar to Brinyalf – and lay scattered and broken all over the small clearing, as if it was a barrier that had protected the caster from within

"Looks like there was a fight here" called out Ryden as he tossed a crystal shard to Nyx

The devil nodded before he pointed to multiple scorch marks all along the floor and walls "so it seems, both lady Stolas and Rosalina must have duelled it out here, there are scorch marks _everywhere_ "

"Well yes, I mean there was an explosion here" shot Ryden, Nyx glared at Ryden's sarcastic remark but made no counter

He paused while eyeing the shard before looking over to Abigail "Do you have anything over there?" asked Nyx

The woman in question was kneeling near the concession area – silently staring at something – before she jolted up and nodded "Yes... there are other signs of a second Phenex in the area" she answered, Nyx ignored the woman's ghastly expression but Ryden approached her location out of concern and curiosity, seeing this, Abigail pointed to many scorch marks along the roofing of the concession area

"these scorch marks are much less heated then the others, the marble scorched by Rosa's flames seem almost like knife cuts while these are simple burns to the foundation" as She relayed her findings to Nyx, Ryden glanced over the concession stand and reeled back at what he saw

His breathing haggard and his anger boiled over

Directly over the concession stand – in where the maids and butlers work – was a pair of low-class devil's, flash frozen in ash a soot, the larger ones arms wrapped protectively around her young son or daughter, their burns too gruesome to distinguish

The image of the boy and his family he had saved today flashed through Ryden's mind, external sounds growing muffled as he drank in the tragic image before him. It was a reminder of the world and how it works

A reminder that no matter the amount saved, the amount forsaken doesn't change

 _The image of a crying child, caged and terrified and alone crying out one line over and over and over again..."Where's my mommy?" the boy would yell..._

 _...He didn't yell for long_

"Ryden..." he heard his name called and turned – eyes blinking away the memory – before regarding the speaker

"Hm" he hummed, it was Abigail who called out his name; her expression was one of slightly shock and fear. He was confused as to why but the answer came from him

He was scowling deeply, almost murderously and his hands were clenched – he could even see a few loose utensils and debris rattling gently in response to his emotions. He sighed and rubbed his face so to release the tension within his own swelling emotions "...Sorry, bad memory" he said before he walked off and away from Abigail before she could ask anything

Abigail watched him go without an explanation, she was deeply confused as to the reaction Ryden had to the image before her; she then glanced at the many items that had been almost vibrating in sync with Ryden's growing emotions and mulled over what it was that had caused them to rattle so violently. She felt only a slight increase in demonic energy within the air, considering her family trait she was very good at detecting faint changes in the area around her and Ryden had given off only a small fraction of energy, so little of it that it couldn't have been strong enough to affect the surrounding area yet the proof stood before her

Ryden was much stronger then she had assumed before

Shaking her head softly she rejoined the two male devils and pushed the subject away.

Ryden cursed himself, his emotions having gone out of control for a moment which honestly shouldn't have affected him as bad as it did. He was now standing in a crater were the large explosion originated from, collateral damage and casualties were a given – almost expected – yet his mentality towards the death of innocence was still fresh in his mind, the brutality of conflict was never a truly prepared subject and no matter the anger in him, in the end lives were being lost and civilian lives were caught in the crossfire

Tragedy follows war closely after all...

He sighed again – forced the images and memories from his mind – and formulated where exactly Rosalina and whoever was fighting alongside her went. There was no sign of forced exit nor were there any sounds of conflict anywhere else. It was dead silent.

"Find anything?" asked Nyx as he approached him, Abigail a few feet behind him

Ryden glanced up from where he was sitting but paused when he noticed the air behind Nyx distort, his heart clenched and his mind shot into action. Pushing himself from the wall he was leaning on Ryden lunged towards Nyx who quickly dodged to the left – shock in his eyes at his action. He heard a yell from Abigail but his ears refused to allow anything from distracting him. His arm reached out and gripped a solid object – soft and fleshy – and tightened his hold immediately

" _Gaaaagh!"_ a muffled gag was heard in what seemed like empty space before Ryden

He spiked Arc energy into whoever he was gripping and his action caused the cloaked figure to reveal himself. He was a skinny individual and wore similar Inquisitor armor but instead it was catered towards mobility and stealth as seen on the soft glowing chest plates on the devils armor

Ryden immediately identified the Insignia of Beelzebub and flexed his hand, crushing the frail devils neck like a empty pop can

The body crumpled to the floor soon after Ryden dropped it, turning to regard a shocked Nyx

"Wanna ask me that again?" he commented sarcastically

However no answer was returned as very quickly things turned to the worst

"CONTACT!" roared Nyx as he twisted around and flipped a table with a swift kick of his leg, from the corner of the large burnt out room came a volley of red demonic projectiles which then pelted the last location of both Nyx and Ryden who'd followed the other devil into cover out of instinct

Abigail slid into her own cover behind a lone support pillar in the center of the room, dreadfully exposed to flanks and in desperate need of cover fire, seeing this Nyx growled at his uselessness to Abigail's struggle while Ryden merely took in the situation

Abigail was the only one in the group at the moment fully shown to ranged capabilities so the majority of the projectiles focused their fire on the lone pillar Abigail was hiding in, because she had a bow she had no time to load it and fire without taking a hit in the process and by how fast the cover was being shredded revealed just how much power was placed in the shots, taking a hit was not a risk but a guaranteed kill shot

Ryden acted fast, his hand reached out and focused, within the room a large downed pillar crashed at Abigail's right having literally been thrown from one end of the room to hers – courtesy of Ryden. Abigail didn't hesitate to leap to it as the pillar moments after her exchange for cover was shredded completely, in the chaos of the exchange, the unknown shooter grew confused as to where his target had gone which left a lull in the violence long enough for Abigail to un-holstered an arrow – which glowed a bright red – and notched it before fluidly peeking out of cover and fired it at where the projectiles were coming from

 _ **BOOM!**_

Upon contact with the wall within the concession stand the arrow detonated violently but the shooter had already re-positioned far enough away to only receive minor cuts from the debris

Ryden peaked out and spotted the shooter, a hooded figure wearing minimal armor – obviously an assassin type – jump down and into a foxhole a few meters from the concession area, Ryden nodded before he turned to Nyx "3 meters to our left, foxhole, lone figure wearing zero armor" spoke Ryden

Nyx shook his head "don't tell me that, Abigail's the ranger so go tell her"

Ryden nodded and without hesitation pushed forward and dived into a prone position a few feet from Abigail's position "3 meters to your left – in the trench – light build, barely any armor" stated Ryden

Abigail nodded in thanks before she pulled out a sleek ghost blue arrow and notched it "can you flush him out?"

Ryden mulled it over by analysing the environment, he couldn't just fling massive pillars around like crazy as he'd only cause himself more mental fatigue which could then cause him to feint in compromising positions, the only reason he'd done what he'd did before was because Abigail's life was in danger now all he needed to do was flush out a target

He could just rush the snipers location but he didn't want to test how much punch was in the devil's projectiles, he could survive but he'd be taken out of action for a moment

Work smarter not harder

Ryden glanced to his sharp right and noticed a door leading into the back of the concession stand area and nodded at his planned action

"Right, one second" he said before he stood up and bolted to the door. Upon standing the projectiles sprang up and pelted his location like gun fire but he managed to reach the door and slam into and through it without being hit

Both Abigail and Nyx were momentarily confused by Ryden's action but then understood his intent when just moments after disappearing they both spotted him at the devil's left flank, sword unsheathed and primed with Crimson lightning, with a loud grunt that startled the enemy devil Ryden swung his sword horizontally which sent a rolling disk of angry arcs towards the now panicking devil who made the mistake of exiting his cover

Abigail was standing in her cover, her bow raised cleanly and her breathing tamed – arrow notched and primed to fire. Upon the large disk of lightning being discharged and the female Devil inhaled, flexed her muscles and spotted the fleeing devil, his eyes panicked and filled with terror at the admittedly powerful attack displayed by Ryden

She locked her gaze on the devil, upper torso – few inches above the chest cavity and a few inches below the Adam's apple – and exhaled,

 _Target marked_

 _Release_

 _TING!_

A soft yet loud thume echoed out from Abigail's Bow when the ghostly blue arrow was fired, two distinct velocity rings appeared and Ryden watched the effect with rapt attention as the arrow literally defied the laws of motion and homed in on the rapidly moving devil. Ryden whistled internally as Abigail's arrow over penetrated the devils chest, dead center at where a sniper targets. A few inches above the chest cavity and directly below the Adam's apple... directly hitting through that severs the spine from the skull, creating an instant kill

Not even a flinch was seen on the now dead assassin who laid face up in a new set of cover, having been merely inches from surviving

Ryden stood from where he'd been, sheathed his sword and approached the dead devil

He raised his thumb up, confirming the kill. Abigail smiled viscously at that, her emotions swelling in pride as she'd had Decades at training and hunting game – her family trait skill – and here she was, do what she did best. Rack up a body count

"What do you think handsome? Impressed?" asked the woman when Ryden walked up to her position

He smirked and shook his head at her words – playing them off as simple barbs – before he dropped the woman's arrow in her hand, having retrieved it for her

"I am Indeed, impressive shot Lady Valac" replied Ryden... he soon wished he didn't phrase it as he did as the woman again breached his personal space, and boldly pressed her assets to his chest, her face holding a husky expression of lust

"~for you lord Ryden, you may call me Abigail... just Abigail~" she practically moaned in his ear

Ryden's brows rose at her actions, his eyes locked on the wall in front of him and his mind reeled in all of what he learned of a woman's behavior

.

.

.

His mind grew blank but not because of what the woman was doing

But because of something else entirely

A faint ringing started out in the back of his head, before it grew louder by the second and pretty soon it became unbearable, Ryden dropped down to one knee, his right hand gripping his skull tightly while his left clenched against the floor below him

The two devils near him grew shocked at his action, Abigail seemingly terrified that she had been the one to have caused harm to the one she fancied, Nyx on the other hand lunged in and pulled her back when a swelling energy exploded out from Ryden, the concussive energy unlike anything nature deemed normal as instead of causing all loose rock to fly outward, everything was suddenly suspended in mid air and locked in stasis

Both Abigail and Nyx watched in shock and awe as Ryden fought whatever was invading in his mind. His eyes closed and clenched tightly as a second pulse rocked his mind like a bolt of lightning, again... again... and again

Ryden clenched his left hand to his head, and opened his mouth in a silent roar of pain

' _C...can... y-you... hea... e?'_

' _Can... Hear...'_

Words began to form in his mind, quiet under the constant ringing before they grew more coherent

' _Can you hear me?'_

' _This is Praetor Eris of the Blue legion, respond if you are reading this'_

As the mysterious Praetorian spoke the ringing grew dimmer and steadily dropped in decibels, the pain in his skull easing to more bearable thumps to his mind, his hands loosened on his head and his eyes opened slightly, blurring images of the broken floor greeted his visage. In the heat of the pain he had forgotten where he was

' _What... who are you?'_ he tossed out internally

The woman's voice didn't regard him in response

' _It's done, connection established'_

There was a fumbling noise – like a mic being tossed around – before a new voice entered his mind, a familiar voice that caused him to momentarily pause

' _Ryden... can you hear me? This is General Sirzechs Gremory'_

Ryden's mind halted... H-how? How did they manage to do this? All around Ryden the stasis holding the many objects suddenly gave out, causing them to crash down gracelessly

"Sirzechs?" Ryden called out, not even aware he was talking out loud

From behind cover a few feet from Ryden, both Abigail and Nyx perked up at what Ryden had said "What'd he say?' asked Nyx

Abigail simply shook her head "I think he said the general's name, but that makes no sense"

Having heard the two Ryden grunted and stood up to his full height "Get over here you two, gotta development for ya" he called out

Nyx sputtered to himself " _that_ was a development?" he said

Abigail nodded in agreement

The two hesitantly approached while Ryden cracked his neck, feeling the oddly satisfying pops before he regarded them "Just got in contact with General Sirzechs" he said

Abigail's eyes squinted in confusion "How?" she asked

Ryden shook his head, before he condensed a ball of soft blue energy in his hand, focused on the feeling of Sirzechs' presence and pressed it into the ball. He felt this by instinct and by how the ball of blue changed in color from blue to white suggested he was right to follow it

"Can you hear me Sirzechs?" questioned Ryden

The ball flashed in conjunction with its words _"I can Ryden, what's your status"_ asked the voice of none other than General Sirzechs Gremory

Both Nyx and Abigail stiffened in disbelief while Ryden ignored their shock

"We're crimson General, just dispatched a couple of grunts" replied Ryden

" _Good, what about the other two with you? Are they there?"_

Nyx and Abigail both stiffened further into a crisp salute "We are General" they both said

Ryden blinked at their energy displayed but disregarded it, Nyx stepped forward towards the ball of white energy in Ryden's hand, probably assuming the orb was displaying live images of them... Ryden knew it wasn't, but he said nothing

"What's the status outside General? Are we under attack?" asked Nyx

" _No, so far the old-Satan faction is dormant in the eastern borders preparing for an assault there, we believe the attack here was an inside job by the Stolas family, Have you been in contact with lady Stolas at all?"_

Ryden shook his head out of muscle memory "No, we are currently in the left wing directly where the explosion occurred, we found nothing but two idiots"

" _They alive?"_

"Ones got a pencil for a neck and the others a little bit _detached_ at the moment" Spoke Abigail, her smile wide enough to show off some teeth

" _I see... Then I suggest you carry on from here, continue on for where you are and you'll come up upon a–"_

Before Sirzechs could finish a massive golden pillar of bright energy erected at the _right wing_ , both Abigail and Nyx paled at the pillar of energy while Ryden simply squinted his eyes at the development, feeling the large pulls of energy towards the pillar

" _Report! What was that?"_

Nyx didn't even glance to the orb before responding "Massive build up of energy in the VIP rooms, I'm seeing a _Ruina Imperium_ spell taking effect, early stages"

Ryden heard a curse growled out from Sirzechs on the other line and grew confused at what exactly they were facing

" _I have orders for you three! Take down that Spell at any cost, we will begin the procedure of evacuating the territory but this all falls on you three. This is a_ _ **direct**_ _order from Me Knight Sentinels... Failure is not an option"_

Ryden's eyes widened at the implications of what he was facing...

Upon time the humans come up with something eerily similar

A weapon so dangerous it brought the idea of war to a standstill

A force the entire world knew and feared...

...A nuclear bomb

* * *

 _OOOOOOOHHHHHHH SHHHIIEEET_

 _The steaks are up Boi's and Gurls!_

 _ ***DEEP SIGH***_

 _Anyways_

 _Now I know I've been gone for a... long time – going onto a month now – I can explain that... first excuses, right now it's summer in the lovely beach city I live in so I got relatives and friends popping in and events to go to like any normal person (Like hell I'm normal heheh) and then there's Warframe IE the madda fuckin SACRIFICE update so I had to sacrifice something..._

 _...My damn writing time..._

 _I know, you probably never heard of it but that doesn't change the fact I treat that game like a retired relative. Popping in when something new pops up and stick around for a while before leaving for whatever reason_

 _Anyways we're getting off track_

 _Recently in order for me to keep track of a few little nuances within my story because of my long time way I decided to reread my story and I gotta say_

 _How the fuck did I miss all those grammar mistakes?_

 _I like being as perfect in my work as possible as I tend to fret over a single paragraph for a good 15 minutes before I feel like it's good to go and constantly edit my work as I write but I've noticed no matter how anal I am about my own writing I can't catch them all (mistakes)_

 _So I came up with a solution..._

 _By hogtieing my brother and forcing him to read my story!_

 _I don't think I've fed him yet... guess I will after he's done reading this_

 _But that means I have a "volunteer" beta-reader!_

 _And guess what? After forcing the little prick to read this soon-to-be degenerate story, the little guy actually likes it and has now developed and weird type of Stockholm syndrome_

" _GIVE ME MORE ASSHOLE!" – quoted... he's not really that crazy for it but I have my doubts_

 _So cheers folks, I'll have less grammar mistakes then before and I do plan on Updating my previous chapters once I hit chapter ten... or I'll probably just forget_

 _Whatever_

 _Anyways, if you like this chapter then do what must be done to fill my writing needs (_ _ **review**_ _, I like those,_ _ **follow**_ _– cause I like being followed or_ _ **favorite**_ _cause my mom says I'm special, Hue-Hue-Hue)_

 _Peace!_


	8. Return To Sender

**-Return to Sender-**

 _At some point in my substantial time in hell I became aware that no matter how prepared you are you can't truly be prepared for what the day may bring._

 _My first actually day as a knight sentinel was unorthodox in all military terms, I wasn't deployed in a live combat scenario nor was I facing an army of zealous devils ready to kill everything they see_

 _No... No that's too easy_

 _My_ _ **first**_ _day involved me, Nyx Oriax, Abigail Valac and a_ _ **bomb**_ _while at the same time being surrounded by enemy forces and a number of unknown variables that not even a Navy Seal would find uncomfortable_

 _So I'd say that's one hell of a first day..._

 _Who knew that in such a moment, I'd find myself smiling at the memory..._

 _...and what I'd done that day._

 _Sirzechs would tell me many times that I was one of the craziest Sons of bitch he'd even met_

 _And I'd have to agree with him..._

 _-X-_

Ryden found himself hugging a pillar again, live shots of crimson bolts of demonic energy pinged off his position like explosive rounds in a fully automatic shotgun, leaving large melted dents in the previously pristine marble pillar; debris and chunks of rock pelted his form as he stood stock still, eyes holding a thousand yard stare with the ground at his feet.

His breathing eased his growing nervousness, against a sword he fully knew his limits of protection but he dared not test the effects of a lethal bolt of energy. He was certain the spell couldn't kill him but testing it wasn't on his to-do list at the moment.

He glanced up and around at where he was, upon learning of what was happening – a literal nuke was being primed – Nyx had jumped onto dishing out orders like a literal bat out of hell. Since Abigail was their go-to for returning fire it was established that she was to take up rear guard and to remain in the shadows for as long as possible, so it was up to the both of them to gain as much agro as possible for her support to mean anything. Currently Abigail was situated in the rafters, among the many support beams that littered the whole concession area while to Ryden's left sat Nyx who was also in the same predicament as he was – ass kissing the floor and waiting for support.

Their progress so far had been quite effective, and due to the time constraint Ryden had found himself rushing enemy positions like a mad dog, surprisingly it paid off and he'd mounted a healthy body count but now it seemed the Old-Satan forces were starting to tighten up their defenses like a Nun in a strip club. The only confirmed KIA he'd mounted this time was hanging against a support pillar close to the enemies current position – Fulgur sheathed deeply in the now dead devils chest – while Nyx had managed to clear out a few risk takers that had tried to ambush them earlier, their bodies were seen scattered amongst the broken floor a few feet behind them.

"Any idea when she plans to help?" asked Ryden calmly, his head snapped to the side when a rather lucky shot grazed where his head as slightly poking out

A few more pelted Nyx's position, causing him to also shift his position before he answered "Be patient, can't rush an artist"

Ryden huffed at the reply but didn't retort. His eyes trailed up above him before he noticed a shimmering distortion in the space just above his head, his muscles flexed and his eyes sharpened before he suddenly pushed his hand out, a blue coat of energy shot out and knocked another Invisible Knight from the very pillar he was hiding behind. The devils body flopped gracelessly in front of him before Ryden got an idea and lunged forward and gripped the devil with his left hand by the collar of his armor, before the devil could struggle Ryden drove a right jab to the devil's throat – crushing it – and then stepped out into the opening

His eyes spotted _Infernum Fulgur_ instantly and he reached out and pulled it to him, at the same time as he did this the Old-Satan's within the crater opened fire on his position, completely ignoring the devil he was holding.

His gamble paid off as the body was able to absorb most of the shots long enough for him to catch his sword and pivot back into cover, his improvised mobile cover flopped to the floor in a bloody and ragged heap of exposed bone and Cauterized flesh. Ryden ignored that before sheathing his blade and releasing the breath he had been holding, not at all caring of the thick bouts of blood and grime on his extremely expensive outfit.

Nyx simply sat there perplexed at his fluid action as well as what he'd done to call the blade back to his side, he wanted to word his confusion but he paused when he heard a faint charging groan from the old Satan's position. He dared a peek and tensed when two of those robed figures stood side by side and conjoined their magic crests into a single – much larger – _'death'_ beam. Basically the devils version of a bunker buster

Not really a good thing when it's pointed at you...

"Crap!" yelled Nyx as he rapidly stood and dived away from the small cover he'd been in. Moments later and a massive bolt of purple energy slammed into the position, incinerating it and forcing a good chunk of debris into Ryden's face, most of them ticked of his skin like Styrofoam but his eyes instinctively closed at the brightness. In the chaos of the explosion Ryden didn't even notice his form had been sent from his position by the concussive force and was now wide open for a follow up attack

His senses spiked and his muscles flexed hard before he rolled to the right and slid into a shallow crater in the ground in the nick of time, the follow up pelts shredded his previous location and continued to rain suppressive fire on Ryden all the way to the new cover. While trying to become as flat as possible Ryden noticed a deep red strand of hair fall down into his vision before he glanced up to see Abigail crouched low on a support beam just above him

From above the beams lay sprawled bodies of enemy ambushers, all of them similar to the one Ryden had used as a meat shield prior to his predicament

 _She'd been busy_

The woman directly above him notched two glowing red arrows – brighter than the one used on the noble devil – and pulled them back with what seemed like great effort, the draw weight must be a few hundred pounds if he had to guess but soon enough the woman's well toned arms drew back and released destruction upon the many devils harassing both him and Nyx

 _ **BOOM!**_

 _ **BOOM!**_

Two consecutive explosions ripped the ground apart and all those who were in it completely, leaving a massive cloud of dust and a shower of gore along with a few mildly intact bodies of their suppressors; long dead.

Ryden glanced to the destruction before whistling "absolute fucking force"

His comment fell on deaf ears while the woman above him landed outside his crater with so much grace he felt slightly insulted. Seeing his look of displeasure the woman only smirked at him cheekily, even going so far as to take an alluring pose which slightly amused Ryden if he had to say.

"Took you long enough?" he asked, still lying in the crater

"I had a few dates to deal with," she said before her index finger grazed her bottom lip in thought "many of them just wouldn't take the hint"

Ryden chuckled faintly at her hidden meaning, while glancing at a few of the visible bodies hanging in the rafters "Right..."

The woman blinked "where's Nyx?"

"Over here!" yelled out the voice of Nyx who crawled over the concession stand booth he dived into before flopping down onto the floor, his back gently resting against it. He glanced around his surroundings before he clicked his tongue "how many ambushes was this now, ten?"

Ryden nodded "I think that was our fourteenth"

Nyx blinked before he glanced to his hand and counted, after reaching his conclusion he sighed deeply "Satan's upon us... I forgot you rushed through four of them like a lunatic, what the hell do they feed you Gremory's? Crystallized brimstone?" he asked in awed confusion

Abigail sighed as well "I have to wonder as well, main reason why I was late was because I needed to catch up," she glanced to him with a subtle scolding tone "please keep in mind you have us with you"

Ryden raised his hands in surrender "what can I say, I am an Ash main after all" he said

"A what?"

"Nothing"

Abigail sighed before a new side of her took hold, it resembled that of a teacher that had an elderly like aura; her eyes set into stone and her lips thinned into a tight line, even her posture went to a more rigid pose that caused even Nyx to flinch. Ryden assumed their truly was more to this Abigail then he believed.

"While I can't really be against your ability to catch the enemy by surprise, I am however against your brash actions and suicidal decisions," her arms crossed – Ryden having noticed her bow had folded against her left arms gauntlet – and her eyes glared down to him, deep red eyes holding an authority he found he couldn't argue against "Please remember that while you are rushing on ahead, you are also leaving behind allies to possible ambushes" as if to affirm her point, a body from the rafters fell onto the floor a few feet away from them, bloody and riddled with arrows

She smirked at that "as you can see I had to clean up after you" then her eyes glowed a deeper crimson, a tick mark appearing on her temple "...I don't like cleaning up after people, am I clear?"

Ryden gulped, now remembering that there was always a second side to a devil "yes Ma'am, very clear"

Abigail seemed to be the 'scolding' type when her emotions flipped.

Then like a light switch, her smile returned "Then how about we continue forward like a team handsome? We are most effective when operating as a unit" she said, her tone so different from before that Ryden found himself honestly accepting of, he'd seen this before... awkwardly so.

Nyx grunted before he stood up – using his spear as a cane – and roughly cracked his back "Aye, times wasting, better get moving fast cause I think whoever these _imps_ are, know we're coming so the faster we move the higher the chance we catch them flat footed, sound good Abigail?"

The woman in question nodded while Ryden stood up from the ground – brushed himself off – and nodded as well "How much time do we have for a _Ruina Imperium_ spell to take full effect?" he asked

Abigail teetered slightly at the question "depends on what energy source they're using to fuel the bomb, could take from minutes to days for all we know" she replied

"And considering were still alive we can assume that whatever their using isn't as strong, but that could change" added in Nyx who rubbed his neck in slight discomfort

Ryden nodded before swiping more debris from his coat arm "Then lets hall ass before we find that answer"

Raising his hand to his temple, Ryden closed his eyes and focused "This is Knight Sentinel Gremory Reporting, multiple confirmed adversaries engaged and neutralized, total fifty confirmed kills. We are now approaching the _Ruina Imperium's_ initial summoning area." He reported

" _I hear you knight sentinel, continue on your heading but be advised, energy readings in that area are in a state of critical mass... assume time is not on your side"_

Ryden cut the line soon after and sighed deeply "Gotta love the positivity, eh?"

Both devils smirked at his sarcasm but refrained from replying. As if reading the mood Ryden started a light jog towards their intended goal, the other two soon following his lead.

-X-

It had been a nail biter for the lot of them, more so for Ryden as the idea of dealing with a nuclear bomb threat on his first damn day in the military was not what he expected and he even told himself to not associate human ingenuity to demonic magic as the possibilities of the two relating in anyway was slime at best as for all he knew... this could be worse than a nuke.

From their initial position they had tried to cross the distance between them and the targeted spell by cutting through the arena, this was Nyx's initial idea as it would save them more time and give them enough of it as well to defuse it however Ryden knew full well that that was a bad idea and after pulling the eager devil back from the predicted volley of a hundred demonic bolts of energy was enough to defuse the idea as the arena was now considered the kill-box.

They had no choice but to hustle their way around the arena, leading to multiple confrontations with Old-Satan insurgence teams along the way. Ryden had wanted to capture one and interrogate him/her for information but he wasn't so lucky to gain that chance nor did they have time to fret over the small bits of info they'd soon learn themselves with the more ground they covered.

And it was during that time Ryden and Nyx figured that their presents was known, whoever was conducting this operation had covered their bases, all exits had been blockaded and every emergency exit was either blocked, guarded or buried in rubble. No one could get in or out which effectively – if they had not been present – would have given the Old-Satan's enough time to create the spell and detonate it without hindrance.

They either went with the explosion or escaped and neither Abigail or Nyx knew for sure if they could even escape. All around the perimeter of the arena was a magic isolation dome which cut off all forms of communication and teleportation with the outside world but didn't limit magic usage within. This answered one of Ryden's assumptions; whoever was conducting the operation must be _inside_ the arena – most likely with the explosive spell itself – and this meant that there was a limited possibility of an enemy force outside.

Maybe one was close to the territories border – located out in the no-man's-land – waiting for the explosion before they'd rush in and take an empty territory without a single loss of life... if Ryden was a heartless, gutless, commander without any consideration to civilian life then that's exactly what he'd do.

But he could only assume though, information from outside painted the picture that this was a single unit terrorist attack, fueled by patriotic passion for the Old-Satan belief

...or a temper tantrum

Lady Stolas was under suspicion of being the one to have started this assault as the deal her family had with the Phenex family was apparently incredibly big, and due to having lost that massive deal because of Ryden's victory it was assumed that the lady of the House of Stolas had gone off into the deep end.

Typical noble behavior

It was a bitter pill to swallow for not only the three inside but the two Commanding Generals outside.

Aside from the annoying politics, the three inside had made a healthy headway towards their objective, carving a large swath of bodies in their wake of what seemed to be sudden developed chemistry and synergy between the three, a saber, lancer and ranger made to be a deadly combo that spoke many things to the three who took immediate advantage of their perfect teamwork.

And in no time at all... found themselves closing in on their objective.

-X-

"I'm sensing some action just ahead of us... anyone want to ring the doorbell?" asked Ryden

They had rushed through in record time, most of which was due to the berserk like rushes from Ryden and the flurry of pinpoint arrow shots from Abigail; Nyx had made use of the agro on the two to flank enemy positions perfectly and had rack up enough of a body count to get the devils blood pumping – a vicious grin played on the devils face because of it.

Now they were located in the residential suites used for housing the butlers and maids working at the Crucible, all rooms leading down the luxurious hallway had been cleared effectively by swift close quarter proficiency and brutal ranged archery for the few stragglers that wandered into the hallway at the wrong time

And due to their effective coherence in teamwork, their approach was quiet and silent

They had the element of surprise and Ryden desired to use that to their advantage to the fullest

"You want to rush right in through the front door?" asked Abigail, the woman was seen leaning against a wall directly to the right of the objectives doorway, arrow already slung and notched

Ryden rubbed his mouth before replying "you have alternative entry ways? If so then... have at her"

Abigail nodded before pointing down the hall way "a few doors that way will lead you into a maintenance closet, directly above will be a maintenance hatch you can use to get in without detection"

Nyx stood from where he was couched "sounds like I'll take that path, what's your plan?" he asked

Abigail then pointed down the other hallway "Same thing down their but it will lead me into the entrance to the backstage, I'll use that to get to the rafters above and provide support"

Ryden nodded before he cut in "Back stage? Is this a stage room?"

Abigail lightly brushed her bottom lip with her thumb – a habit it seemed – before she sighed at her mistake "right, forgot to mention that this room is a _conference_ room, slanted seating with multiple levels along with a large stage near the bottom floor, curtains... the whole thing, the _Ruina Imperium_ will most likely be located on the bottom floor, close to the demonic energy lay line underground"

Ryden nodded at that, lay lines were one of the few things he'd learned from Zeoticus. Apparently demonic Lay lines were highly important strategic sectors that housed immense clusters of demonic energy within the ground below and is easily accessible to anyone above it, which could be used to fuel many things, spells, teleportation sigils and empower troops with a type of 'buff' that seemed to ignore demonic energy expenditure for a prolonged amount of time, more time meant longer ordinance periods which meant extremely happy allies and very dead and pissed off enemies.

All in all, they were critical to have and the Crucible was built over top a massive one – Ryden could guess as to why.

"And what floor are we on?" questioned Nyx

"The top floor"

"What's the plan for execution?" asked Ryden

"We have no idea the amount of Old-Satan insurgence so ill breach before any of you and thin the herd. What plan do you have Ryden?"

At Abigail's question Ryden simply nodded to the door before them "this is the main entrance way for the top floor yes?"

Abigail nodded "It is"

"Then I'll breach here, clear the top floor as I go down and secure the area"

Abigail looked into his eyes calmly before she sighed again "It's a solid idea but I don't like it" she said

Ryden smirked at her worry, feeling flattered at the woman's constant glances throughout the day "if it makes you feel better I have been in worse scenarios"

Abigail shook her head "that doesn't make me feel better"

Ryden rolled his eyes "Right, um... clocks ticking" feeling slightly awkward at the woman's unease Ryden provided a reminder that caused a small snicker to escape Nyx's mouth before he twirled his spear and tapped its pummel against Ryden's chest, garnering Ryden's confused glance

"Don't you go die on me Lord Ryden, you still owe me a spar" he said

Ryden's eyes narrowed in further confusion "I do?" he asked

The devil simply smirked and shook his head before turning and running off towards his objective, keeping his eyes on the fleeing devil Ryden didn't notice the finger that lightly pressed against his lips. Abigail smirked at Ryden's continued confusion before she planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Same thing from me handsome, don't go dying on me" she said softly

Ryden meekly nodded, eyes bugging out a little at the woman before she too turned and ran towards her own objective.

He stood where he was, refraining from moving as his mind jumped hurdles at what he faced. Nuke be damned but all in his life he had never garnered the attention of this many woman in his life at one time. The longest relationship he had was a year at the longest and it was decent but not a fully committed effort hence why it only lasted a year – teenage hormones and nervousness along with the lack of experience at break ups drove the relationship on longer than its intended due date. Ever since then he'd never had a relationship nor was he as popular among the female populace as he was now... for some reason.

And to make matters harder to fathom was that he was gaining the attention of millennia old devils. Beings far older than humans – obviously – and more powerful ones at that! There were times in Ryden's life that he assumed to be too coincidental that it bordered on the lines of "Gary-sue" and he shivered at those memories

At times he was too damn lucky... or unlucky, depending on what you consider

Then one question popped in his head, if it took him a year to finally break up with a _teenage_ relationship then what the hell will he do when it comes to breaking up with an adult _devil_ 30x his age?

Or better yet... would they'd let him?

 _Oh god_

Ryden forced his eyes closed, a shiver creeping up his spine when the images of Rosalina and Abigail's gazes crossed his mind... the many glances below his belt, the proximity breaches by both parties.

"This is definitely _not_ what one thinks about before breaching a door, nope... probably shouldn't be thinking about this" spoke Ryden in a hushed tone

 _The many curves and seductive tones –_

"Shut up Fulgur, I know that's you" spat Ryden, not at all blushing like a mad man

The faint glowing of the blade on Ryden's back shimmered in amusement which caused Ryden to freeze before cupping his face in both his hands, steam escaping between his fingers "Just what I needed, a sentient sword capable of telepathy and the ability to form _images_ in my head... Fuuuuuck" Came the muffled groan of Ryden

The sword simply shimmered again.

-X-

Abigail had been right about the maintenance hatch, a few doors down and Nyx found the targeted vent before opening it and scuttling in with trained grace, the thin metal within a vent was notorious for creating loud bangs at the faintest of taps so Nyx made double sure his speed was on match with his poise and Before he even entered he shifted his spear into a miniature version of itself and clipped it onto the back of his armored belt.

It didn't take Nyx long to gain a healthy speed and It was near the second minute when he found a light near the end of the tunnel... literally.

Once he reached it he glanced down into a kitchen and lounge area where he noticed three guards lounging around within, Nyx mulled over his choice of action and his current location. On his way here he dropped down a good couple feet and was most likely near the main floor of the conference room. To his right was a sudden turn in the direction of the conference room but Nyx ignored that.

Abigail was going to thin the herd within the conference room, she was probably already in and doing that as he thought about his own actions so he had enough time to thin the reinforcements

If she was doing that within the room then he'd do the same outside, less reinforcements would help give them enough time to defuse the _Ruina Imperium_

Nyx grinned at an opportune moment presented itself to him, within the kitchen room below _four_ inquisitors – not wearing helmets – suddenly stood up and approached the kitchen area, most likely looking to get some food. Nyx snickered before his form suddenly burst into smoke and slowly drifted into the room below

From within his shifting spell Nyx watched as the off duty inquisitors lounged and ate food while a lone servant – a maid – stood off to the side. Nyx watched her for a moment and studied her appearance; she was close to his age in appearance but younger in mind and experience as shown by the slight fear in the woman's eyes, her maid outfit was stained in fresh blood and her hair was a mess – frazzled and up heaved.

If Nyx had lips at the moment then they'd be tightly thinned. He wasn't like his peers and fellow nobles, their heads up and in the clouds with their privilege, mouths tightly closed over silver spoons. He was a man born in conflict and battle, older than the newer lot like Brinyalf and more experienced than even Abigail when it came to war

With that experience, came the disdain for pointless death...

Nyx found the other maid, older in appearance and more refined than the younger one; her body was lying in plain sight near the corner of the lounging room, a splotch of blood dotted the center of the room while a healthy drag mark from that to the body suggested they had moved it out of their way. Blood stained the woman's gut and chest, along with the throat.

He didn't study the body further; he didn't want to know the whole details pertaining to her death. The Old-Satan's were notorious for killing and torturing their own kind as if they meant nothing to them, simple cattle – cannon fodder. Just thinking about it made Nyx nearly snarl

The younger maid was probably either protected by the older maid who had probably stood up to the inquisitors before being executed for an obviously ignorable insult, that's all Nyx wanted to know, all he dared to know.

Then his muscles – ghostly and formless – tightened when one of them reached out to the maid's bosom, the maid in question simply stiffened but dare not retreat and relented to the fate she knew was coming

Nyx had seen and assumed enough, his positioning had been perfectly placed in between the maid and ball of cartilage called an Inquisitor after he made his preparations; all he needed to do now was show himself.

The Inquisitor reaching out the maid grew confused when a white smoke seemed to coil itself around his outstretched arm

"Huh?" he asked unintentionally

His arm suddenly bent the wrong direction the second he spoke

 _ **SNAP!**_

Bone peaked from skin and muscle, crimson blood spout from punctured and lacerated veins and cries of shock and surprise reverberated within the room, yet no sound escaped to the outside, a faint sigil of Silencing shown on the door which was locked from the inside by the same spell

 _No escape_

Nyx gazed down with disappointment at the weeping knight before him, bearing the crest and insignia of a once glorified military force now turned death squad of its own people, his eyes narrowed dangerously before he simply tossed the much smaller devil to the side. His wrathful gaze then turned to the three others in the room, their features and details only mildly being skimmed over by Nyx before he lurched forward.

He gave them no time to speak and jutted forward at speeds seen in an _ultimate-_ class devil, his weapon was ignored for the most part, the four inch 'spear' simply stayed on his lower back as he rushed the first two other Inquisitors. The first was kicked in the face while the second was palm thrusted in the solar plexus. The third was the older and more experienced one who actually managed to avoid his first strike but it was still a lost cause

Nyx slightly tilted his head to the side and allowed a right handed – wild – punch to pass by uselessly before ducking under the arm – grabbed it – and twisting it as he did moved; the limb twisted around easily enough but it would not follow further but its effect had the intended purpose. The knight locked in position which gave Nyx time to drive a kick to the devils knee which forced him to bend down for a power Spartan kick to the skull

The power in a leg kick, no matter the type, produces enough force to shatter wood... this was human limits. Nyx was Ultimate-class... his kicks could dent _metal_

 _ **SNAP! CRACK!**_

The devil's neck shattered and bent at a perfect ninety degree angle before dropping to the floor, dead before he even hit the ground.

Nyx glanced up at the other two devils

The knights wore magic reduction armor but it meant very little against brute strength and he had his fair amount of it in his punches. The two were sprawled on the ground – one bleeding from the nose and mouth and the other gasping for air – but they stood back up like any trained warrior. Nyx noticed the maid step back and hide behind the counter of the kitchen before he reached behind himself and grabbed his spear

A faint glow – blue in color – shown ghostly over the crimson spear before it suddenly returned to its original state; Nyx twirled it around himself swiftly and then rushed forward, the one gasping and gripping the warped chest plate was his first target

Like a blade parting air, his spear pierced the devil's armor like nothing – soundless – and tore the heart in two. Nyx paused before he quickly yanked his spear from the devils chest and twirled his spear to clean it of the blood that caked the crimson edge. The devil was gripped fast and painfully by death before he even hit the ground.

The second knight went to grab his weapon sheathed at his side but Nyx wasn't caught unaware, his spear twirled and swiped right at speeds fast enough to generate a soft ' _shing!'_ in the air; the second devil stood frozen momentarily before he collapsed – head following a second later.

Nyx was – as always – disappointed.

His opinion of the _Inquisitor creed_ was lackluster at best, most of them posed a threat in mass but in smaller groups they were simple annoyances to add further dissatisfaction, they lacked any kind of honor or limits when it came to handling themselves. All of them were low or mid class devil's given the mighty privilege of being an inquisitor for the four _'true'_ Satan's and because of that each one acted as if the world owed them something, like they'd been dealt the harshest of insults prior to their rise to knighthood.

They acted like delinquents however. Be it slight insults or the briefest of glances and the worm of a devil would use that as an excuse to exercise their new rights by killing randomly. Nyx wondered why they acted so violently and so brutally and at first wondered if the armor they were given somehow turned each one who wore it into gutless murders without reason.

He could only wonder...

"S-stay back, or I –I'll kill her!" yelled a slurred and stutter voice to his right. Nyx turned and nearly glared at the spineless cretin of a devil he'd tossed aside before and now for some reason he thought it was a good idea to garner his attention again.

Should have learned the first time...

He was holding the maid he saved hostage, arm wrapped around the maid's collar with a knife held close to the side of the woman's throat, he only had one arm useful though as the other dangled listlessly at his side, radius Bone sticking out in a brutal fashion along with a healthy amount of blood

Nyx sighed; he'd severed a few veins and arteries upon that break

 _Any second now..._

"Night night kiddo..." commented Nyx

It was always nice when predictions came at the right time. The young devil holding the maid was dozing off as he held the woman, eyes slowly drooping and before long he simply collapsed to the side as Nyx silently counted the seconds, as the timer hit ten – the inquisitor was out... and wouldn't wake up again.

The maid stood silently – frozen still – near the edge of the kitchens entrance, her eyes held... no, _locked_ on Nyx's form and eyes as her form began to softly shiver, not of the brisk temperatures but raw emotion that wrapped itself around the young woman's form like a thick blanket.

Tears welled up in the corner of the woman's eyes but for some reason they didn't fall. Nyx didn't really know what to do at moments like these, it was rare for him to encounter these situations during his time in conflict and had mostly gone about his business while ignoring the emotional episodes whenever he could but right now he was stuck. Not once was he behind enemies lines, saving the unfortunate souls left behind but now was obviously different. Not only did he have a grieving young girl before him but one who most likely felt all alone at the moment. He wasn't ignorant to know that a noble's presence is like a heavy weight upon the lower classes shoulders.

His presence being the one reason her emotions having not broken yet, her professional obligations taking a much high demand then her own feelings...

A strong _woman_ indeed...

"You contain your emotions well servant, but bottling up what you're feeling is not what is healthiest... you may release what pains you" spoke Nyx in a soft voice, he himself was surprised by his soft spoken tone.

The maid nodded slowly at his words before her emotions burst but she did not openly weep like a child but expressed her emotions by action. She crossed the room with a slow gait before kneeling at the body in the room, softly and gently she raised the body into her lap and gripped it tightly to her being, the head of the deceased maid held close to the woman's chest.

All that remained was silent sobs, quiet and soft... like a dreary rain

Nyx looked at the scene before him, the sight he'd seen so many times before.

 _Of tragedy and death_

His hand tightened over his spear – audible groans of tightened leather from his fingerless grey gloves, before he swiftly turned towards the door he'd locked and silenced. Before he opened it however he spoke aloud for the only occupant to hear

"It's going to be chaos here soon, you should try and leave while you can" as he spoke he remained stationary but he slowly turned to glance at the maid when he heard nothing, the maids emotions were too raw for her to even hear him let alone care.

He sighed softly at that before he nodded and opened the door to the next room, His form morphing into smoke as he vanished into the room beyond.

-X-

Abigail slid into a rack of maid's clothes with relative ease, the skin tight dark red armored clothing she wore was perfect for stealth and moderately good for CQC, add her silent footstep augments to her armored high heeled shoes and she was as effective at hunting as ever. While her form remained hidden within the area of black and gold fabrics a single individual crossed the path she had been in recently, the tell tale description of Inquisitor armor in full display to her.

Her hands slowly eased down to her hips where two daggers were sheathed and gently eased them out, the blood red gleam within them didn't even shimmer in the faint lighting in the room, her mind eased into her commitment and her hesitation – forgotten.

Directly below the helmet of an inquisitors armor was a thin section that lacked protection, perfect for a thin and swift blade as hers, and directly under the devils arm – located in the armpit – was only a moderate amount of chainmail which meant nothing to her daggers.

He turned towards her hiding spot but saw nothing

She struck the second his eyes left her position

Her dagger jabbed out and softly passed into the man's throat, below the Adam's apple and through the soft tissue. Not a sound escaped the devil as the blade was lodged and ultimately forgotten before Abigail added another stab to the lower section of the devil's armpit with her second dagger. The first pierced the throat and destroyed the ability to breathe, the second passed directly over the rib cage and into the side of the devil's heart

With her work done the body collapsed into her awaiting arms.

She silently back peddled into the darkness of her cover, the body in her arms disposed of within before peeking back out. The dim room of the large back stage was hardly lit but it mattered little to her, she faintly tapped her left wrist before drawing a circle with her finger upon her armored gauntlet which then shown with an array of sigils before suddenly going dark, the effects however became obvious.

Her form vanished into thin air, the last of her form – the dark red metal high heels – soundlessly clipped off the pristine floor boards before they too vanished.

Abigail had perfected her family traits years ago, while humans perceived her ancestor as one who found lost treasures it wasn't actually the main trait. Valac had actually been a prime hunter – a bowman actually – and had created a massive kill count on both angel and fallen angels in the Great War... a kill count he called "his grand treasure"

Valac was a reclusive and silent type, even the Grand king Solomon wasn't aware of Valac's true power during the human's reign which had been unnamed to this day because of it. It was a name she desired to create all on her own. Her mother was an inheritor of her ancestor's gift just as she was but had been resigned to an arranged marriage to the current lord of the house of Oriax; due to this she had been unable to fulfill her dream. A dream that Abigail had taken in some centuries ago.

Her senses were sharper then her peers, her knowledge of the land, be it forest or building – instinctual – and her skill with the bow, unmatched. Demonic energy was not hers to use conventionally like large bolts of destruction but to be molded into sleek, sharp and deadly arrows which recently became numerous in their variety. This then developed into more advanced tiers of uniqueness.

 _Active camouflage_ – demonic energy that defies reality and twists it to render the caster nonexistent to anyone.

 _Silent steps –_ muffle the sounds of anything touched or worn to soundlessness

Because of her training – her training that took _one hundred years_ to perfect was what created the special division called " _ranger_ " within the red legion. She was the first and only one given the title of _ranger_ and seemed to be the only one fitting that position for the foreseeable future.

It wasn't her dream yet...

But it was a start...

Soundless as a ghost and equally difficult to perceive, Abigail silently waltz into the personal space of a lone Inquisitor who'd stepped too far out of sight. Her hand gripped the devils head by the mouth – muffling the gasp of surprise by crushing the soft and brittle metal easily – before driving her blade into the same location of the throat as her first kill

Stabbing into the soft tissue of the throat below the Adam's apple closes off the air way – making no sound or gag – and leaves behind no blood for others to find. A mistake she'd made before during the earlier years.

Swift. Silent. And clean

With fast and silent executions Abigail made short work of the barren few Guards in the backstage area before she ascended to the rafters above where she finally unleashed her bow. It snapped soundlessly from its secure position on her left arm into full extension in record time, with trained precision she gripped an arrow from the quiver on her right thigh – weight: twenty eight grams, explosive – she cycled that one into the palm of her draw hand before she grabbed a set of three arrows, weight recognized to be twelve grams: subsonic stasis.

A smirk creased over her lips as she analysed the view before her with laser focus accuracy. From above where she was in the rafters she identified multiple devils ranging from the bottom floor to the top section where Ryden was to breach the second she let the explosive arrow loose

Her face contorted in reproach as she couldn't get a good view of the _Ruina Imperium's_ energy source, the large golden dome of energy appeared glass like and due to the distinct coloring of the energy caused a glare to appear over the glass like shell which was over a massive yellow sigil on the stage. Her eyes took in the many distinct figures near the sigil... she froze when she noticed Indris Phenex to be among them, held against a wooden pole by a blade lodged in the devils chest. His regeneration was keeping him alive but the pain was almost permanent which had caused the devil to feint where he was.

Torturing a Phenex was easy it seemed...

Among the others down below Abigail identified a silver haired man with a long braid dangling down his back, due to her height and distance and the loud groan of energy from the _Ruina Imperium_ Abigail couldn't make out the devil's words when he spoke to a second and third figure she immediately identified soon after a glance.

Lady Stolas and Gloria Bathin

Lady Stolas stood upon the stage, a haggard appearance held in a heavily damaged sundress that sported multiple burn marks. The one thing that got Abigail to smirk further was the large third degree burn on the woman's face, confirming all suspicion... she was a traitor, and had gotten a nifty souvenir from Rosalina it seemed.

Gloria Bathin was another she identified easily due to the woman's publicly announced achievements. Her engagement to Vringr Bathin was the latest news updated on her. Her emotional profile was what most devil's hated of her, she was a power monger – sought after it like a Imp does a corpse – and treated almost everyone like they meant so low to her there was no defining term to describe it, in the end she had many traits that painted a large target on her back but what she was seeing was against everything she filed on the woman.

 _Frantic and scared was not one of those traits..._

She was panic stricken and seemed to constantly glance around the large room as if she was nervous of something, Abigail knew it wasn't the silver haired man because if that was the case then taking her eyes of the man was most likely not what one does when scared of a much more powerful being, it was natural after all.

Her actions however seemed to suggest it was someone else she was scared of. Abigail snickered at that; whoever scared the woman must've done something she wasn't prepared to see and Gloria was known to be always prepared for the worst.

Upon further inspection the Valac Heir identified no other standout figures other than a few lancer class inquisitors standing below the stage, along with two larger devils standing guard right beside the sigil with tower shields and pole axes.

A heavy guard unit but they lacked ranged support, no Arcane's were seen among the many balconies that framed the staging area, those would be perfect nests to be in yet she saw none.

She watched for a few moments before the silver haired devil nodded joyously – brightly smiled – tapped Gloria's cheek soothingly and turned before vanishing into a _Teleportation sigil._

Her mind played the scene over multiple times, the devil of high rank had actually used a teleportation sigil within the isolation dome over the arena! How? Abigail could only assume the energy emitting from the _Ruina Imperium_ was somehow distorting the isolation effect. It was all that she could come up with to answer what she saw

Ignoring that for now, Abigail identified the three most isolated targets – two on the second section and one on the very top – notched an arrow and released the three in fast consecutive shots fitting a semi-automatic rifle firing with a hair trigger

The three shots landed with zero sound, the dark wispy grey arrows sunk into the stationary devils skulls with enough force to take them from their feet. However the second the arrows landed all three of them were suspended in stasis – prolonging the time before their bodies hit the ground.

Thirty seconds...

Acting fast, Abigail pulled three more wispy grey arrows and targeted the three at the bottom floor, same result with the same effect. With six consecutive kills undetected Abigail smiled at her job completed, all stragglers were taken down leaving only a moderately sized force at the main floor near the stage, their position perfectly boxed in for an ambush.

As if reading her mind from a distance a white wispy smoke flowed into the bottom floor through the door leading towards the cafeteria and lounge, now it was time to get the party started.

She twirled the final arrow in her draw hand, notched it, drew back and took in a deep breath, the glowing red arrow filled with destructive energy shown like a swirling flame that obscured her accuracy but accuracy wasn't her intention.

A small contingent of guards came into the room's entrance way having been a patrol she'd ignored before entering the back stage.

Her prediction of their entry being perfectly timed

 _Exhale_

 _Release_

 _ **BOOOM!**_

-X-

Ryden was standing close by the door when he heard the explosion and subsequently kicked the large double doors open the second after he positioned himself to execute his breach. He didn't know what the numerical count was on the enemies within but both Abigail and Nyx had been gone for just above twenty minutes. Either the distance traveled was large or they had run into complications on their way, he didn't know but what he _did_ know was that they were fast at what they did.

 _ **WHAM!**_

His augmented strength crushed the wooden door easily enough, the composition of the doors being strong enough to fold around his leg before shooting forward and smacking into the back of a devil, both devil and door met before going on a date with the next section below – a loud crash thoomed out at their descent's completion.

All attention in the room was on the third floor the moment he entered, but that didn't last very long

Nyx reformed into the physical plain within a second and was upon a set of guards near his entry door, while suspiciously multiple arrows descended on unaware knights like silenced sniper fire. Ryden knew a good support when he saw one and Abigail was the prime definition of that. The top floor was barren of targets for him to neutralize, that being the one he'd hit with the door.

Ryden clicked his tongue – checked the corners of the top section – and then vaulted over and down towards the second section, what greeted him was the same thing but two already dead Knights, each of them sporting an arrow for their trouble; he even inspected his kill and noticed an arrow as well

Why did his role feel slightly obsolete?

Noticing a group of inquisitors approaching Ryden dropped the thought before sprinting forward. Thankfully there were no ranged devils in the room – most being closer ranged – which Ryden assumed to be Abigail's handy work, whatever the case she'd done an excellent job.

His mind ceased its train of thought when a group of inquisitor's charged him but Ryden was far from intimidated, he unsheathed his sword which spurn with deadly arcs before lurching forward at speeds untraceable for lower-class devils to follow. The first of the group of five was bisected just below the rib cage – blood and guts oozed out the bottom of the dead inquisitor's torso – before he twirled around counter clockwise as to his original swing and drove a deep gash into the second inquisitor that tried to catch his opening

"Gahhhh!" gagged the devil loudly but the wound was too much and soon enough fell to the ground in a ragged heap

Ryden breathed to ease his heart rate before raising his head and sword to block a downward slash – from the corner of his eye he then spotted the fourth and fifth inquisitors rushing his left side. Keeping his hold on the sword with his strong arm – that being his right – Ryden simply swipe to the left with his other arm and sent the two flanking devils flying gracelessly towards the many seats in the second section with a simple gust of force

Surprisingly the two didn't get up...

A faint exhale escaped Ryden's lips before he pushed his sword up and knocked the devil locking his sword back – twirled – and roundhouse kicked the devil off the second section and down onto the main floor, without hesitation Ryden jumped down after and landed directly on the falling devils chest

 _ **CRUNCH!**_

That chest didn't take the combined weight of his body along with the force produced by gravity and simply collapsed the chest like a pop can.

"Ugh..." spoke Ryden, face contorted in disgust

He didn't think that would happen at all...

He cleared his throat before charging forward and into the fray before him, Nyx already racking up a swift body count besides his own

Nyx was slightly more enjoying himself then he was in the Kitchen and lounge room as the larger number of targets meant less waiting for more action, while he was hateful of war he did enjoy a good fight – more so to the death between hardened warriors than slaughtering weak defenceless fodder. While this could be seen as the latter the weak seen here were actually managing to defend themselves and Nyx was appreciating their skill but ultimately it wasn't the time and place to be fretting over his enjoyment

Just beyond the group of lancer class Inquisitors stood two behemoth guards who were in the process of guarding the two high class devils between them. Ever since they breached the two had closed in on the _Ruina Imperium_ and seemed to be rushing the activation sigil below it but with the looks of fear and agitation between them spoke that it wasn't going to well for them

For some reason the spell was getting interference

 _Good, buy's us more time_

His form flexed before he ducked under a spears thrust before doing the same in return, luckily the offending Inquisitor had made a grave mistake and closed to much the distance and had received a brutal fourteen inch blade into the trap muscle, further cutting the number of lancer's down to three

Nyx could work with that

He began to twirl his spear rapidly to his right – his left – and then behind him like a fluid and well oiled machine with expert and master levels of skill, red angry arcs bleed of the weapon faintly and Nyx's red eyes shown with family inherited power

Without closing the distance Nyx directed his twirling spear onto the offensive by augmenting the length of the weapon – faint blue wisps coiled around the weapons length before it suddenly became twice as deadly as it was before

It moved faster than the speed of sound – the space around them seemed to muffle – as the weapon drew angry red lines on every surface within a few meters around Nyx, on seats, the ground and over armor and weapons alike

He stopped and held the spear at his side vertically

And tapped the ground lightly

The seats, the ground and the Inquisitor's that born the angry red lines suddenly collapsed

 _In pieces_

Ryden had watched the happens of what seemed to be Nyx's favored AOE attack which diced anything within a favor distance and grew slightly horrified when all three of the lancer's blocking Nyx suddenly fell to the floor in bloody and gory ribbons

He wanted to comment but he paused briefly before swiping his blade to the side that which had been resting roughly in the gut of the inquisitor he'd killed moments before, the two parts of the Old-Satan knight fell to the floor before Ryden chaining a combo of two strikes to the two advancing inquisitors.

He noticed a third approach but a grey wispy arrow halted him violently.

He breathed easy – nodded to no one in particular – and took in what remained of the Old-Satan terrorist crew

Two large knights wielding tower shields and pole axes and two high-class devils, one of them being the exact devil he spooked a few hours ago

Gloria Bathin paused in what she was doing and turned when she felt a chill drop down her spine

Her form paled when she noticed her terror standing in the central aisle on the main floor, crimson blade held at ease at his side, his red Flock jacket visibly stained by dry blood from the Squad he slaughtered before her... the blood of her beloved fiancé among the many killed that hour

Lady Stolas grew frustrated at the woman's lack of assistance, Euclid Lucifage had given them direct orders to complete the task within the favored time frame and if they missed that then the window of escape would vanish and they'd be among the ash mounds in this dreadful territory. The scared sheep of a woman beside her wasn't helping, she had come here speaking of a walking nightmare – a demon wearing a devils face – who slaughtered her sweeper unit with brutal efficiency while wielding a crimson blade, the description didn't match their intelligence as the only one who wielded a crimson blade was Sirzechs Gremory and he was escorted out of the crucible so it couldn't be him

So who was it?

"Bloody coward, help me!" she sneered but the woman in question simply shook more deeply at whatever she was locked gazes with

Lady Stolas grew confused and glanced up to her and then to whoever was terrifying here so much

She froze solid when her eyes met with cold Icy blue eyes

"Y-you..." she muttered, garnering the attention of Gloria Bathin

She seemed to visibly vibrate at Lady Stolas' familiarity towards the nightmare of a devil and had to question who or what she was looking at "Who is he?... _What_ is he?" she asked, clear hesitance flowing through her facial features

"Lord Ryden Vale Gremory... the Shadow Heir, B-but... He should be dead, I BLEW YOU UP!" her words grew more in volume as her eyes truly processed the figure before her, it wasn't a hallucination, no... No it was reality; she was truly looking at a pristine and healthy Ryden Vale Gremory with no sign of damage from her remotely detonated explosion rune.

Ryden smirked and waved, not at lady Stolas but to Gloria "Hey..." he said casually "You deliver my message like I ask?" his words were simple conversation, a way to distract the two high-class devils from doing whatever they were doing to the glass dome that was the _Ruina Imperium_ and so far it worked. From the corner of his eyes he noticed a shimmer in the rafters before a small glare of red pointed itself at the two high-class devils before then being pointed at the two large Inquisitors at the female's right and left, Ryden ignored the obvious annoyances while Nyx circled to the right of the stage, almost like a flanking maneuver

It happened quick, the three devils had managed to clear the rooms adjacent of reinforcements easily enough and had even managed to force the _Ruina Imperium's_ detonation from being forced into activation by their fast actions

Now all they had to do was take out two large elite Inquisitors and defeat two high-class devils that could possibly be Ultimate-class devils

Loved those odds

The woman didn't even respond to Ryden's question but lady Stolas made herself known to the 'devil' instead by seething her anger towards him "Y-you are to late Brat! The _Ruina Imperium_ is near its completion, you are too late" she said and among those present, only one man noticed the faint stutter in the woman's tone

Ryden smirked at the woman "Are you nervous Lady Stolas?" he asked simply

The woman reeled back as if insulted "I fear nothing brat" she said and even Gloria Bathin seemed slightly nervous at what the woman was implying, not many would willingly die for a cause, especially if their emotionally compromised like Gloria.

Ryden chuckled, buying more time for Nyx as he approached the hanging body of a Blonde haired devil impaled on a wooden post; he glanced back to lady Stolas, the woman's blonde hair overshadowed by the large golden pillar of demonic energy behind her.

"Riiight and that shaking in your knees and the sweat on your brow is just mild demonic magic exertion right?" he asked and the woman reeled back in surprise but said nothing, only sneered in further anger towards him. He smiled further having finally finding the nerve to prod "I knew you were afraid to die Lady Stolas" he said, his eyes then squinted slightly "you don't strike me as the patriotic type – to die valiantly for a greater cause than your own – instead you only seek fame, glory... recognition"

He pointed to the pillar of golden energy "you've gotten so desperate that you've actually fallen further from glory then you already were. Think of what you've done Lady Stolas... where is your husband? You're son? – Oh wait, never mind that, your son's dead and I have this really _nasty_ feeling I'm looking at the one who did it" Ryden visibly contorted in disgust at even saying that before he clicked his tongue and gestured openly with his arms "well? The only heir you have is dead, your husband's most like dead or detained for suspicion of treason and the resources of your family house is in the political grasp of Zekram Bael... who was attending this event... You knew that right?" Ryden spoke

He knew all of this from Venelana, how Zekram Bael holds all records and Details of the noble houses associated with _council of the 72_ and the martial law implemented by the four Satan's that all families were to share a collection of land as a form of united security, all four generals and Zekram Bael had formed that state of law as to deter those who wished to betray.

Smart move it was as Ryden's words caused a visible dread to take hold of Lady Stolas who paled the longer she was silent. to Ryden the terror that gripped the woman meant that she neglected to form any kind of backup plan, she probably didn't make any back up plans at all and simply acted on pure emotion than rational thought as to what happens after she royally pisses off four extremely powerful devils and a political juggernaut like Zekram Bael who at the same time holds all families by the short and curlies

It was at _that_ moment she knew... she _really_ fucked up

Not everyone can be an Aizen after all

"I-I-It doesn't matter, there's no turning back from this. Its over Ryden – your rise to fame ends with the Bael clan's destruction" she spoke, new resolve forming before him

Ryden didn't care, they were already prepared for it – Ryden shook his head calmly, a sigh escaping his lips before his muscles tightened "No lady Stolas... yours does"

Then everything exploded into action

Ryden didn't hesitate and Nyx didn't either, their targets were already chosen

The two large inquisitors flexed their muscles and raised their shields but doing so obscured their vision which was predicted by both who swiftly repositioned themselves behind the large knights, a jab and a swipe later and both burly knights crumpled to the floor with a severed spine and a punctured heart, their armor meaning nothing to crystallised demonic energy and dragonite forged weaponry.

From above Abigail took aim with her bow and prioritized lady Stolas, she seemed to be the most motivated of the two and was more likely to do something irrational thanks to Ryden's prodding words. She was surprised at how charismatic he was with negotiating but ignored her swelling need to praise and released her bow

Soundless as always but faster than her stealthier arrows, this one tore through the air like a lightning strike and pierced the crazed Devil's hand with ease. She was in the midst of reaching out to the golden dome of crystallized demonic magic but was interrupted when an arrow pinned her lime to the floor below, even taking her off her feet by the force it carried

Her blood was pumping too much to even feel the pain but a second arrow did a better job; Lady Stolas glanced down when something cold dribbled down her stomach and identified a large hole where her stomach should have been

A green arrow, weight registered to be thirty eight grams: Heavy caliber... did her in swiftly and without a scream, the adrenaline pumping in Lady Stolas was enough to numb the pain long enough for death to overtake her

Gloria Bathin had fallen to her knees when lady Stolas was taken from her feet and then subsequently gutted by a thick green arrow that seemed to descend from the heavens themselves. Everything was going wrong, the plan was done – the guards given to them by Euclid Lucifage were dead and gone, even the two elite Knights were easily disposed of by the nightmare of a devil and a fast lancer holding a crimson spear made from a metal she thought to be unobtainable

A small – less terrified – part of her said that it just didn't pay to get out of bed and she found herself wishing she could have stayed in her mansion, with Vringr beside her. Life was looking good for her but all it took was one whole day to destroy that like a fragile glass vase, stomped and crushed under a violent foot attached to a devil none of her superiors heard of. Ryden vale Gremory, that was his name – a brother to the legendary General Sirzechs Gremory... she'd never heard of him until today, no one did, why did he have to appear today?

Gloria sat in a kneel, her will dissolving as she took in – what she presumed to be – her final moments , her defeat, on a stage in enemy territory beside a bomb strong enough to erase her presences from history, strong enough to erase the three devils around her

All she had to do was –

Gloria felt a small gust of air behind her – a thume of power pulsed – before everything went dark.

Ryden stood over the last survivor, the devil he drove to terror, her head rolled to a stop a few feet from the body. Well... _now_ there were no survivors. He sighed deeply, he acted upon instinct when the Devil without will began to reach out to the golden dome of energy that was the _Ruina Imperium_ and chose to simply end the devil then and there

It was a mercy he supposed, she was in their custody and doomed to prison in the Anti-Satan hands but he didn't know what kind of treatment that entailed, especially for a woman as beautiful as her so he ended what she saw as a nightmare. He didn't like the idea of leaving someone to a fate worse than death anyway, no matter his anger he couldn't find it in himself to allow that to happen so he cut rather then tied

He had his limits after all...

"Are we secure?" asked Abigail as she dropped from the rafters, her bow having folded against her left arms gauntlet.

Nyx sniffled loudly before swiping his thumb against his nose "Seems so, I cleared out a few in the kitchen area and even rescued a maid in my troubles"

Ryden tensed when he heard that "she alright?" he asked and Nyx nodded

"Aye, she's grieving but she'll live" he said before looking to Abigail as she approached the _Ruina Imperium_ "can you defuse it Abigail?" he asked

Abigail whipped around in a panicked Motion "Ryden get over here NOW!" she barked suddenly, Nyx's heart dropped at seeing that and nearly tripped but Ryden lurched forward instantly "Hand on the Glass surface NOW!" further pressed Abigail and Ryden pressed his hands on the golden dome without hesitation, the woman was incredibly panicked and he could only assume as to what was causing it

Ryden felt the issue the moment his hands touched the golden dome of demonic energy. It was absolute chaos, churning energy that licked out like solar flames and frothing magma that oozed barely contained power at his fingertips. The Ruina Imperium was like a water pressure bomb – contained water in a small surface with a primer in the center ready to detonate, Pascal's law mandates that should a pressure change happen in a confined area with a liquid then all of the liquid experiences that change, a pressure bomb was what he was holding, contained with an energy source forced into instability within a confined space

Whatever was within was powerful and currently going into a critical state of release, like a balloon being filled with too much air

Upon contact the energy nearly exploded outward and the loud groaning the pillar emitted before suddenly changed into a much louder roar that deafened the three devils

"WHAT NOW!" Roared Ryden over the chaotic energy, he glanced back and saw Nyx holding Abigail, the pillar had sent out a pulse of energy that had sent her flying back but thankfully Nyx had his spear impaled in the floorboards of the stage

Nyx glanced up to him "SIPHON THE ENERGY FROM THE DOME, YOU NEED TO STABILIZE THE ENERGY OUTPUT!" he yelled

Ryden nodded before he forced himself to focus on the energy, he did it many times so far since his release. In the tent in Ajuka's territory and in the woods outside the Gremory Getaway Estate but now it was much different, before it was dormant energy he had to coerce into being absorbed, but right now the energy was like angry winds, raging and fast – raging flames – hot and violent. Ryden had learned that the energy he absorbed had a type of feel to it... an _emotion_ sort of – back in the tent the energy he absorbed was Formal – tamed – but extremely intricate, like a formula of some kind. The forest felt like any other kind of forest, quiet and tranquil but with an underline of bloodlust from the predators within

Right now he felt something familiar within the energy he was absorbing, it was powerful and full of dignity. A nobilities flame, forged from decades of training and time that which was formed into a white hot canvas of Embers that sprouted the most vibrate of fires... a bird, immortality personified – a queering definition of the original but all the more the same. With wings lined with peons of roaring flames and a beak of adamantine strength – eyes, smoldering embers that held the oldest of wisdoms and a life span... endless

 _Phenex_

"Rosalina?" he asked himself, his hands hadn't moved from where they were but his eyes took in the distinct features of who was within the glass dome of energy, everything was immaculate – her eyes softly held shut – but a pained expression dotted the woman's features, the muscles – flexed – and more energy flooded forward

But he was ready, his own muscles flexed and the vaults of his own power opened generously – eager to assist the intended goal. He stood for a moment not truly knowing how long he was standing there but soon enough the energy being released died down before fizzing out, the last embers of Rosalina's demonic energy being completely expended and absorbed into Ryden

Ryden gasped... loudly. His breathing was held in by the sheer focus needed and his body felt light, _very light_ but he ignored that when he was face to face with a softly breathing Rosalina. She was unconscious – exhausted from the exertion – and simply laid still under a kneeling Ryden who breathed a sigh of relief at her more relaxed state.

"Bomb defused" he said simply before glancing to the two hugging devils before him, it took a moment to notice that the two were actually holding each other for dear life. A moment later and Nyx glanced up and froze – Abigail followed and did the same.

"Y-You did it... Y-you really did it – HAHA! By the Satan's..." Nyx said before he collapsed onto his ass "...I thought we were goners there"

Abigail teetered on her legs – a dazed look in her eyes as she stared at Ryden before she collapsed as well "He Really did do it..." was all she said

Ryden blinked "How much time was left?" he asked

Abigail shook her head "You DON'T wanna know..." she replied

 _Knight sentinel this is General Sirzechs Gremory, what's your status?_

Ryden went to summon the white orb for open communication but paused when he noticed a glass orb – golden in color – already in his grasp. He blinked and so too did the others as they took notice but Ryden shook it off and summoned the White orb in his other hand.

"Bomb defused Sir" he said with a hardened reply

On the other end all three present heard a loud quire of exhales and cheers of their success, a few claps and even loud praises towards the three were heard

" _Excellent work you three, the Bael clan owes the three of you an immeasurable debt"_

 _-This is Commander Praxis Bael, we've identified a massive enemy force outside and within the wastelands, permission to engage-_ in the distance Ryden, Abigail and Nyx over heard a communications report, delivering news that all three of them were dreading to hear

" _Not against a force that size Commander Bael, not on your own"_

Ryden felt a pit in his stomach as he heard the news, seemed like his first deployment wasn't too far off then he thought. As his body slightly relaxed his senses stretched out subconsciously – the power he absorbed was immense and with that came a boon to his own reserves, weather they were permanent he had no clue but with his jump in sensory power came something he didn't expect to feel. Ryden's eyes turned to a spot just below the stage, he felt something there, it was a draft of some kind – his senses were stretching out to all the walls and doors and through the cracks of every kind, he could bloody feel the pipes and plumbing below the building but what grabbed his sight though was something else

He stood up and hopped down from the stage and directly we're his senses were disappearing into _nothingness_. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary when he stood near the center of the aisle, seats lined with blood were to his right and diced chairs and bodies were to his left and the walkway was as before lined with deceased Inquisitors.

Nothing was wrong, it was as it should be but something was here before and with that feeling came a faint sent he didn't think he'd smell for a long time

 _Lucifage_

Ryden's eyes steeled over as his left hand – empty of the white orb – rose up and gripped space itself, it felt residual and abnormal and because of the unnatural effects demonic energy had on the world it left behind scars upon its use

A portal was opened here and a Lucifage had gone through it... the lucifage family were substantial for the old Satan's, wherever they go something important happens and what laid beyond this scarring space was exactly where that scent had gone to

It was easy to open, felt like what he does in order to summon his weapon and soon enough, a wide portal opened for all to see. Both Abigail and Nyx were confused upon Ryden's sudden interest with a measly spot of space at the bottom of the walk way but gasped when the devil opened a literal portal out of thin air

"What..." breathed Abigail, Nyx remained frozen at where he stood – an understandable reaction to witnessing an impossible feat

Ryden didn't hear them and simply glanced down at the golden ball in his hands, the power within being vastly too powerful to describe in words, the red haired devil simply opened a rift and disposed the bomb into his personal pocket dimension and summoned the white orb

"Sir, permission to leave the territory" he said, voice containing nothing but sudden determination

There was a pause on the other end before the General suddenly spoke _"for what purpose Knight Sentinel?"_ they heard him ask

Nyx and Abigail grew immensely confused when a wide smile – containing nothing but _joy –_ sprouted onto Ryden's face

"To Give the Old-Satan's back their bomb..."

There was another pause over the white orb – prolonged enough to make both Nyx and Abigail assume they had heard nothing at all... they were wrong...

" _Permission Granted..."_

-X-

 _D-Did this Boi just rip a scene from halo 2?_

 _Yes..._

 _i-is this actually going to happen?_

 _Yup..._

 _HAHAHAHA! When I was writing the last chapter I came up with this idea and I nearly creamed me spinach at how perfect it just fit..._

 _ **It just works**_ _– Todd Howard_

 _There is really nothing I have to say about this chapter at the moment other than that I had a hell of a fun time writing it_

 _Ok maybe I do have a few things to say but its mainly pertaining to a few reviews_

 _ **Iamanijabruh**_ _ **–**_ _I thank you very much for your words and I'll simply say that my Update time is spotty at best but there is no way I'm dropping this story as I've planned too much for this to derail because of long times in between updates – it just means I have a few personal issues to deal with or simply don't have motivation, can't write a good story without motivation right? And Yes, about the side characters – many of them are going to be immensely important and will have their own desires and opinions about how things are done in this story, I even relate to the developments of those characters to be like the good ol gang in_ _ **Lord of the rings**_

 _Adventure all around and growth for all! And yes, there will be competition... a lot of competition_

 _ **Guest**_ _ **–**_ _I've been putting that story into the planning stages as it diverts from canon much earlier then you may think and the PDC with have a much larger impact then a single character like Ryden... so hold tight, I may be in the middle of working on a chapter_

 _ **Guest #2**_ _ **–**_ _yes, after reading through the chapter I realized he actually DIDN'T do his job so I do plan on feeding the lazy Punta when he reads this one and then I'll skim over it when he's done. We will make this work! We have the technology!_

 _ **I may love or hate you**_ _– my name is W.A.R Monger, I love the smell of napalm in the morning and the sound of gunfire late at night, I smoke a Cuban sugar every day of every hour and sound like Gunny from full metal jacket, You will not Laugh, you will not cry, you will learn by the numbers and I'll teach you!_

 _Anyways, if you enjoyed yourselves and in some way found yourselves down here in my little corner of fanfiction then drop a_ _ **review**_ _if you so desire or_ _ **follow**_ _to get more what I'm pumping out or_ _ **favorite**_ _if you really liked what I'm selling_

 _Peace!_


	9. Fortune Favors The Crazy

**-Fortune Favors The Crazy -**

" _Give the old Satan's back their bomb" I said_

 _That was probably one of my more memorable moments in the Anti-Satan forces. Being in hell was one thing, possessing vast telekinetic powers was another and wielding an ancient demonic sword capable of destroying an entire small city?_

 _Pff, barely remember that..._

 _But perfectly quoting Halo? Definitely more memorable and it puts me on Cloud Nine whenever I think of it... the chills I get... so good._

 _Aside from the overwhelming nostalgia there was a tactical opportunity presented to me in that moment as well._

 _I didn't know it fully at the time but after absorbing a good chunk of demonic energy from Rosalina and the lay lines below the crucible and I had somehow buffed my senses to such a degree that I actually_ _ **felt**_ _space itself..._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _Think about that for a second_

 _I actually_ _ **felt...**_ _ **Space**_ _..._

 _I had a hard time grasping that at the time and it was because of that discovery that I had managed to find and re-open a previously used Demonic teleportation sigil, along with the intended destination and who had gone through it..._

 _...A_ _ **Lucifage**_ _had passed through it_

 _I knew then that even if I didn't get the go ahead to use the back door I still would've taken it. Something's were just too personal for Professional obligation to fathom; I had the scent of a Lucifage and while it may not be the one I'm looking for..._

 _Sending a body to the one I_ _ **was**_ _looking for would be a perfect message to send..._

 _Or a crater... I hear that works too._

* * *

There were many emotions going through Sirzechs' mind at the moment, relief being one of those many emotions that stood out more dominantly due to recent events. When the golden pillar of demonic energy fueling the terrorists _Ruina Imperium_ suddenly vanished from view and then the report of it being defused by Ryden himself and he could say he felt his stomach and heart lower back into his body, but of course all good things last about a few seconds in his life and his heart and stomach once again ascended to apprehensive levels. Moments afterwards, Commander Bael reported a large army stationed outside the northern portion of the territory when he was doing a sweep of the sector. Low and behold in the wastelands was an army of old-Satan soldiers, and then all the pieces fell onto the board for both Serafall and Sirzechs to see and chew on.

His and Serafall's advisers as well as Praetor Eris warned of possible movements by enemy forces as it was a perfect opportunity for them to gain ground with the threat of a _Ruina imperium_ present, this is if the ones responsible for the attack had even planned ahead of time to coordinate such an attack. They didn't know where from exactly but a few suspected the best approach was through unguarded terrain such as the wastelands, they had no demonic energy coverage within the sector and while Praxis Bael was diligent enough to at least lay down motion tracking sigils a few hundred miles out they were unfortunately to preoccupied with a bomb threat to notice the large army gaining ground behind them.

That was until it was defused

It felt – to both him and Serafall – that they just trade one cataclysmic threat for another and to make matters even more problematic, they only had a small contingent to ward off the threat they were facing. They would need a miracle if they were going to survive this day and both Serafall and Sirzechs knew the man responsible for those was not only unwilling to do that for them... but he was also kinda dead.

Then Ryden hit him with something

" _Sir, permission to leave the territory"_

Sirzechs flexed upon that question, the white orb of demonic magic – created by Praetor Eris upon her suggestion of a surgical sigil placement – floated softly within the center of the round table. The others within the room also stiffened upon his question, even Zekram paused to look at the white orb. It was an odd one to fully comprehend for not only him but to Serafall, his and Serafall's handlers within the room and the Praetorian leader of the blue legion as well.

Currently Sirzechs was standing before the large operations table that had strewn on it many detailing maps created by holographic sigils that mapped the surrounding territories and the latest reported positions of the large enemy force just recently identified at the border to the north, directly within a narrow valley to be more accurate. The development was expected but not at all desirable at the moment, maybe now that the _Ruina Imperium_ was disabled it was a more manageable difference but – again – they only had a small contingent of high-class and low-class devils present to mount any kind of defence fit to repel a force estimated at _10,000_ strong.

Sirzechs didn't like those numbers, neither did Serafall and he didn't miss the slight hopeless gaze the younger general had when that number was estimated by Praxis Bael a moment ago. The flags dotted along the main line had a massive serpent – wrapped and coiled in a perfect circle and Serafall knew immediately; _leviathan_ was the one in the valley

It seemed then that they both were going to face a horde of devils all by themselves until Ajuka's and Falbium's forces arrived to assist.

But now... now they had something

For some reason Ryden wanted to leave the Territory... and Sirzechs felt an odd yet familiar tingle in the back of his spine; it was a new feeling, one he developed over a week of training a young human with promising powers that defied all that he knew, the feeling only acted up when the human suggested something crazy

"For what Purpose Knight sentinel?" he asked, interested to hear exactly what he had planned. Ryden's response was instant and full of determination...

" _To give the Old-Satan's back their bomb..."_

Sirzechs' blood drew cold at the words spoken, what bomb did he mean? The _Ruina Imperium_ was disabled and there was–

?!

Sirzechs' eyes widened, his mind reeling back to a week prior to this day. When he took Ryden to Ajuka to get an inspection and an examination on the human's powers they ran into a block. Apparently his powers were severely limited and locked up due to the prolonged exposure to the energy disruption sigil back in the Halphes territory. In order to fix that issue, all Ryden did to unlock it... was by _borrowing_ the energies within the zone. His mind reeled back further upon realizing the reason that the Halphes territory was experiencing demonic energy issues was because of this, he was taking the energies needed to fuel sigils before the those sigils could fully charge.

Ryden had been absorbing energy the _Whole time_ he was there; literally competing against natural demonic energy absorption rates _subconsciously._ to put that in simple terms... he was _fast._

If that wasn't enough for Sirzechs to feel his own heart stop pumping then a small yet recent memory did...

" _How much blood will he spill when he's released?"_

Sirzechs glanced over to Zekram – the one to have asked both him and Serafall that rhetorical question. As if knowing his thoughts Zekram was staring at him. The older devil studied his expression like a surgeon before a smirk stealthily developed on his lips; Sirzechs found himself remembering something else after a moment.

"Bear us some Fruit you said?" he asked Zekram quietly "This'll be one _big_ fruit" he answered his own question.

Zekram grunted in amusement

Sirzechs locked his eyes on the communication orb

"Permission Granted..." he said simply

His own words spoken, Sirzechs felt a wave of relaxation hit him, soothing his muscles and tenderizing his nervous to that of jelly. It was so powerful a feeling Sirzechs felt like he needed to sit down but he ignored that desire and simply leaned over the table and glanced down at the holographic map in order to help himself cope with this sudden feeling, but upon this sudden feeling Sirzechs had one last thought cross his mind, a thought that caused him to wonder at why he felt...

 _Pity_

Why did it feel like he just released a caged animal?

* * *

Ryden didn't know it at the time but his body was slightly vibrating, the literal excitement coursing through his veins was intoxicating and hard to ignoring – so hard that it was impossible for him _not_ to smile like a sociopathic murderer and even release a few giggles upon what he'd just done. Unknown to him, the two that had witnessed his words and actions were staring at him as if he was both insane and crazy – how those differ is hard to describe – and seemed like keeping their distance was the smartest thing...

Well... for Nyx anyway

Abigail was short of breath for a moment and mildly disturbed at both Ryden's actions and words spoken to the general but it soon turned into absolute awe at what the devil before her was planning, it was so crazy yet so genius only a tactically sound door mat of a devil would ignore it. Ryden had just opened the teleportation sigil she'd seen used by the grey haired devil – a possible lynch pin in this plan the old Satan's cooked up – which meant where ever that devil went was most likely a tactical treasure room of possibility and advantage, it had taken her a moment to remember who she saw and had been running through her memory of high value targets since the end of this battle, as it was important for a ranged specialist like her to remember the faces of possible leaders with targets on their backs

His name was _Euclid Lucifage_ , second in line to the devil family and younger brother to the mysterious and unnamed Lucifage with a faceless mask, lady Lucifuge – a walking nightmare and juggernaut on the old Satan's side.

If they could take those two down... then the old Satan's infrastructure would collapse enough for the Anti-Satan forces to gain a massive influx of ground in the war, the Lucifage clan was _that_ beneficial. It wouldn't be long before that position to be filled in however as the four 'true' descendants were at least quick witted enough to fill in such a gap should that idea fall through, But that was beside the point presented, what they had was an opportunity to not only cut one – _Two_ if lady lucifage was even present – from the body of a powerful supporting family for the old Satan faction and possibly cause enough distress for the invading army to retreat

Only problem though, was that Ryden seemed convinced he was going alone...

"You don't plan on doing this solo do you?" asked Abigail out loud, Ryden blinked before turning to her in confusion

"Was that not the plan?" asked Ryden, confusion visibly present "The less noise made and the less bodies present reduce the possible headaches down the road... flying solo will be good enough for me to get in – drop the pay load – and retreat before anyone's the wiser" explained Ryden, his hands dropping to his hips

Abigail nodded but shook her head a moment after "while it's a perfect idea – in a perfect world – you however would need to be an expert at stealth to accomplish that job and besides – There are too many variables to consider for such a daring plan to work with only one person present, at the very least you need back up" she argued, her eyes holding a feeling that Ryden knew full well once he noticed it but he simply shook his head at her anyway

"And leave behind your friends? Not only are those two incapacitated but we also have a grieving maid out back in need of an escort, would you simply leave them here?" asked Ryden, eyes blinking in accusation

"With the enemy forces taken care of all we'd need to do is flag this position and a team of praetorians will be here to extract them, we won't be leaving them here" replied Abigail defensively

Nyx went to add in Abigail's defense but nearly jumped from his skin when a slender hand gripped his forearm and pulled strongly. He was shocked at first as the only one close to him was the headless body of lady Bathin and the unconscious form of Lady Rosalina... well, _formerly_ unconscious lady Rosalina

"No... You're not..." spoke the now conscious Rosalina, her form rose at the assist of Nyx before she stood at full height, surprisingly being taller than Nyx by a few inches.

Ryden blinked, shocked that the woman who had just exhausted herself of demonic energy – be it forced or not – was actually standing on her own two feet. Either it was the Phenex house trait or she was _really_ stubborn... bit a both if he had to guess.

"Tsk... crazy fool" growled Nyx as he took in her form, eyes expressing irritation "why do you always attract trouble? One of these days your gonna find someone as stubborn as you are... and I don't do smoke and embers" spoke the male devil in an informal tone, his head shaking in a scolding manner such that it expressed familiarity between the two. Ryden _would_ have thought on this further but his eyes were bugged out at what he just heard; his mind doing so many hurdles and back flips that even _Fulgur_ grew disturbed

' _Did he just... no... No, that's just not possible... No, that must have been my imagination'_ mulled Ryden internally

"If I do Nyx, I'll be sure to either defeat him or marry him depending on the circumstance" she said in a tone he was not at all prepared to hear, Ryden blinked again at that before dwelling on it. He'd been accustomed to her superior formal attitude since meeting the woman of the Phenex family but now Rosalina not only showed a formal grace but with a sort of marine like snark to boot and it was hard to comprehend

It was that blasted _bipolar_ issue again...

It was like she was a different kind of person and Ryden found out that he liked it more. If he was to fight beside a prim and proper woman in the trenches lined in mud and blood of enemy and ally alike then hearing whines and moans of how filthy it was would've hit harder than any kind of artillery fire... surviving _that_ kind of battle would've given him a different kind of PTSD.

Thank the devil it wasn't going to be that way...

Abigail turned to the older female from her position seated on the stages edge and smiled "My, does rest not suit you very well Lady Rosalina?" she asked in a good natured tease

The woman seemed to brush of those words like water under a bridge – her hand reached up and flipped a portion of her bangs with her eyes closed – before she replied in a sarcastic tone "I soon grew tired of lazing on the ground and sought to remedy the nuisance" she replied, her eyes having not noticed Ryden as of yet... he was looking forward to her reaction when she finally took in her surroundings

Rosalina finally stopped her conversation and quickly decided to dust herself off, having noticed the collection of it on her skirt. She dipped down and patted the most prominent collection but in doing so her eyes finally landed on the third occupant in the room

And occupant she was not at all prepared to talk to at the moment...

He was casually leaning on the stage, his arms crossed and holding himself perfectly in a position that seemed so roguish it was hard for her to look away; his face was held in an eased expression – lips formed in a relaxed smirk and eyes opened fully to expose his bright blue orbs that bore into hers with slight mirth... the amusement in his gaze was apparent the moment she realized she'd been staring at him – frozen in a bent over position – her rump wasn't exactly pointed directly at him but it was position well enough that the slit in her skirt that which exposed a healthy collection of leg and garter belt was enough of a replacement.

The blush was extra... in Ryden's opinion

"Hello Lady Rosalina..." he began, his eyes for the briefest of seconds glanced at her garter belt before locking back with her own "onyx black suits you well" he teased; It wasn't as if he was perverted – they were right there after all

"Eh?" was the only thing she said, frozen in the action of cleaning her skirt – eyes locked on a pair of – now – half lidded ones.

Ryden rubbed his chin, scratched a bit of his beard before replying "That's it?" he asked, his eyes glanced to the other two to see them slightly smirking at Rosalina

"W-w-what are you doing here Lord Ryden" his eyes blinked again at her reply. There it was again... that bloody change in emotion; in attitude and posture... did devils possess two personas?

Rosalina went from laid back to what he was used too – a proud and dignified noble sporting a condescending expression and an overbearing edge of confidence but now it wasn't as 'sharp' as it was before considering the type of underwear she was packing – rather exotic if he had to say – didn't really help in keeping her dignified disposition intact.

The change in 'personas' was however still annoying; his eyes narrowed "Don't you give me that look..." he said with clear annoyance

Rosalina flipped her hair again, her posture having returned completely "I don't know what you're talking about"

Ryden huffed, his eyes holding so much annoyance they blinked before he glanced around and began nodding to himself. His tongue licked the inside of his upper lip before he summoned the golden orb of unimaginable destruction and tossed it in between his hands for a moment before holding it with his right and pointing to it with other hand

"See this?" he said, question rhetorical "This bad boy can fit so much fucking demonic energy in it" he added before fiddling with it in the one hand "and guess where I got it?" he asked, his eyes turning back to stare at an uncomfortable Rosalina and this time the question was simply left wafting in the air for anyone to answer

Rosalina didn't and neither did other two but Ryden didn't care, he answered it for them...

His free hand pointed to Rosalina calmly "Got it off you sweetheart, right from the tap... the lay lines below us I mean..." he answered

He shifted in his spot slightly beside Abigail before he then sighed "Sorry to say Phenex, you were _kinda_ a big deal a few minutes ago" he added

Rosalina's eyes widened, she felt the energy being emitted from the orb in Lord Ryden's hand and it was _immense_. Not only that but the energy within, was _her's_ – the very same flames she possessed – though the energy color deteriorated to a mere golden glow due to the disconnection from her origin, the power and familiarity was still there, yet she felt no drain within her

Her eyes then widened further

"What happened?" she asked, her form visibly troubled

"A _Ruina Imperium_ was what happened" replied Nyx, Rosalina's head shot to him – eyes wide at what he just said. Nyx thought on his words before he fixed his reply with a shrug "... or 'should' have happened is more the accurate description" he leaned back before locking his gaze on where Rosalina had been lying down "Right where you were laying down Rosa..."

If what Nyx was saying an implying was true then...

"How are we still alive? If I was the source of the _Ruina Imperium_ then none of us should be alive" her form was trembling and her breathing was slightly haggard... was what she saw in her dream... real?

The two devils closets to her simply pointed to Lord Ryden who was in the middle of tossing the ball of highly condensed demonic energy in between his hands. The devil in question paused before looking to Rosalina upon her gaze returning to him and this time _she_ was the target of an obnoxiously perfect smug gaze from none other than Ryden Vale Gremory... she didn't think he had what it took to do that.

He waved at her in a playful manner "Hi... Figure it out?" he asked

She nodded slowly, her eyes wide "H-How did you...?"

Ryden's eyes blinked slightly – sniffled – before replying "Siphoned the energy and balanced the flow back to the regular levels, then I somehow subconsciously stored the excess energy in this bad boy right here" he rose the orb for emphasis, he paused before he locked his eyes on Abigail "By the way... how did you know I could do that?" he asked her, ignoring the blonde haired devils look of reverence for a moment.

The woman in question blinked before she shook her head and answered "Back in the concession area you somehow managed to manipulate the space around you with your demonic energy that it caused a visible reaction to everything present and then after assessing your demonic energy output I found out you had used hardly any... I put two and two together and came up with one conclusion" she summarized, Rosalina's eyes teetered from Ryden to Abigail because of her implication

"What's the conclusion?" asked Nyx, curious

Abigail glanced from him and back to an expectant Ryden "You are a _lot_ more powerful then we realize"

Ryden hummed at her words, ego slightly rising above his desirable levels "Hmm... so the first thing you do is have me grasp a _Ruina Imperium_? Seems legit..."

Abigail snickered at his gripe "You are wielding an _Infernum Armis_ – surely you realize the similarities" she added

Ryden nodded "fair enough..." he replied before he felt a slight pulse of energy on his back – the blades way of reminding him of its presents. He glanced to his back before returning his gaze forward... only to see Rosalina Phenex standing directly in his personal space. She was on all fours – face mere inches from his – and eyes wider than the dinner plates he'd seen back at the Gremory getaway estate.

"You are Wielding WHAT!?" she Practically yelled at him in question and Ryden slightly reeled back at the sudden octaves the woman could reach before he was suddenly twisted around for the woman to see the blade on his back.

"A-all this time... I was speaking to a wielder of an _Infernum Armis_ " as she spoke Ryden noticed that her voice wavered for a moment and it slightly unnerved him. He had a feeling the weapon was a substantial benefit to the war effort but he'd only seen the reaction of him wielding it from his new parents and Sirzechs – the formers simply stared at him as if he was their second coming and Sirzechs... well, he simply bore through it with a smile, rather pained if Ryden had to add, and it was clear it was going to be a major headache for a lot of officials later but know he got a good look at few other reactions. Previously Nyx had scolded him on his overwhelming humble nature which seemed to hint at wielders having immense pride in them... fits the origin of its creation well. Abigail, though she didn't speak a word upon first meeting she did however breach his personal space with a look of pure reverence and awe and while those expressions could be associated to his prior actions in the arena it was most likely the large – beautiful – crimson sword he'd flashed around for all to bear witness to... even demonstrated its power a few times to boot.

Now Rosalina was one of the more prominent hints so far, her tone was wavering and her eyes were wide – her hand even rose up to her mouth after a moment, and she simply stared at the sword, her eyes swam with so many questions Ryden assumed Rosalina could get a job as an interviewer if he had to guess and put all of those other ones out of a job in moments

"How...?" was her only question, bland but straight forward – he knew what she meant

Never mind that last part about that interviewer job...

"Classified..." was his equally bland but straight forward reply. It was as he said – before he left the Gremory getaway estate, no, before he even _entered_ it after obtaining the sword Sirzechs forbid him from exposing all the 'how's' the 'what's' and the 'when's' – 'why' was irrelevant and 'who' was now forfeit as he basically broadcast himself toting the bloody thing around. Not even his parents knew where he got it and how, as it instantly became a military matter classified to all except high ranking officials. Until he got full knowledge on Rosalina's rank in the political side of things and the green light from Sirzechs himself then he'd tell her but until then he wouldn't mutter a word of that day in the mountains.

Upon his reply, Rosalina blinked "Under whose authority?" she asked

She sounded more curious as to who issued the order then insulted of her exclusion from private information... heheh, he felt a slightly sense of satisfaction at that, before she withheld her reasons on her personal issues and now here he was, doing the same but in a much more 'professional' manner. They were even now.

"Under command of General Sirzechs Gremory... I cannot tell you anything" he replied evenly. His eyes slightly widened when the woman simply brushed off the subject by twisting him around again to look at the weapon. While he was guarded of the details he was uncaring to her curiosity of the weapons looks. He'd found himself inspecting the weapon many times before – it _was_ gorgeous after all, like something from an anime or video game. It was too detailed for conventional use and made from materials unlike ones found on earth; if he wanted to replicate it then it would simply be an ornament then an actual weapon.

Rosalina did her thing, he didn't know what exactly but he had a feeling there was more to the weapon then he had an idea of. She couldn't touch it though – some kind of unspoken code to never touch another devils weapon – and simply stared at the handle. As if sensing the gaze of another the blade began to show off slightly, red arcs danced from the sheath and lanced out and lightly tapped the woman's body – arms, biceps, face... and _Chest –_ Ryden could sense the weapons choice of action, same way it could sense his own thoughts and slightly frowned when the sword began to focus solely on the woman's large chest

Rosalina tensed when the weapons signature element reached out to her but felt no malice and remained where she was... that was until it began fiddling with her bosom, that's when her mind grind to a halt.

He heard a slightly moan – barely loud enough for the other two to hear – but he didn't dare turn around to look – the weapon was seriously perverted and with a quick scolding via mental glare so fierce he believed raging flames hotter than Rosalina's flashed in his eyes and the rather heavily perverted _female_ blade's attention of the woman's assets ceased a second after

 _Thank Buddha..._

He stood there for a moment – waited a few seconds – before turning to see a lightly blushing Rosalina silently standing back up to full height, her arms crossed gently over her chest for reasons he knew why... _Fulgur_ made sure to give him an _update_ on the woman's _status_ before stopping its actions... he never had a wing man before for obvious reasons (only one relationship) but he was sure _that_ was more preferable then having an ancient demonic spirit do the job, as its understanding was more 'prehistoric' then what was considered acceptable to civilized people.

Rosalina cleared her throat – an audible cough – before she spoke "Well, anyways... legendary blade aside I have news to bare"

Rosalina hopped down from the stage with a slight huff of exertion upon the landing before stepping forward and dropping into one of the seats – the only clean one – and sighed, an expression of embarrassment dotted her expression and not one that related to what just happened. Her arms crossed over her chest and her right leg crossed over her left and her eyes closed tightly. All three present knew what the expression was and what they were in for... the first two had an idea but Ryden could see it from a different form of understanding. She was trying to look as dignified and intimidating as possible. Though in minor moments of times his sister however did confide in him moments of embarrassment that she wouldn't dare share publicly and instead sought him out for advice. It was rare and if he had to write it down then it would have been covered in so much 'black ink' that even the CIA would consider it government official... odd thing was, was that she struck the same expression and pose when she did it.

The similarities between Rosalina and his sister were becoming more apparent

She was going to let them in on something and if he was to believe what he'd seen in Rosalina – be it the persona a few minutes ago or the one he was used to – then it was most likely a super rare moment that would be classified _above_ top secret

"I suppose you're wondering how I ended up in that position..." she spoke and it was clear she really didn't want to speak of it but did so anyway

Nyx nodded and so too did Abigail and even Ryden nodded now seeing the point of this; it was the elephant in the room – how Rosalina was defeated.

"It's true we have been curious – it's hard for us to fathom that lady Stolas could actually defeat you" spoke Nyx, it was clear he was also doubtful of it but Rosalina made sure it was absolutely correct with an expression of pure disgust and anger but she said nothing; Nyx hummed "Didn't think so..." he finished, the expression response was good enough for the three

Abigail hummed herself "Was it someone else? Gloria Bathin?"

Rosalina raised her eyes at her words "That wench Bathin was here?" she asked, clearly she wasn't in the full loop and must have been rendered out of action quite early in the fight

Ryden nodded "I think I killed her fiance..." he commented, and all three present blinked

"What?" asked Nyx, clearly not expecting that

Ryden glanced to him in confusion "what? You were there... you and Abigail showed up like a minute after I slaughtered not only him but also Gloria Bathin's little group of misfit's, gave the woman a spook and she ran off" he replied

Rosalina blinked and Abigail smirked – a dangerous smirk – and Nyx stood from his spot on the stage, being the most surprised of the three "Wait... you killed Vringr? The mad demon? I didn't even –" shock enveloped him mid speech, his hand combed through his hair "by the Satan's, you really _did_ kill him... jeez, that was brutal..." he added

Ryden nodded while Abigail and Rosalina glanced to each other – shook their heads – and ignored the question they themselves wanted to ask

Rosalina breathed slightly before continuing "So that eliminates him, what about–"

"Nope, killed her as well" interrupted Ryden

Rosalina's eye brow twitched slightly "you didn't even let me finish" she said

Ryden nodded but shrugged his shoulders in response "I know, I just knew you were going to ask it... she's dead – on stage – lost her head I hear, along with lady Stolas but I think Abigail has bragging rights on that one" spoke Ryden, glancing over at Abigail who smirked at him and nodded in thanks

She giggled slightly "For a high-class devil she doesn't really pay attention to her surroundings but then again you did give her an ear full... I never thought of what you said by the way, thinking on that kinda scared me" added Abigail

Nyx nodded as well "Didn't realize politics could be so terrifying" he commented offhandedly

Ryden shrugged at her meaning and Nyx's comment while Rosalina blinked in confusion "What'd you say to her?" she asked

Ryden mulled it over "originally I was just trying to distract her so Nyx could get into position but after telling her that all of her houses funds – stock – family resources and family reservations on anything they had or owned now belonged to the Anti-Satan forces and that she – with her betrayal – pretty much pissed off four powerful devils and a political juggernaut, she practically killed everything her family owned and done since creation. In the end she was fucked in more ways than I can count and I think that's what set her off – one moment led to another and _boom,_ instead of taking the test she took two the chest – eer, _head_ I mean... You get the idea"

As Ryden spoke Rosalina nodded along and nearly whistled, Nyx smirked like a madman at the other devils summery "That's what you get for not paying attention, all we had to do was handle her body guards; Gloria was petrified the whole time so we only had to deal with three targets in total"

Ryden hummed "For a high-class devil she did go down fairly easily for two arrows... I don't want to over step my bounds in asking but what the hell do you put in those bad boys?" he asked, eyes glancing from the woman's quiver of arrows then to Abigail herself

"Same amount of demonic energy needed to fire an eradication spell – if you don't know what that is then just remember what almost did Nyx in on our way here." She answered with a hint

Ryden's eyes bulged before he whistled "... explains the 'ranger' status Nyx told me about, 'long distant ordinance support' – niiiice"

Abigail tapped her bottom lip and hummed "more like 'single target assassination unit'... sounds better"

Ryden nodded in agreement at that while Rosalina simply looked between the three with a look of perplexed confusion "seems you three had some quality time together. Do you want to reminisce or do you want to know what happened?" she said with clear annoyance, Ryden and Nyx chuckled at that while Abigail thumbed her bottom lip again, a contemplative expression taking over her expression

"Hmm... Before we attacked I did spot _Euclid Lucifage_ here before he left... did _he_ defeat you?" she asked

Rosalina shook her head at that "Lady Stolas couldn't even dream of beating me nor can that dunce of a Lucifage, all that boy is good for is looking pretty for the family... the other one is a different story all together" replied Rosalina

Nyx blinked "other one?"

Rosalina pressed her explanation at the confusion "I didn't really get a good look at her... she wore this faceless mask..." Ryden's body tensed visibly upon the explanation given, his hands suddenly clenched and his eyes set in stone – Frozen

"...Euclid seemed infatuated with her for some reason. One moment I was dueling that wench Stolas then before I could kill her I was interrupted by her, one moment of double teaming later – an explosion – courtesy of lady Stolas and Indris jumped in to even things out but we were outmatched severely, lady Stolas was simply there but not even heard, the minute _she_ showed up everything went downhill, one moment I could see then – _wham_ – I was out and now here we are" as she spoke Ryden closed the distance between them until he was directly before her. Expression deadly serious

"Elaborate..." he spoke, shocking the woman before him with how cold his tone sounded "what hair color did she have, what's her physical appearance – clothing mostly – her style of fighting and magic type..." he listed off, Rosalina simply remained silent while Nyx stepped forward and gripped him on the shoulder in confusion and slight apprehension. The devil he'd been fighting beside was much more different in character then what he was seeing, while he did joke most of the time but he was at the same time dead serious in a fight and Nyx assumed that was all needed to be seen in the devil but then again he wasn't known for his ability to read characters

"What's up with you?" he asked

Ryden glanced back at the devil before glancing at the offending limb on his shoulder "Nothing you need to know about..." he replied before gently taking the hand off his shoulder and turning back to Rosalina; Nyx slightly huffed at the reply but didn't push it – he'd seen it in the devils eyes; personal vendetta's, he'd seen it before and while most of them ended negatively, for some reason Nyx knew it would be different for the crimson haired devil. The question remained – what did this female do to warrant this much attention? He dropped that the minute he thought on it, Abigail was an astound individual when it came to determining the power outputs in other devils, it was kind of a side effect of her training and family trait – all that time she spent forming and condense massive amounts of demonic energy into sleek, tightly formed arrows made her incredibly good at measuring demonic energy, family trait was simply icing on the cake

For her to say Ryden was beyond even her ability said something... weather Nyx was comfortable with it was still up for debate but for now he knew not to piss off a devil on the war path, it was bad for team cohesion and future effectiveness so he let it go but it still bothered him how the man could go from care free to full blown Satan serious.

Rosalina sat where she was and stared at Ryden, his eyes boring into hers with fervor. She was caught in a state of shock mostly, though her mind was gathering her reply she wasn't able to deliver what the man before her wanted. She had formed her opinion on the man known as Ryden Vale Gremory and her optimal _first_ opinion was that while he was often teasing and less dignified as her he was still more desirable company then most other nobles who sought only 'carnal' relationships with her. But right now her opinion of him was spiraling in multiple different directions due to what she was looking at.

She'd seen many devils approach her with serious intentions – many of them needing violent action in order to ward them off – but most others were due to militaristic reasons pertaining to her skill set

She was never seriously demanded for information before, especially from a man she believed to be extremely well reserved and patient. Guess she had to further her character study of Ryden before she could form a complete analysis

"S-she wore noble attire – deep blue in color – and grey hair done up in four hair braids, favored demonic ice spells but seemed to occasionally use gravity manipulation" she said with as much ease as she could muster however the forcefulness in Ryden's eyes made her reply sound more robotic then what she wanted

Ryden nodded before asking one more question "And her eyes – were they red?" pressed Ryden

To all present, the forceful nature Ryden was showing was becoming slightly unnerving, Nyx had relented from thinking to deeply into the matter but it was coming back into view. Abigail was also nervous but for another reason entirely; upon her examination into ranger class – the only one to do it she was asked to evaluate long distant targets emotions based on body language and facial expression, before that however she had studied Physiology which helped her understand emotions and thoughts more accurately as at times the targets descriptions may only cover habits and emotion. Right now the evaluation she was getting from Ryden was 'hysteric' 'fearful' and... Rage.

Before Rosalina could reply, someone else beat her to it

"Yes..." Ryden twirled around to see a blonde haired man – eerily similar to Rosalina – getting up from his prone spot on the stage "she had blood red eyes" though the pained expression adored his face his words rang clear to Ryden

Nyx stood and assisted the devil down while Abigail checked his stomach only to see the wound had healed, Ryden ignored that and pressed "Are you absolutely sure?"

Without hesitation the devil nodded "yes, I was conscious long enough to see her face before I fell under"

Ryden's eyes widened; _she_ was here... or _was here,_ logically the woman he was after would never remain behind to do the job – always leaving the room when It got dirty, leaving others to finish what she started.

He took in a deep breath before releasing it – feeling his nerves slowly dropping and in doing so he realized what he'd done. He gripped Rosalina's shoulder and squeezed it gently "Sorry..." he muttered quietly before his eyes locked onto the new arrival.

He had short blonde hair slicked back into a perfect flow that reach just to the nape of his neck, a simple yet perfectly refined goatee beard, he wore large noble attire consisting with a thick overcoat done over a burgundy dress jacket, slick black dress shoes and red velvet pants – the perfect noble attire... Ryden ignored that "Who are you?" he asked

"L-lord Indris Phenex... member of the council of the 72... I thank you for the assistance" replied the man

Ryden nodded "Lord Ryden Vale Gremory, knight sentinel... any reason why you were with Rosalina before the attack? – For the record of course" he asked

Indris seemed put at odds with the pressed question but nodded anyway "I was with My sister when Lady Stolas betrayed the Anti-Satan forces – we were in the middle of absolving an arrange marriage due to her loss in a bet when it happened"

Nyx clicked his tongue "The point of that marriage was foolish Indris... even I know that, what did lady Stolas have on the table to warrant it?" he said, his eyes looked quite aggravated and Ryden could guess as to why. Due to this marriage proposal a terrorist attack was fueled and plotted and Ryden could list a few law infringements off the top of his head. Failure to adhere to military laws of marriage reservations, assisted in terrorist acts – be it purposely or ignorant involvement – the law still targets them both.

Yes, in hell you can be arrested for being an idiot, not really an issue for say... people with brains, but it does make life for dumbasses a living hell, but that's natural selection for you.

Indris went to say something but paused and then sighed, an action that caused both Rosalina and Ryden to look into the man's eyes... guilt wasn't hard to identify "There wasn't any deal on the table, only a clan Geass scroll from the Bael clan, signed by none other than Zekram Bael himself, who ordered the immediate engagement of Rosalina Phenex and Brinyalf Stolas" as Indris spoke all eyes grew wide at what he was saying. Geass scrolls were orders given down directly from the Great king and could _not_ be ignored, the punishment was too severe to ignore and had absolute political backing off all council members so Indris had been in a tight spot "The contract was for me to make the engagement but to keep the order to only lady Stolas and me, before I signed it however a bet was added"

Rosalina nodded and Ryden did as well "My match with Brinyalf... That was the bet" Indris nodded to confirm

Ryden sighed loudly at that "I feel slightly insulted but at the same time incredibly prideful right now" he commented

"Why didn't the secrecy part ring any warning bells, all Geass contracts are made public" questioned Abigail in confusion

Indris shook his head "For the more major orders yes – family marriages pertaining to the more prominent families – but not all of them are made public, however I did check verification Via the _Archives_ in the Council headquarters and the signature checked out with a one hundred percent match – it was valid so I had no choice but to follow through with it, no matter the opinion I had on it" his words developed a guilt when his eyes fell onto Rosalina who seemed shocked by her brothers words "I was never in favor of Brinyalf, but the Geass scroll made me play the part of a power hungry fool; my dignity was significantly damaged but when Brinyalf lost I saw an opening but if any harm befell lady Stolas then the Phenex family would be history, it was why I had to reel you back sister... please forgive my foolishness"

Ryden glanced from him to a silent and slightly shocked Rosalina before his gaze returned to Indris and nodded but then paused when he remembered that there was currently a large portal still wide open in the room. Its sudden appearance in his vision reminded him of the current issue; impending invasion, worlds greatest flank, chance to re-enact a legendary halo moment... he needed to get his ass moving. He clicked his tongue before he regarded Rosalina "Aside from the political shit storm, are you up for a fight lady Rosalina?" he asked suddenly - forgetting his choice to run solo. The woman in question glanced up at him – hesitated – before nodding; her shock melted away and in its place sprouted a fierce expression which bloomed to full when she stood up before him

"who we fighting? I'm not being picky – I just want to incinerate someone" Ryden smirked at the return of the woman's sophisticated snark before turning to the others

Abigail stood up as did Nyx "We are as well; you don't even need to ask"

"'Bout time we started headed out, was afraid we'd start sharing each other's feelings and dark secrets" added in Nyx. The devil lightly tapped the sitting indris with his spear "you coming?" he asked. Abigail chuckled when the Phenex lord Paled before turning and prancing to the portal. Ryden knew it was a joke as any Lords of the current houses were mostly councillors – not soldiers – but Nyx left it hanging anyway and it was Clear Indris was thinking that the man was dead serious – gullible devil this Indris Phenex was, explains how he got into that mess.

Nyx noticed the devils expression and sighed before dropping his smirk "There is a maid in the lounge, she is unharmed in body but her mind is another matter... if you will not join us then at least escort her to safety, your redemption can start by getting her out of here, and then you can find out if that Geass scroll contract is actually true... I hear Zekram Himself is in town, you should pay him a visit..." he said and without waiting turned and followed Abigail, indris paled at the last part but ultimately nodded, then a moment later he was disappearing through the double doors of the lounge.

Ryden found himself watching the older being disappear into the aforementioned kitchen/lounge – thoughts on what exactly had happened with the Phenex family and if It was true Zekram Bael had initiated what he assumed to be a well oiled plot. While he wished to see if the 'great king' was actually responsible he knew full well he had his own objectives – as did Indris

War was fought on two fronts after all. The first was the infantry that fought on the battlefield. The second was politicians and they fought for what remained after the former was done.

Ryden mulled this over as he joined the other two along with Rosalina who was now showing signs of confusion, Then Rosalina made her confusion known and Ryden realized the woman wasn't fully aware of what she was actually getting into. All he said or asked was if she was ready to get some payback the 'how' and 'where' was not mentioned.

"So... what exactly are we doing?" she asked, clearly confused as to why they were standing around a large and ominous portal

Nyx chuckled "why don't you ask him" he said while pointing to Ryden

Abigail also chuckled "you'll find his answer to be quite... interesting"

Upon the words of her closest friends Rosalina glanced from them and then to Ryden who had somehow summoned the golden orb of _her_ demonic energy contained in a highly explosive containment field – its making was unknown to her – and was playing with it in such a way that she immediately got an idea to the devils plan. All the training she'd done, all the counter terrorism schools and lessons she'd been to reminded her that within an allotted time frame during a siege conducted by a contingent of Old-Satan forces on any institute then it was basic procedure to box them in using the quarantine spell developed and distributed by Ajuka Astaroth. This completely nullifies all connection to the outside world and cutting off their escape routes – no anti-Satan forces had the technological development to open a portal within a Quarantine zone. The old-Satan's however did.

And they were standing in a quarantine zone – with a fully functioning old-Satan portal before them. Anyone would say that, that is an impossible feat but consider all things, she wasn't really that bothered by it and the lessons she'd learned did shed light that while Ajuka was a prodigy in inventing new spells for military use, the old-Satan's had theirs as well – the man responsible of that was just here. Aside from that however is that what bothered her is what Ryden Vale Gremory was planning on doing; the portal before them was not theirs which meant that somehow during their attack on the room they'd managed to 'hold' open the portal from this side of the summoning then add the fact Ryden was holding a highly volatile explosive spell in his hands and Rosalina had a very distinct idea of what he was planning.

She finally spoke "I know what you're thinking Lord Ryden, and I think it's crazy..."

Ryden dropped the orb into his pocket dimension and smirked at her – being the only one aware that his smirk was a very contained one.

"So, stay here" he said in reply, smirk slightly growing into a smile

Rosalina smirked herself, finding the one on Ryden to be quite contagious. Even the other two joined in with smiles of their own, most of which being more ferocious then what Ryden was truly feeling

Rosalina clicked her tongue in mock offense "unfortunately... I happen to like crazy" she finished

Ryden's smirk was hard to control – he wanted to fully show off his massive grin but he felt it'd just make him look stupid, instead he simply nodded at the woman then to the others and stepped forward into the large portal, the others following behind almost a second after

Time to make the delivery of the century...

* * *

The location was different then what he was expecting, for some unknown reason the sky in hell seemed to exhibit a different kind of light depending on what territory he was in. The Bael territory reminded Ryden of a bright sunny day in a desert and the most dominate colors there were pale brown, dark brown and... More brown. It was the picture perfect design for any desert feel and it really complimented the 'roman' style perfectly. The Gremory territory gave off this light that made one feel like they were in a rain forest or open grassy field during an aurora borealis at the early stages of midnight, what with all the blues, the purples, and pink lights in the sky seemed like the Gremory's lived in a perpetual night with the light of the 'stars' in the sky as their source of light

The territory he now stood in, along with Nyx, Abigail and Rosalina told him that – no – the Gremory's didn't live in a state of perpetual night, it was more like a mildly colorful evening with a peaceful aura to boot in comparison to what was before him

Case in point was... _that_ was a comfortable night. _This_ wasn't.

They didn't immediately know where they were, the first thing he saw was pitch black and heard the soft rustling of trees and branches and _no_ sound of any wild life. Though Ryden was taken off base for a moment from the sheer change in environment, the soft white light from the sky – that being what he assumed to be a moon of some kind shown perfectly in a pitch black sky which was Ryden's only source of light

Strangely though, that problem wasn't an issue

It took about a couple seconds before his eyes adjusted but soon enough he was seeing everything perfectly. Ryden blinked at that, knowing perfectly well that eyes don't adjust that quickly, he quickly rubbed his eyes, wondering something he'd never heard of happening being the cause to his sudden 20/20 vision – nope, still perfect. Silently Ryden marveled at his new development as the others behind him stepped from the soft grey portal and took in their surroundings but unfortunately they didn't have much to go for either, with his new 'night vision' or highly adaptable eyes Ryden quickly identified that yes, he was in a forest – mildly dense but nothing like Cambodia so 'jungle' was out of the picture but they were still lost in a forest with no idea where to go

Abigail nudged him and he turned to see her gesturing towards the other two as they began climbing the nearest slop up towards the highest point in the area

"High ground... right" he said but Abigail stopped him by gently placing her hand on his chest

" _I'm not sure if you've hunted before but from here on out keep the conversations to a minimum, we don't have the slightest idea where we are... low and slow, got it?"_ spoke the blood red haired devil seriously. Ryden nodded slowly and said nothing in return.

From then on Ryden followed slowly behind Rosalina who had traded places with Abigail as she was the hunting expert of the little group of misfits, if they found anything then it would be her doing most of the work as for all they know, they could be in a mine field. Low chance that was possible seeing as how Euclid Lucifage had used the portal but then again Ryden did have a feeling that opening a previous used sigil could have some effects on the trajectory of the 'jump' meaning they could be anywhere then where they needed to be... but then even that was a low chance of _that_ kind of extreme circumstance to occur.

So for roughly thirty minutes Ryden took to the rear and made as little noise as he could all the while keeping his eyes peeled on the tree line to their flank and even taking a few glances up into the trees as well. It would be a lie that Ryden didn't get an eerie feeling from the lack of wild life within the forest and had many thoughts jumping through his head because of it... most of them being simple paranoia but if Ryden even slightly heard rapid clicking in the distance or three dotted laser pointers marking Rosalina's back then he might make a noise... possibly a strangled yelp or a squeak, it didn't matter

Aside from the possible presents of an alien super hunter there was a possibility that they were in a _'dead zone'_

Zeoticus and Venelana both told him that term. In the same lesson together they had explained to him – upon him asking what the difference between a devil and a demon was – was that 'devil' was the correct term used for distinguishing a sentient demon (one whose gained intelligence) from a mindless one. Mindless 'devils' are considered 'demons' due to the fact they had not broken from the 'wall' bounding them to their 'eternal torment' – that being hells natural effect on condemned human souls and simply lost their minds and later evolving into one of the three types identified in geographic books

 _Imp_ , _prowler_ , and _clicker_ – the reason the term 'devil' exists was mainly due to Lucifer himself who used his power to break the ultimate spell that hell itself had put on 72 promising demons and turned them 'sane' or simply gave them enough intellect that kept them from their mindless nature, Ryden didn't truly know... the rest is history

 _Imps_ are common demons; bipedal and mean – they like tossing around hells favorite flavor of torture: hell fire. And like to roll in packs of about six, Venelana mentioned the largest known pack of imps recorded was nine in total... not the most dangerous demons but the hell fire is was makes them at least the second most dangerous as It both burns the physical and spiritual plain... if you've even slightly done anything bad in life then well... you'll feel it, and its gonna suuuuck.

 _Prowlers_ are the most dangerous demon to run into; though they commonly fly solo they make up for their lack in numbers by their sheer stealth capability and speed. Their built similar to an imp – bipedal and hunched over slightly and riddle with bone spikes all along the arms, back, and head and they love to jump unsuspecting devils and chow down. The number of disappearances of low-class devils number in the thousands and that number grew larger since the start of the civil war and then it included higher ranking devils as well.

No self respecting commander or elder would halt a strategic advance... even if they had to push through a den of prowlers to get to it; such is the life of a measly low-class devil initiate under command of a fame seeking officer

 _Clickers_ were the least dangerous of the three demons recorded, they basically look like skeletons, sunken eye sockets, wide open mouths that look like their wailing in pain and small rows of razor sharp teeth. Clickers are small and agile but ultimately built out of paper, to compensate for their pathetic physical traits they run in massive hordes but fear most contact with devils anyway – that is, if they're not bleeding. It's widely considered that the three demons take after a few sins, _gluttony_ was the clicker's main forte, they smell blood... and it's open season, literally. Devils make it a sport to purposely draw blood to lure out a horde and _practice_ their demonic magic power output and slaughter the hungry cretins in the hundreds for fun and a nice passage of right for rising and inspiring soldiers – get that first kill in. Upon that point Ryden assumed the clicker's reason for fearing devils was based on that 'outback' tradition developed by the _Shax_ family a decade ago... metal as fuck if he had to say.

The term 'dead zone' was developed haft a decade ago. As the rapid incline of demons was becoming far more dangerous in the last couple years the _council of the 72_ developed a research and recon team to establish grids and maps that would show and mark where the demons congregate as their preferred hunting grounds and because of that most wild life in the area either immigrate to different territories or simply get caught in the territory war... Venelana did mention later that none of the three get along very well which then established the official food chain. Sucks to be clickers

This is what made Ryden slightly nervous of the tree tops as there could be two, maybe _three_ , prowlers lurking in the bulk of the leaves and it was highlighted that prowlers don't like being seen very much and usually stay hidden unless of course they want to be spotted – you won't like it when that happens. To add to his paranoia any sign of bright orange light was scrutinized with the most surgical of gazes from not only him but the others as well, Ryden didn't see it before but the 'hunters gaze' in Abigail's eyes slightly unnerved him in their sharpness and he knew full well that if they were being hunted... Then she'd make sure they knew.

The small hike to the top of the hill was thankfully uneventful and with that Ryden could loosen up a bit...

That was... until he saw the expressions on Nyx and Abigail – clear and present _shock_ was what was written on their face as they took in the sight of the large castle a few clicks from where they were, its design was Gothic and lined in immaculate designs fit for a fantasy level fortress – it almost looked a little futuristic if Ryden had to add

" _What is it?_ " asked Ryden in a whisper

The ghost pale look on Rosalina's face was frozen and Ryden found that it caused him slight anxiety, so he moved to a kneeled crouch beside Abigail and Nyx "What am I looking at?" he asked

The two tore their gaze away from the castle to regard him with continued shock and confusion

"You never get out do you?" asked Nyx

Ryden titled his head slightly and paused – remembering his six month seclusion – before regarding Nyx with a small knowing smile "You have no idea..." he said before he glanced to Abigail

She noticed his eyes but suddenly looked back to the castle and rubbed her eyes – doing the same thing he did when he found out that he had night vision – looked again but visibly flexed when what she obviously wished to be a hallucination was anything but.

"T-the capital of the underworld... The ancient city built by Lucifer himself" she said, her voice wavering caused Ryden slight discomfort until his lessons from Zeoticus and Venelana finally reached his mind and then he understood the woman's reaction

"You've got to be shitting me... _Lucifaad_?" the shock in Ryden was more in confusion then actually anxiety; he had a nuke in his pocket, nothing of this sort could scare him to that degree but he guessed it was well warranted fear for them however to think that he was standing in the territory own by a devil he'd like nothing more than to give a real good shaving to sparked his interest more so then what he'd done over comm's with general Gremory. Abigail nodded at his words as did the others; there forms however grew slightly unnerved when Ryden hummed before smirking widely "at first I was thinking I was dropping a bomb on a bunch of nobodies – ward off an invasion, grab a medal, accommodation and go on my marry way, but now... How bad will it hurt them when we render an historical castle like Lucifaad to nothing but glass?"

"You wanna destroy _Lucifaad_? I mean sure it's in enemy hands but it's still an historical city you can't just destroy that" spoke Nyx, his shock still very much present but its direction was more towards Ryden confidence then what stood before him

Ryden smirked and shrugged before looking out towards the large castle in the distance "Sure I can, don't worry about that historical part – the Old-Satan's are the ones preaching the prophecies and with Lucifaad being a prime example of Lucifer's might and rule make it a _perfect_ target; destroying it will cripple the moral of the Old-Satan forces" replied Ryden as he motioned tossing a ball towards the castle, his lips then mouthed 'boom' before turning and smirked at them "the thing about the old-Satan's is that they make the mistake of raising tradition, protecting historic cities, raising legends and glorifying prophecies to such a degree that it creates a house of cards, the more crutches you have... the more it hurts when its kicked down from under ya"

Abigail nodded, almost instinctual at his words – she knew it – Rosalina knew it and so did Nyx, if they managed to destroy an historical location like _Lucifaad_ then a majority of the troops moral will decline rapidly. It was a perfect example of an age old saying to devils...

 _If a god bleeds... Then it's not really a god now is it?_

It was unfortunate tradition to most young devils of their generation to glorify the stories told to them about Lucifer and the power he possessed – this tradition and habit spanned decades to even a millennia and it was during that time when the idea of Lucifer went from 'god defying fallen archangel' to 'a god defying another god', everything Lucifer had done rose in their legend and the feats done by the betrayer were considered impossible feats that only he could do... only recently after Lucifer's death did the hesitance make itself known and the childish ideal and goal was made public by Sirzechs Gremory a few years ago – sparking the pouter keg that now was the civil war

The Anti-Satan's desired freedom and were motivated to keep fighting due to the unjust treatment done to fellow devils by the old-Satan's who used the traditions of old and prophecy as their own motivation to fight

Freedom over tradition... Ryden knew what he fought for – good ol fashion freedom, 'Merica! – And the others had theirs as well which to Ryden must be damn good reasons because not a second after and they were standing beside him – though the anxiety was still there, he was glad his little speech was enough to set them back on the path

"Sooo... you got a plan to get in?" asked Nyx

Ryden clicked his tongue and glanced to the dirt at his feat – arms resting on his hips – and just stood there thinking however a soft chuckled caught all their attention

Rosalina was standing off to the side, eyes watching the outer perimeter as multiple fancy black carriages lined in a convoy rode out from the castle – three carriages to be exact. The three watched the woman glance from road to road before she suddenly turned to them, eyes holding a degree of mischief that caused even Ryden pause

"I think I have an idea..." was all she said

Ryden didn't like the sound of it – especially with that look in her eyes but time could only tell what exactly she had planned

"Follow me..."

-X-

 _A/N: well then... I'm back... Again after another month-ish vacation, but its summer time and I've got nothing to do so obviously my folks got places to be and people to see with me to go along for the ride_

 _Wha-wah-wah_

 _Aside from that I did take a small period to pause and think and relax my finger tips, I wrote another story_ _ **'a light among darkness'**_ _and all 12 chapters we're pumped out in two months time and I gotta say – I burned myself out which is why its developing cyber cobwebs and dust... and the fact it was a spur of the moment kind of story does kinda deflate some of my point it still shows that writing too much gets exhaaaaausting_

 _So if my uploads span out it means I'm slightly tired or have shit to do... or I'm just not motivated that day and simply decide to search for the motivation in other ways. Speaking of which I'm currently reading a book called_ _ **"The Operator"**_ _which is written by the guy who killed Osama bin-Laden, really fucking good story and it's given me a shit tone of ideas I'm planning to use later... juicy_

 _The other book I'm reading is_ _ **"Predator – the complete omnibus"**_ _it's really helping me narrow down a multiple view kind of story and also give the kind of horror style I'm looking for... and well, I'm a predator fan, if you noticed in this chapter then yes I did reference it for shits and giggles_

 _Anyway a few things as well, the idea of the demons was an idea I knew I had to add in this as I needed a form of wild-life in hell that's unlike earths, simply adding 'hell' to every known animal on earth and tossing it in hell was too exhausting, not to mention lazy so I added them in and I'm sure you can guess the designs I used for the prowler and the imp – nothing crazy, just easy to imagine and easy to love killing... the clicker's are another reference that I'm sure a few Dead space fans will appreciate, not exactly the most favored type of Necromorph but if I just toss in slasher's then I'll be diving into another direction all together... the idea was not for horror sake but for simple species building, if Ryden saw a Necromorph then he'd shit his pants... and I'm not kidding_

 _If the idea sticks then I might add more in the future but so far they're minor annoyances that will be simple wild-life for hell... that's it_

 _Anyways the last chapter hit off perfectly and I'm completely stoked it hit off so well, even got 11 reviews that chapter! I know its small compared to some writers but it still feels good to get that many on only one chapter but then again... halo does bring smiles to faces after all_

 _So this chapter was pretty good in my book, set up the next chapter with a perfect setting and plan that which will be gloriously executed, and for those wondering why this chapter is light on the action is simply because if I had followed through with setting up the plan and then executing it then this chapter would be 30,000 words long... not a very fun trip, and you'd all be getting it next year so sit tight, some real shits coming and I want it done perfectly – can't rush perfection!_

 _Anyways R &R, __**like**_ _,_ _ **favorite**_ _or... you know what? You know the drill..._

 _P.S: chapter was edited by_ _ **me**_ _, brothers working his ass off so he's got no time to read and edit – takes three days for him to get one chapter done so fuck that, any grammar mistakes will – hopefully – not break immersion but I can't promise perfect grammar (never mind my comment on rushing perfection, I'm lying)_

 _Peace!_


	10. Jericho

**-Jericho-**

 _If there's one thing I know for sure about 'belief' is that belief itself is a very fragile concept used to motivate the masses and as a way to live one's life._

 _It was used in ancient times, most prominent example being the crusades – the idea that most kings of old used the fear of god and the promise of paradise to fuel the masses to do their bidding. Because of those times, most humans didn't exactly possess profound thought – they never considered ideas that went against their lords and even the word of god and because of that they lived in an age of fear, oppression and manipulation_

 _Darwin was right... we have evolved_

 _To me the concept is simple – you believe in what you think compliments you and who you are as a person, ignore the haters and just live life with the shoulder you've chosen to lean on for support but that's coming from a human 1500 years in the future – I've already learned that lesson and I'm sure most people have as well_

 _But aside from the benefit of motivation and creating high moral with sugar coated stories glorifying beings long since dead there is a dangerous edge to this principle. Those who use belief as their motivator unintentionally step out onto a thin line_

 _...dangling over an abyss of despair_

 _Belief is a double edged sword and if one uses it as their foundation in life then when – or if – that source of balance is disrupted then despair is your new best friend_

 _And trust me... I've slept with despair... she does_ _ **not**_ _make good company._

 _This was the old-Satan's brutal weakness; somehow the portal left behind by Euclid Lucifage led me and the others to the underworlds most famous or infamous city_

 _Lucifaad_

 _It was the underworlds crown jewel – supposedly – sporting massive spires and large black obsidian walls, Lucifaad made cities like Leviathia and Lilith look puny in comparison... even the ancient city of thorns looked small_

 _It was testament to how prideful Lucifer was... he had an ego, that's for sure and it had been the old-Satan's central hub of planning and resources from the beginning of the civil war to now – so far any attempts at even trying to take the city was considered impossible as the levels of security were beyond anything I've ever seen; there was a lot of faith placed in the city and a lot of man power was used to make sure it remained that way for as long as devils existed; by simply holding it kept the old-Satan's moral high, taking it was impossible..._

 _Ever heard of the city of Jericho?_

 _You'll know after this..._

* * *

Ryden over looked a massive ridge which was located a few clicks from the massive city covered in a thick treed off forest. They had been hiking towards the city for a few hours now, covering a good distance of land in a small amount of time. Since they were so far away from the city limits they were free to at least make travel with their wings exposed and while this at first made Ryden nervous he simply frowned at the idea and bunny hopped along with the pack of three flying devils – making sure his sour attitude was noticed

Ryden was aware of the odd glances but had made no attempt to tell them the truth – obviously – but as time grew on Nyx approached and had asked why he didn't use his wings. Ryden's answer was simple

Just ignore the odd looks and keep silent

No surprise the others were confused by his lack of response and while they at first desired an elaboration he simply grunted – frowned deeply at their attempted at pressing the issue – and took point without a second reply and even gained a large distance with a quick jump in speed which was why he was overlooking the large city of Lucifaad from the ridge at the moment which loomed over a small lake near the bottom, the others not too far behind...

The first to arrive was Rosalina – sporting eight wings in total – then followed Abigail who had six and Nyx who possessed the same. They eyed him momentarily but thankfully they didn't press the issue.

Ryden fought a sigh

This had been one of the few contingencies pertaining to keeping his true identity hidden by him and his new family before leaving; humans obviously didn't possess bat-like wings as a means of transportation but devil's did and they liked using them in the military for most aerial insertions so in order to ward off any suspicion Sirzechs proposed the idea of him just straight up ignoring the question, that being a clear sign of him having his wings _cut off_ by the Old-Satan forces. It didn't matter to either Sirzechs or Ryden if anyone learned of his six month vacation in the Halphes territory but they deemed it a touchy subject, they were right, it _was_ a very touchy subject but Ryden relented and considered it valid; so far there was no cultural taboo amongst devils with having no wings – quite the opposite actually. It was an extremely evil thing old-Satan's inquisitors did as a trademark torture method that would destroy the resolve of any devil

The anti-Satan forces consider it appalling and had orders of executing anyone that had done this act, be it ally or enemy... they sure didn't discriminate

But for him, it was the perfect cover, all he had to do was act pissed whenever it was brought up... simple enough – it _did_ piss him off... he'd seen it done many times after all.

So the three simply gave him a pity glance – received a glare for their accurate assumption – and moved on ahead of him and this time remained on the ground with him for the rest of the journey, according to Rosalina they had made good on their approach and now they were moving down the ridge towards the relatively sized lake below them and from there, was a road – a supply line... Ryden was getting the picture

"So, planning to catch a ride into town?" asked Nyx sarcastically, Rosalina simply chuckled before she dropped down into the ravine along the right side of the road before turning to them

"Something like that... come here, I'll fill you guys in" she instructed and without second thought they all plopped down alongside her

Abigail, whom had been quiet for most of the journey took out a single arrow from her quiver and stood back up and began chopping down a few branches from a few trees deeper into the forest – making sure not to damage any of the trees closest to the road then within a minute she was back and dropped a dozen branches down on top of them

Rosalina simply watched her with half lidded eyes while Nyx eyed the cleaved limbs of trees with mild interest and then ignored them; Ryden however was starting to see the picture

It was a simple plan yet dangerous and highly risky to pull off, he didn't have a full idea of what she was planning but he was getting a very 'star wars – sneak off the death star' kinda feel that helped him paint a pretty good picture

"Nothing gets by you does it Abigail?" asked Rosalina who watched the ranger turn the simple ravine into a small camouflaged bunker, after dropping another slew of shrubs and other foliage down in front of them, she dropped back down and rest her back against the small bank facing away from the road and then smiled at Rosalina

"You are in my domain Rosa... I expected you to know that" she shot back with a bright smile, Rosalina then took in her surroundings and then grumbled upon remembering that they were in a forest – Abigail's preferred hunting ground – or any hunters favored terrain really.

"Whatever..." she said but then dropped the mood "Anyways, Nyx, Abigail I need you two up high" Rosalina glanced around before she spotted a large boulder down the road in the opposite direction of the city " _there_ , from there you will be our look out – when one comes by, signal us and then try and drop one of the trees lining the road, doesn't matter which one just block their route before they pass us, from then on me and Ryden will use the chaos as cover and ambush them" explained Rosalina, her tone was serious enough to garner firm nods from Nyx and Abigail, then without another word they hopped up and hoofed it towards the aforementioned boulder, soundless and swift

Ryden watched them for a moment until they simply melted into the shadows of the dark road and then silence enraptured him, the only thing he heard was the sound of soft breathing and a few under the breath grunts. He then had a small stack of leaves and bush dropped on his head, he blinked before he turned and noticed Rosalina smirk down at him then dropped down and did the same to her self

" _Can't be seen right?"_ she whispered

Ryden hummed in agreement but kept silent, already finding a comfortable spot to keep a look out along the road and again – the treetops

" _There aren't any prowlers in the area right?"_ he asked as he kept his eyes on the trees

He heard a small shuffle of motion to his side which turned out to be soft chuckles, the woman in question regarded Ryden with amusement in both her eyes and smirked through the thick shrubs made it impossible for him to see fully, but he could almost feel it radiating off her

"Scared of them?" she asked, not at all whispering

Ryden shook his head lightly and dropped the silent tone "No... I'd just rather not get jumped while we wait" he said in reply, eyes still locked on the tree tops

Rosalina saw this – somehow – and sighed lightly "So far as I'm aware, we're nowhere near a Dead Zone, the lack of wildlife in the area means that the hunting in this area scared off pretty much everything... you probably won't find a prowler for miles and it wouldn't be from where we came from" explained Rosalina

Ryden glanced over to her "why's that?"

The woman smirked "Because no prowler would be dumb enough to hunt in the _familiar forest_ " revealed the Phenex

Ryden blinked, they were in what? Neither Venelana nor Zeoticus told him of such a place so what Rosalina said barely caused him to react and she took notice of that but misinterpreted his ignorance with nervousness

"My, you're nervous over prowlers but not at all spooked by being in a forest of predators... you're much odder then I assumed you to be lord Ryden" teased the woman

Ryden snorted "Mind my ignorance, I've never heard of this 'familiar forest' you speak of" he retorted back causally

Rosalina then suddenly gasped lightly – silent enough not to make a noticeable echo but enough to get Ryden's attention "I forgot... you were raised in isolation by a mid-class family, the Vale family right?"

Ryden nodded, eyes going into a slight downcast

"What territory we're they housed in?"

"Malphes..." he replied without thinking

Ryden cursed his quick reply... Malphes was the spot where he landed – leaving behind a massive crater caked in a mysterious energy. And that was before Sirzechs had marched a division there – six months _before_ it fell back into anti-Satan hands... Ryden cursed himself again.

"I see, then that means you were too far from –" her words stopped dead in their tracks upon realizing his words and Ryden's heart thumped noticeably in his chest when the woman's wide – shell-shocked eyes locked onto him. The woman's mouth softly quivered in a similar state as her expression while he simply regarded her evenly, already knowing what he'd done

 _Bollocks_

"Your foster family... are they...?" she asked slowly – her emotions disabled her ability to finish but it was clear to Ryden what she wanted

He simply remained silent – the message being interpreted as a good enough answer as to what she was dreading to hear. While Rosalina appeared overconfident and most of the time fit the picture perfect description of a noble she did however know that the death of a family member was not an easy occurrence – especially by means of execution. And whether it was low-class or high-class she did not discriminate the value, quite the opposite... she was no fan of death, for anyone.

Ryden watched the emotions of sadness appear on her face but felt nothing – it was a lie that his parents were killed by old-Satan extremists. They were most likely safe and sound back in his original timeline, scared shitless at where their eldest son had disappeared to but his dad would probably wave it off as him suddenly – or finally – getting the gumption to get out into the world and his sister would probably go "Finally! That idiot's doing something!"... It's a comforting thought and he knew that the entire barb was in good nature but Ryden knew that thought would only comfort him for so long. He didn't know exactly what _time_ was doing but if common sense played a part then they won't be hearing from him for a while

Guess he could always favor the idea that once his time would come then all he'd do is replace the version of him that vanished and that nothing's changed

He'd dwelled on this... dwelled on it as he despaired with his other family – and he wasn't talking about Venelana and Zeoticus...

"I'm sorry, lord Ryden... if I'd known what you'd been through then I'd –"

"–have continued to act like nothing's happened, you'd still be that woman with a larger ego then _Fulgur's_ perversion" Rosalina blushed at that and _Fulgur_ Shown in indignation at his barb "you'd toss around the sophisticated undertones and I'd tease you in return – and you'd blush like mad and hide it with more Noble comments like 'stop this teasing at once!' or 'cease this disrespect!' or whatever... you get the idea"

The woman at his side remained silent for a moment, chewing on his words. After a few moments Ryden began to see an emotion of anger sprout on her – enveloping her gaze that bore into the ground and the tightening of her hands that which were gripped tightly together, then after a minute she spoke with a small hint of frustration that soon grew in tone "Are you not even angry?" she all but growled out – her own anger shown at not his words but of his circumstance and he could understand her aim. He was no stranger to feeling righteous fury for a misdeed done unto someone else and even felt frustration at the dismissal of the injustice by the victim

He had an answer for her though

"I enjoyed it you know..." he said calmly

The look in Rosalina's eyes suggested she had misinterpreted his words "You enjoyed it?" she mirrored, clear dumbfounded shock in her words and expression

He corrected her – calmly

"I enjoyed killing them... the inquisitors back at the crucible..." he said while his eyes watched the tree tops, not for prowlers or the minor chance of danger but to simply lose himself in watching them sway back and forth from the breeze in the night sky. After noticing Rosalina quietly settle her emotions and he continued "I've never killed anyone before then, never experienced the feeling of taking a life" he started – eyes still on the trees and hands gripping together gently "they always told me the feeling will drain you, make you feel like crap at first but sooner or later it just stops hurting; you'll have a few nightmares, maybe even shed a tear but after awhile you'll just go numb... my anger made me skip all that" he swallowed deeply and then glanced down at his hands "I'm angry when I fail in a spar... I'm angry when I miss a sword stroke... and I'm angry when my mom orders me around... If that's 'angry', then what kind of anger makes a man consider a life as nothing but void and null?"

Ryden raised his left hand – palm down and wide open... motionless, not a shake or shimmer to be seen

He chuckled softly "see that?"

Rosalina sat idle as she stared at the practically frozen limb held parallel with the ground before she commented "Perfectly poised and still... I understand your point" she spoke, clearly seeing that his nerves were not at all hindered by conscious weight

Ryden however chuckled again before he rose his right hand "Yeah but I swung with this hand"

Rosalina shifted her gaze to his other hand and deadpanned... his right hand was vibrating like an electrocution victim via Arc energy. She paused in her inspection and glanced to Ryden's face only to see a wide shit eating grin that caused her to further deepen her deadpan

Ryden laughed at that

Rosalina growled... he was teasing again

The two sat there as silently as possible due to the humor present for only a few more minutes until Ryden's soft chuckles died down and the seemingly perpetual frown on Rosalina smoothened over into a slight furrowed brow – her eyes still holding slight distaste at Ryden's continued dismissal of the injustice done into him

While Ryden was content with the silence – the sound of the breeze and trees bringing a sense of tranquil air along with the sound of _nothing_ gave him time to ponder within his own mind, however Rosalina was anywhere but there. She was a flame of the Phenex, no silence could bring her peace of mind nor can anything else. The empty feeling that Ryden had brought to her was eating at her mind – her ideals – and everything she believed was the Anti-Satan's main goal, justice – _noble_ justice. She couldn't understand it, how could Lord Ryden smile when the ones that took him in after being abandoned were killed by fools being led by even greater fools?

Mid-class or not they were still devils in the end; the Vale family had raised Lord Ryden well. He was a patient man and very noble in his words and actions which she had seen herself in his match against Valeria, how he demonstrated true leadership and inspiration by not belittling the lower class and instead raising them up, empowering their hearts – she smirked bitterly at that – she felt oddly like a hypocrite saying this but she would be lying if his words and actions didn't move her in a way that had caused her to reconsider her outlook on 'nobility'... she was guilty of doing the opposite. Her second meeting with Ryden had caused her another shift in her ideals, one that made her picture her family powers as not as a boon but a curse depending on the perspective.

" _I've always believed that those who have the ability to do what's right have the responsibility to take action, anyone who hordes power without using it is simply a coward"_

Those were his words that rang within her mind; they were wise words that spoke of his ideals to a major extent.

That extents true length was finally shown to her when Nyx and Abigail told her of what Ryden had done to save a little boy's father from death. It was during the long trip through the eastern forest of the Lucifaad territory that the two of them had told her this. It was an unheard of action – to use a Phenex tear to save a Low-class devil was insane, but they told her that he did it without any hesitation; they even told her how angry he looked before hand... then he gave the child the priceless vile as a token for a reason neither they nor she understood but the picture was already painted to them.

Ryden Vale Gremory was no ordinary devil.

Rosalina glanced to Ryden who was now simply leaning against the roadside, the small number of branches and shrubs covering him did for the most part cover his red attire from view but his face was well in her vision. His eyes were closed gently suggesting that he was actually napping but the sudden deep breaths and small rhythmic taps from his fingers on her knees told her otherwise, the slight tensing in his muscles along his chest and biceps even went as far as hint at an underlying message of danger to anyone dumb enough to assume that he was sleeping.

Ryden was good at hiding many emotions and Rosalina could say that without a hint of damage to her womanly pride but she could tell he was ready for anything, regardless of his gentle appearance she knew he was a danger like any other devil.

Rosalina took that as a cue to ask one final question to the man before her... a man she knew was a rising star among the masses, painted among them as a devil without damage, without sorrow and without any scars... she knew the secret now.

"How can you smile when you've lost so much? Why do I not sense any anger from you?" she finally spoke.

Ryden gently rose his head back up and regarded Rosalina calmly and studied her expression. He was impressed, honestly he was expecting straight up curiosity that would tell him that no, she was not worthy of an answer but she was however displayed confusion and sadness in underlying expressions within her lips and eyes that which told him she was genuine of her question and his answer

He hummed softly and leaned his head back down "Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die... it's useless to me, if I'm to deal the hand of vengeance onto the one responsible then I need to do it right. Simply driving myself with rage in the passenger seat will only make things worse" he said calmly

Rosalina shook her head "I never said rage..."

Ryden hummed again "But you are frustrated that I do not show anger... showing anger in the wrong place is rage, ever present – always there for everyone to see. To me anger is subliminal; a spark that which can be used... rage is an uncontrolled flame, a defining feature for those too far gone to hold back and is simply swallowed whole in the end... I plan on standing tall in the end"

"Anger is controlled therefore useful, rage is uncontrollable therefore useless to you..." muttered Rosalina

Ryden chuckled softly "You learn quick grasshopper" he retorted with amusement

Instead of being affected Rosalina sighed at his light humor "your smile confuses me Lord Ryden... happiness and anger doesn't go hand in hand, they are enemies, not partners" reasoned Rosalina

Ryden smirked at her

"I disagree" was all he said

She blinked "Explain..."

"A sword swung without anger is like a dragon without wings... I understand the principles of war and the lengths one must go to win them but I do it differently, I do it right, like a _professional_ and _smile_ – then I do it again the next day, smile... either do it right, or don't do it at all, it's that simple" Ryden reasoned calmly

Rosalina drew silent upon his words and fell back against the opposite bank to Ryden. His words did it again – shifted her ideals marginally. She knew anger and rage possessed major differences, one was a fuel used to fight and the other was a mental factor that over time took possession of major personality traits. She was a small fool – she summarized – how she mistaken Ryden's emotions with calm dismissal when in fact she was speaking to a tempered warrior that already passed the test of combat

She didn't realise that he was _six months_ passed his 'test' but she was aware of it enough that she was confident in him from that moment on. She was simply confused at his way of handling it, most devils she knew grew cold, distant or simply became like Nyx and Abigail – bloodthirsty. Ryden did it differently, in a type of approach she now branded as the _professional_ approach to keeping one's mind clear of negative lash backs and used humor and smiles to cool the _coals_ that fueled the war machine within

Rather simplistic and slightly rustic if she had to say but by how Ryden was turning out... it fit well

Before Rosalina could press the matter a soft ' _thunk!'_ echoed out from a black arrow that smacked into the side of a tree trunk just to the right of the road and a few meters between where Abigail and Nyx had vanished to

Rosalina hummed as did Ryden "Show time" he said simply before he and Rosalina slid down further into the ravine, hiding every portion of themselves in the shrubs.

Along the roadway came two convoy sized carriages, six wheels in total for each black carriage. The first one was rigged with only a passenger cabin which suggested the presents of high ranking officials. The second was outfitted with a much larger cabin that was outfitted with a black fabric that which hid the ones within, no windows were seen nor was their side exits.

A prisoner convoy... that was the conclusion made by Abigail

She smirked to herself, this was a perfect 'two birds, one arrow' scenario and she was elated to have this opportunity presented to her in such a time as this.

She gripped the black arrow and notched it and then snapped her aim to the tree just a few meters from Ryden and Rosalina's position and released it without a moment of measure.

The arrow struck where it needed to be a nanosecond later

Abigail smirked before hunkering down and waiting for Ryden and Rosalina to mop up the escort.

Ryden mulled over his choice of action as he heard the symphony of carriage wheels upon the dirt road above his head. He cured silently when he remembered his only weapon he had on him was _Infernum Fulgur_ which felt a little bit to overkill for the occasion; not to mention the demonic energy released by the blade could be enough to warn the main capital

A distinct sensation in his chest answered that worry within a second, _Fulgur_ sensed its masters worry and made short work of its excess energy release – it was an insulting action but so far _Fulgur_ had no intention of making easily avoidable problems arise when it had the power to ward them off... her master was rubbing off on her it seemed, normally _Fulgur_ would hiss at hiding its potent energy but she could assume it was her undying affection for the powerful human

He just didn't cease to impress...

Ryden hummed in appreciation to the blades action and forged his plan according to his weapons choice.

Upon this point did the carriages reach the point in where the arrow had struck and the effects of the black wispy energy made itself known

Once the carriages passed the black energy on the arrows shot out in two directions, one for the first carriage and the second for the last carriage... then they suddenly stopped moving, simply grinding to a halt a few meters from his and Rosalina's position

 _EMP_ magic, a black energy that which targets distinct mechanical magic signatures and destroys the reception between driver and vehicle for a prolonged period of time... Ryden fought a chuckle, he didn't expect that at all and judging by the explosion of commotion from the Old-Satan inquisitors they didn't either

He turned to Rosalina and nodded _"Hard and fast..."_ he worded softy, she nodded as well before the two hopped out of their ravine and gunned it to the convoy

Due to the chaos and confusion present within the ranks of the few Old-Satan extremists both Ryden and Rosalina had made it into their ranks without detection. Ryden unsheathed his weapon while Rosalina summoned hers out of white flames. It was a giant mid-handled blade with its blade running down the guard and seemed to glow white hot at the longest section of the weapon.

Overkill and dangerous and far from the elegant, weapon Ryden suspected her to favor if she even used a weapon in the first place. But here he saw its use in action first hand and he had no choice but to re-evaluate his opinion of it.

The first two went down in a flash of crimson Arc and white wisps of hot embers, then the second two found the same fate before their presences was realized

"Ambush! All units form up!" shouted an officer.

Within the small time frame of reaction the old-Satan's had, only a few made it into formation while the others were brutally cut down by viciously efficient swings and powerful jabs from both Ryden and Rosalina respectively. The formation put together was hasty as none of those present expected an ambush so close to a glorified fortress city as _Lucifaad_ and it showed glaringly to the veteran officer apart of the prisoner transfer brigade.

Ryden finished an inquisitor wielding a lance by side stepping a thrust and driving the legendary blade into the devils chest cavity – zero resistance – immense pain was all the inquisitor felt before crumpling to the floor the moment Ryden moved on to his next target.

Rosalina ended a shield totting devil by superheating her weapon and swiping cleanly to the side, the thousand degree blade met no resistance to the shield and armor which dropped the devil in two separate pieces – cauterized enough for no blood to be seen.

What remained of the Old-Satan forces were simply one lancer and the officer

 _Thunk! Thunk!_

Two red arrows made swift work of what remained of both the officer and the lancer, courtesy of Abigail, leaving both Rosalina and Ryden standing silently amongst the ten dead inquisitors. Ryden swiped his blade clean of blood before sheathing it while Rosalina simply dismissed the weapon – all wounds inflicted hadn't drawn blood even slightly, the weapon itself was like a lightsaber that only diced and cauterized.

"Clear?" asked Ryden as he surveyed the area of any movement.

Rosalina nodded. "clear," she answered

Ryden sighed slightly and looked towards the rock both Nyx and Abigail were stationed at, he waved the all clear for the two and then turned to Rosalina

"What's up?" he asked upon seeing her slightly shocked expression

The Phenex devil in question was staring at the black fabric covering the carriage with a look of slight surprise. Ryden furrowed his brow before stepping to her side and looking at it with confusion of his own.

"Sooo, what am I looking at?" he asked again

"A prisoner transport..." was all she said

Ryden slightly rose at her words before stepping forward and running his hand along the fabric. It didn't take him long to feel the distinct sensation of metallic bars on the other side.

Ryden released a breath before he followed the fabric to the rear of the carriage, found the opening and pulled it open gently and then simply tossed the only thing off to reveal a cage full of devils, about six or so cramped in a cage fit for four. Rosalina gasped lightly at the sight of multiple ragged and bruised low-born's within while Ryden simply furrowed his brow again and unsheathed his blade.

The many low-born devils within seemed terrified of this action, the small looks of desperate fear in their eyes shone like bright lights in Ryden's view but he ignored it and brought the blade down on the chain holding the cage gate closed.

Relief and awe gripped the silent devils within before – very gingerly – did they file out one by one

As this occurred Abigail and Nyx arrived to Rosalina's flank

"I see you've noticed..." was all Abigail said to the blonde woman, a solemn expression lined her face as she and Nyx watched Ryden assist the freed devils down from the cage

"It's a good thing we arrived when we did" muttered Nyx. The lancer noticed a distinct lack of covering on a few female prisoners and turned to the many dead inquisitors – sighed – and began rummaging through them for spare clothing, even simply stripping them down for the clothing all together to gather enough for the majority of female devils present – that being pretty much all of them.

Rosalina assisted as well while Abigail turned and hopped up onto the lead carriage as a lookout.

Ryden was lost in the action of assisting the devils from the cage, many of them simply stared at him with dumbfounded shock within their eyes – probably not really believing that they were being saved. Ryden knew that feeling, Sirzechs didn't see it but once he felt the invasion force of devils arrive to the Halphes territory he was beyond elated, the sensation of finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel was heart wrenching to even the most hardened of men and he was no exception.

His mind paused when he felt the arms of a young female devil grip his coat tail as strongly as they could in vice grip. Ryden knew the sign – the dam was opening, he whirled around slowly to see a surprisingly calm expression dotting the face of the young female. Ryden hated the dead look in her eyes, eyes of youth like hers shouldn't be filled with such despair. Ignoring his distaste he squatted down to the girl's height and smiled kindly

"What is it little one?" he asked gently

She pointed to the carriage " _Big... sister... Rivia... is hurt... can you... help her?_ " she asked in nothing higher than a whisper, the pained expression lining her face suggested dehydration... they needed water.

Ryden nodded and then turned to see a older woman, wearing nothing but rags sitting alone in the back of the cage unmoving. He turned back to the girl and smiled to her "I'll see what I can do" was his reply before he stood up and turned to fully digest the damage done onto the older woman.

In any other time the woman might have been a beauty beyond exemption, sporting long blonde hair and an ample figure anyone would brand 'heavenly'... but the old-Satan's always make it their mission to destroy those kinds of images, or at least they tried to with her...

The rags were small and only slightly covered the modesty of the wounded woman; she was practically naked within the cage, Ryden fought a growl at that. The woman's breathing was shallow and hoarse, suggesting extensive damage to the chest and ribs. Ryden ignored his gentlemanly side and dived into evaluating her condition fully, his hands ran over her form – from her feet all the way up to her neck and head – so far Ryden could identify multiple wounds on the abdomen and ribs, most of them blunt in nature and a few other lacerated wounds on the bottoms on her feet and palms of her hands. Extensive bruising on her wrists obviously from the metal cuffs she'd worn for however long she'd been in captivity, her knee joins were swollen which suggested dislocation as well. Ryden ran his hand gently from her knees then up and down her upper and lower back and frown deeply when his hands met blood.

Two massive cuts were located on the woman's shoulder blades – directly where her wings are located.

This was both a good thing and a horrible thing for her... the good news was her wings were not severed, however the major lacerated wounds to her back suggested her captures were incredibly determined to remove them by applying extensive nerve damage to the area in order to force them out

She was very tough, probably experienced incredible pain the whole time but never once let them have what they wanted

 _Ryden's hands distinctly sparked with Arc energy..._

He breathed deeply and continued his assessment. Ryden cringed at the sight of a disfigured collar bone on the woman – left hemisphere of the body, clearly signs of a broken collar bone. He pressed on and noticed more bruising on the cheeks and neck area and then paused harshly when he noticed small amounts of bruises located in the navel area and slightly lower... he held his breath before peeling away the fabric on her legs and noticed _zero_ bruises located within the inner thigh

He breathed a deep sigh of relief before summoning a Phenex tear vile... the woman was losing blood from the lacerated wounds on her back, feet and palms; _that_ and the fact her collarbone and ribs were probably broken making breathing ridiculously hard to do... she'd die before she'd get any kind of medical treatment of any kind so he had no choice but use it

He gently massaged her neck to make sure it wasn't damaged before tilting it head up and placing the vile to her lips and emptied it

The effects were more numerous then when he used one on the father back at the crucible, rather than watch a deep slice close up, Ryden watched as joints and bones popped back into position, realigned, skin nit itself together and bruises disappeared in seconds

Seconds later and he was in a cage alone with a practically naked woman in prime health

It was mildly awkward but it truly became awkward when Nyx tapped the cage and snickered at the sight of him sitting over the body of a naked beauty "You work quickly" he said with clear sarcasm

Ryden deadpanned the devil "HueHueHue... very funny" he replied before he gestured to the blonde haired devil laying down before him "Little help?"

Nyx chuckled before dropping the set of clothing he pillaged and hopped in and picked her up by the legs; Ryden did the same with her upper body and together they hauled out the half naked beauty and set her down on the black fabric canvas cover that had previously covered the cage

Upon placing her down, a few young devils surrounded the woman and smiled lightly at the woman's new condition. Nyx used the excess fabric to cover the woman's modesty while the few devils present regarded them with small smiles

" _Thank... you... lords..._ " one said in a hoarse whisper

Ryden simply pat the head of the one who spoke before turning to Nyx "Any idea where we can get some water?" he asked

Nyx shook his head "I'm no nature expert, check with Abigail on that" he said dismissively

Ryden went to find the devil in question but she found him first along with Rosalina. Both of them had just finished tossing the bodies of the deceased inquisitors into the ravine and used the shrubs to cover them

Rosalina went to Ryden about their next move but froze when she noticed the unconscious devil covered in black fabric in front of the devil she was looking for. Her eyes remained on the blonde haired devil as did Abigail who noticed a second after the former

Both Ryden and Nyx glanced at one another upon seeing the looks of reverence and disbelief sprout onto their faces. Nyx scratched his beard while Ryden glanced down to the sleeping woman before looking back up to the two, evident confusion in his eyes.

"Know her?" he asked

Abigail snorted "Know her? Hell yeah we know her! She's considered a hero in the anti-Satan forces" she said, clear shock at seeing the woman before her

Rosalina breathed as she stepped toward the woman "She was the one to hold the line during the evacuation of the Abaddon family of the extra demons three months ago, many said she was killed in action whilst defending the line single handily but... it's clear that wasn't her fate" explained Rosalina

Nyx hummed while Ryden blinked "that's all nice to hear but I'd like to at least know her name... the others call her 'big sister Rivia' is that her actual name?" he said

Both females nodded, even a few POW's among them did as well

"Yes, her full name is _Rivia Abaddon_ , head of the Abaddon family... or, at least she was, her younger sister took over after her supposed death a month after the evacuation of her territory" revealed Abigail

Rosalina then approached Ryden, a fierce look in her eyes "what condition did you find her in?... did they..."

Ryden knew what she was insinuating and shook his head firmly "No, she does not show signs... however she was banged up pretty bad, if I didn't use a Phenex tear she would have bled out within another hour... silver lining, she still has her wings"

Rosalina and Abigail sighed deeply at his words but it was clear his mentioning of her wings being present had hinted to them that the Old-Satan pricks had at least tried to remove them – the balling of their hands and the grinding of their teeth was a clear indication of their disgust.

Ryden needed to stomp down on this now "Listen ladies, I know this woman was a inspiration and that her circumstances is utter bullshit but keep your heads on your shoulders, we're currently in enemy territory with six severely weakened devils present, we cannot afford to lose our heads" he cautioned before raising one finger up for all of them to see "Priority one at the moment is to get these devils out of danger; I remember passing a small lake a few miles back so if we get there not only do we get these guys some water but we also get them out of danger, sound good?"

All present remained silent until Abigail nodded slowly, marveled at Ryden's asserted action

"You got a plan on getting six weakened devils across rough terrain? What are you gonna do? Carry them?" Nyx pressed, sarcasm evident in his words and actions

Ryden however _smirked_ "Good idea, we do happen to have one extra carriage then needed"

?!

"What?" came a puzzled Rosalina

Ryden ignored her, stepped passed the three and informed the POW's present his plan. The others watched as the young females chuckled softly – weakly – at what he said before they slowly began climbing into the lead carriage. Ryden turned back to them and then picked up Rivia Abaddon bridle style and took her over to the carriage. The three wondered what he was doing but dropped that topic when Ryden simply turned to them – smirked at them – and then _picked up the carriage_ and rested it on his back

"What?" repeated Rosalina, eyes almost bulging at Ryden's shown strength

Ryden smirked at them again, even added in a soft chuckle at their collective expressions of befuddlement and disbelief

It was easy to him, the telekinetic powers he possessed augmented more than simple mental abilities, sensory abilities, and defensive augmentations but straight up beefed his physical strength much further than even a devil. Ryden fought a savage smile, the amount of times he'd wanted to be this strong was infinite

His legs tensed distinctly, the air in the area displaced around him and any soft or loose objects rose slightly from the ground... he squatted low - the ground cracked, fissures reaching out in all directions and then he jumped.

He was 300 ft in the air within a second leaving Nyx, Abigail and Rosalina staring completely rooted in position

Abigail swallowed, Rosalina released a cough... Nyx keeled over laughing

"Hahahahaha... did... did I just see that!? Hahahahaha" bellowed the devil, the sheer ridiculousness of the event was too great for him to fathom with a straight face so only major humor was present. Abigail swallowed again, completely ignoring Nyx's sudden outburst and Rosalina released a second cough; both females remained frozen in position until the dark red haired devil turned to Rosalina and nodded

"It's official... he's absolutely nuts" she clarified with multiple nods

Rosalina only nodded profusely as well while Nyx breathed deeply before looking in the direction Ryden had jumped to

"Brinyalf didn't have even the slightest chance did he?"

None of the girls found any reason to argue that comment and merely nodded dumbly

* * *

Ryden knew what he was doing was gonna cost him in the future. The training he'd done in the forest by the Gremory getaway estate was rife with large boulders and he'd used them to test his physical limits; in combat he could throw as many rock shattering punches as he wanted but when it came to lifting those very boulders that number shot all the way down to five hours total. First limit test was how much he could do with his own body weight – hence his ability to ' _mercer'_ jump (an ability named after _Alex_ _Mercer_ ; badass bunny hopping edge lord from the game _prototype_ ) and found that he could go on for miles at a time before feeling a slight ache in his head that which vanished after three minutes of simply stopping for a moment.

Not bad...

However the limits stacked in amount, the boulder was weighed at least one ton plus his own body weight on that – 220lbs of what he now considered as pure muscle. The food the maids made was delicious and probably laced with so much protein and nutrition it would make Dwayne 'the rock' Johnson actually become... The Rock

So in all cases, he was in the best shape he could possibly be – and he would be in that state for a _long_ time, probably even grow more in the future. What he now faced was mildly lighter but more surgical then simply jumping up and down on flat terrain, he now faced lighter weight but steep inclines, followed by sharp declines and the odd marsh lands and even a bloody swamp in his trip. At first it was tedious for him – the lightweight of the carriage on his back was not an issue and nor was the odd changes in terrain. his landings were powerful enough to displace earth and the lift offs were strong enough to rip trees from the ground... it was exhilarating for him

But...

After a few minutes of 'boom' 'whoosh' 'pop' 'boom' 'whoosh' 'pop' made Ryden grow incredibly bored after a good ten minutes of hoping through the forest, he even tried to sight see a bit to get his boredom tamed but no animals were in sight. He softly grumbled at that.

His patients however was his key factor and somehow his boredom only lasted for a few minutes longer until the waterfall he was looking for suddenly jumped into his field of view and with one last thunderous leap did he land into the flat open field.

The final boom of his arrival displaced the field slightly, his last landing have been forcefully slowed down in order to not disturb the area... why he chose that he didn't know but he got this distinct feeling of being watched.

Ryden blinked and then set down the carriage and approached the side doors, knocked once and then opened it. Inside sat the six roughed up but healthy POW's within, they had been lying down the whole time in order to keep Rivia Abaddon held down in case his jumping caused her to flail around within. By doing that they protected themselves from injury as well... two birds, one stone

His mode of transportation was time efficient, dangerous yes but it had made the travel distance of 6.4 miles in record time – that being thirty minutes – which gave him enough time to secure the area.

He locked eyes with the oldest devil, her name being Hyria from the east and nodded to her gently "Give me a few minutes to make sure it's safe, I'll knock three times upon my return ok?"

She simply nodded

Ryden gave one last smile before closing the door and turning towards the small lake behind him. It was not exactly a lake to be perfectly honest, Ryden had only seen a small glimpse of it upon passing it an hour prior but now that he had time to look at it, it was a mountain water fed pond roughly the size of two Olympic sized pools that hugged the side of a mountain, the mountain itself being more like a wall of sheer stone than anything else.

He had to say it but the area was incredibly clean and tranquil, the grass at his feet was finely trimmed and the water in the pond was crystal clean with no signs of contamination, there was even a small sandy area before the pond – finely crushed and soft to the touch. Ryden let it fall from his hand slowly as he kneeled before the shore to inspect it for any kind of dangers.

He was mindful though. Rosalina had told him that this was the _familiar forest_ so he couldn't take risks. what he could be seeing could possibly be an illusion made from some kind of creature – he didn't truly know – as mention Venelana and Zeoticus had never once spoken to him about the _familiar forest_ probably due to the fact that it was located to the far east of the _Lucifaad_ Capital, closer to the city of _Lilith_ – the mother of all monsters and currently in enemy hands for what seemed like the foreseeable future

Guess they didn't factor in his legendary 'first day luck'

Ryden sighed before standing back up and unsheathing _Infernum Fulgur,_ holding it high in the air for anyone to see it... a sign of dominance, that he was alpha... best idea he could think of in a forest filled with animalistic creatures of various types and or styles

"... I know your there" he said lightly – knowing his words were heard easily

His simple comment was responded by a soft distant chuckle, feminine in nature and deep in tone, suggesting a size difference in the responder. Ryden grew alert quickly when the waters in the pond shifted harshly and parted to reveal a large reptilian shape breach the surface slowly. Pale blue scales shimmered in the night sky as did deep blue sapphire eyes that which sharpened and shimmered upon noticing him.

It became perfectly clear to Ryden...

The distinct features, the rows of sharp teeth, the cowl of horns – four in total, two small, two large – jutting out and flowing back perfectly straight upon the back of the creatures skull... every detail, everything shown to Ryden just what was before him...

A Dragon... a large...Dragon

 _Oh. shit_

His muscles locked upon realising that the creature before him was in fact a dragon. Ryden had fantasised what it would be like to face a real dragon, he'd seen them in movies and heard them in stories – mighty beings, mistaken as messily reptiles that hoarded massive treasures and prided themselves with the power they wielded... most of it being unrivaled. Now here he was facing one down in hell itself

Life was still being a bitch it seemed...

He stood there, sword in hand held low and casually at his side – he wondered if sheathing it would deter any kind of confrontation but he ignored that. If he knew one thing then he knew that cowardice in the face of dragons was considered a weakness so dishonorable it was like cutting wings off of a devil

Big no-no

Ryden sighed deeply and simply regarded the dragon with the most casual of waves he could muster

"Hi..." he began awkwardly, before he released a deep breath and clicked his tongue "... yeah, this is awkward" he added after seeing no reaction from the dragon, which was until the lips slightly pulled back to reveal just enough teeth to suggest something to him...

Was... was that a... grin?

His eyes furrowed before his world was suddenly rocked to its core

" _ **Awkward for you maybe, but at least you weren't caught in the middle of bathing... pervert"**_ came the barbed feminine tone he'd heard before, coming from the very dragon before him.

.

.

.

"No fucking way... you can _talk_?" he breathed out, completely ignoring the pervert comment directed at him

The dragon before him simply tilted its head at his words – a very distinct chuckle echoed out after a moment of it staring before she slowly sunk back into the water and out of his sight

At first Ryden thought the dragon was leaving and sighed softly to himself but a soft yet bright glow from under the water suggested something else was happening and he flexed again upon noticing. Then it happened after the glow died down

The water parted again but this time it wasn't as large as before but rather it was more humanoid, rising from the depths. Ryden's eyes widened as a woman stepped from the water, form the picture perfect definition of defined and perfect, her skin was the smoothest he could describe – close to silk even – complemented by the droplets of water that slide down her body. Long flowing pale blue hair swayed gently against her back, three bangs hugged the sid of her heart shaped face while one simply fell down and rested itself over her gentle nose. Between the three bangs sat slitted blue eyes that pierced the darkness like a knife through butter. His descriptions and assessment of the woman/dragon ceased when he notice that the dragon turned humanoid was indeed naked, he was slightly mesmerized by the dragons 'headlights' long enough to realise that yes... those were nipples he was looking at.

And yes, she wasn't wearing anything else either... complete birthday suit in perfect view

His eyes closed gently in order to preserve her modesty before he repeated a mantra "Not a scalie, not a scalie, not a scalie"

As the woman drew near she became distinctly aware of the _breeze_ on her body and simply remedied that issue by dowsing herself in her draconic energy, moments later the energy solidified into a soft blue dress that resembled the night sky – stars and small hues of blue and pink dotted her dress and seemed to move in rhythmic fashion as if alive. She stopped a few feet from the devil that had intrigued her, her arms crossing over her large bosom and her weight shifted onto her right leg, a slight sign of intrigue was sprinkled in her otherwise indifferent and cold expression

"Are you going to simply stand there and repeat that ridiculous line of speech or are you going to introduce yourself? Speak quickly devil I'm not in the mood" she all but spat

Ryden opened his eyes – thankful the woman was covered in that blue dress – and regarded her with an apologetic bow, small and shallow just like he'd done to Rosalina hours ago. After raising his head he locked gazes with the dragon turned human

"My name is Ryden Vale Gremory, youngest brother to Sirzechs Gremory" he introduced, he relented in adding in his military rank because he had a feeling the dragon couldn't care less about it and simply went for the casual approach. He was mildly aware the dragons expression and her posture slightly loosened upon his words however it lasted for about a couple seconds before her previous gaze of pure 'I don't give a fuck' was back on her face, her weight then shifted onto her left leg and a small sigh escaped her lips.

"I see... you are not with those fools in the capital then" she breathed out, her expression then went dark "If you were then I would have killed you.." she hissed, her eyes for a second shown bright – sparks of what Ryden could assume to be blue lightning arcing from her now more prominent draconic eyes.

Ryden didn't flinch however – intimidation stopped working on him months ago.

He released a small chuckle and gently leaned on _Fulgur,_ that which he had pressed into the ground before him for leverage "if I was one of them then I would let you, but fortunately for my sanity I'm not one those baby killers, I'm my own man and my allegiance is to a more personal cause" he reasoned back smoothly, oddly revealing a little bit more of himself then he desired.

The blue haired woman was momentarily taken back by his dismissal and all around calm nature – her aura wasn't to be taken lightly and even ultimate-class devils shirked at her gaze. This devil was matching hers this entire time...

...Color her impressed

"Oh? And what 'personal cause' is that? Did they kill your son – murdered him in cold blood? Or did they rape your wife before your eyes?" she pressed darkly, clearly looking to probe him for details

Ryden ignored those words, she was trying to get rise out of him and while the latter did piss him off at the possibility of that happening he made sure his mind was clear in order to make sure he didn't piss of the dragon in front of him. He sighed "the old-Satan's have clearly gone off the reservation and limits of common decency but that's not my main ideal" he paused before regarding the woman with underlined annoyance "if I'm to tell you then I must know the one I'm speaking to first, common courtesy amirite?"

Before Ryden could react the woman was on him – literally

His back was pressed against a tree just a few feet from the pond, the pale blue haired woman mere inches from his face, clear signs of excitement and mild bloodlust contained under a thin vale of actual lust that was then hidden behind a mask of a simple smile – one that promised any flavors of pain. Her left hand held his right hand up against the tree trunk that which was unfortunately without his sword – _Infernum Fulgur_ was still gently sheathed in the earth a few feet back _._ Her own right arm was pressed across his collar, pinning him against the tree like a vice and Ryden became painful aware of many things that which didn't at all fit with his situation

One was that her body was pressed tightly to his own, her headlights smooched against his chest...

The other was that her eyes twitched between lust and bloodlust... not at all finding common ground

And the other was much more awkward... he glanced over the woman/dragon's shoulder and noticed the damn carriage door was open to reveal Rivia Abaddon watching this the entire time. On an off chance his mind brought up the relief of seeing the woman up and about but another half pointed out that his position with the dragon against the tree was much more deplorable then it actually was

He didn't know what he'd die from first – embarrassment or disembowelment via horny dragon. It didn't matter which one however, because either or was not a preferable lasting quote for tombstone material

The woman leaned into him – form pressing tighter to his own – and her eyes, now slitted and glowing, remained locked on his confused orbs before exploring his nape. Ryden felt the distinct sensation of being sniffed, practically inhaled, by the dragons powerful sense of smell and then he felt something else...

It wasn't a sharp pain, Satan only knows how long it's been since he felt pain but it was a sudden pull on his ear lobe that caused his mind pause... it was both that and the sudden adorable ' _umu'_ that was released from the dragon who was in the process of _nibbling his ear!_

" _Ufufu..._ " she snickered in a small whisper, the sensation of her breath on his ear and neck made his skin crawl and the hairs on the back of his neck even stood up from the slight hint of static laced in her lips _"I never would have guessed it... to be so close to a human and not notice, I'm must be getting rusty"_ she breathed out in a breathless tone.

Ryden froze, his muscles gone perfectly still

The woman continued...

" _As for my name... you may call me, Tiamat – the Chaos Karma dragon"_

* * *

There were many things Ryden knew and didn't know about hell. The majority of it being simple ignorance due to poor preparation but then again no one could really predict that his first day in the Anti-Satan forces would send him to _Lucifaad_ – with a demonic nuke in his shorts – and save six practically doomed POW's, one of them being a hero renowned by a large sum, and then meet a freaking dragon _king_

Ryden wasn't aware of the amount of money his adoptive family was paying him, nor was he aware of what the military service pay was, but even if they were both six figures an hour it still didn't pay to get outta bed at times.

Tiamat had released her hold on him a small moment ago and was now simply standing before him with a wide shit eating grin on her face, probably influenced by Ryden's dumbfounded expression. Take a minute to think on this matter, Ryden had speculated what it must feel like to be in the presents of an actual dragon – most of those thoughts were met with loud roars, screaming civilians and burning cities along with a fight between the hero and a large pose of 'red shirts'. While he was aware that even a dragon can be handled by _dwarves_ he had to remember that Smaug wasn't a dragon king, or at least he thought so... but he was talking to MF Tiamat! And she _was_ one.

His memory was sparse of information regarding the dragon, all he knew from a distant memory in a history class was that she was aligned with Babylonian mythology and according to that she was suppose to be dead – killed by _Marduk_ and used to create the heavens and the earth with her body... lovely. But after that he was at an impasse.

Now here she was... in hell. He was starting to assume that she did in fact die and was simply reformed in hell but he didn't ask as that may very well be a tender subject that could wipe the smile from the dragons lips the second he'd ask.

He'd rather not piss her off, after the little episode of CQC with the dragon and he was fully aware of the physical strength difference between them... not a winning fight that's for sure.

His mind stopped doing hurdles when he noticed the form of Rivia Abaddon stop at his side. Tiamat regarded the woman passively while the woman herself simply set her gaze on Ryden that only shown with a look of curiosity within her golden eyes

"Oh? I wasn't aware we were being watched... speak of your name devil or you will be removed" spat Tiamat. Rivia didn't even notice her and only kept her eyes on Ryden – lost in his eyes.

Ryden stood up – having fallen on his ass due to the many shocking moments and nerve wracking surprises and quickly diffused Tiamat's growing frustration by stepping into the path of the dragon, garnering her attention from the silent and watching devil.

"It's ok Tiamat... she's with me, I brought her and a few others to gather water for them but it would seem I've stepped into your territory" he defused calmly. He turned and then stepped towards Rivia in order to inspect her condition. Seeing his advance Rivia slightly tensed and stepped back a foot

Ryden stopped, trouble expression dotting his face "my names Ryden Vale Gremory, lady Abaddon... I'm general Sirzechs' brother and I'm with the Anti-Satan forces, I'm not going to hurt you"

A mild look of surprise rose onto the woman's face while Tiamat simply shrugged her shoulders at the quiet woman's actions, to her the woman seemed more dazed then fully coherent.

"She seems to have issues Gremory" she commented

Ryden nodded at her observant analysis "my team and I ambushed a prison convoy on route to _Lucifaad_ just a few minutes ago, there is a few more in that carriage there that were among the prisoners and they need serious medical care and water" he explained while turning to the dragon, seriousness fully activated

Tiamat nodded simply "You are on your way to _Lucifaad_? What plans do you have?"

Ryden shrugged before glancing around "I'd answer that – I would even show you – but I'm afraid the demonic energy output would tip the old-Satan's of our presents and I'd rather make this easy"

Tiamat furrowed her brow and then simply snapped her fingers, confusing him slightly

Ryden grew surprised when a large ghostly blue dome of energy enveloped the area. Its presents lasted for a moment before suddenly fading into transparency, the underline layers of the energy blanketed the area and completely cut off all signatures from the outside

Tiamat regarded him with a small smirk "I'm waiting..."

Ryden sighed and stepped towards the dragon – reached into his pocket dimension – and summoned the golden orb, the light of the orb illuminated the area in a pure golden glow, and the energy that resembled the flame of a Phenex embraced the area in a warm embrace that caused Tiamat to slightly shiver in response to its sudden presences.

"Is that?..." she muttered in question

He nodded "The absorbed energy of a _Ruina Imperium_ and an ultimate-class devil... I plan on shoving it up the Old-Satan's ass over at _Lucifaad_ " he revealed casually before dropping the orb back into the pocket dimension, the golden light and warmth disappearing along with it

Ryden was aware of the disappointed expression on the dragon but ignored it to press his issue and point further "Currently we – my team and I – face a time critical operation, the old-Satan's tried to destroy the Bael clan territory via _Ruina imperium_ but we managed to harness it for our own retaliation which was already stated. However they have already mobilized a force of 10,000 strong and are currently preparing to assault the territory I came from"

"You plan on extinguishing a fire with an even bigger fire" she summarized

Ryden nodded "Exactly..." he replied before taking a deep breath "I'm gonna go out on limb and say you're not the biggest of fan of the Old-Satan's... are you?"

She shook her head

"I guessed so..." he breathed before he turned to the woman behind him, she was still staring at him – unblinkingly – and the distance in which she had created before was closed significantly, her form almost leaning on him for some reason. An idea popped into his head a moment after he turned back to look at the dragon, but this time he had a small smirk on his lips

"Let's make a deal... if you allow these devils some water and medical care, I'll erase _Lucifaad_ and wipe it off the map for you, and you'll have no need to worry about pesky devils again" he bargained

The dragon before him suddenly smirked widely at him "that's a large bargain Gremory..."

Ryden smirked "I've got a large bomb in my pants... I'm sure I can get it done" he said but then paused after realising what he was talking to

Dragon = dragonite... Chance!

He tapped his finger against his chin, a mischievous glint sprouting in his eyes "What can I do in order to get a couple pounds of Dragonite mixed into that deal?" he asked with a cheeky smile – a mild hint of greed laced in his words and expression

The dragon before him paused at his offer before she suddenly started laughing

"Fufufufu... what a greedy little devil you are, fufufufu" in her laugh she paused to ponder over her words "Hmm... to ask of such a thing from a dragon king is very brazen but now that you've offered I may have a task for you that could be the opportunity you seek... dragonite metal is very cherished by my kind but it's worth is more useful as currency than a treasure for me" she explained, soft yet dangerous smile lined her lips

Ryden listened intently, eyes so unblinking in their gaze on Tiamat she was mildly put off at his eager disposition

She ignored it and pressed on "In the Necropolis, the furthest distance northwest, past _Lucifaad_ – lay a tomb of a devil that which stole a treasure from my den, its value is significantly more important to me then a couple pounds of harden rock"

Ryden blinked "I'm guessing there's something there that's protecting this treasure of yours?" Ryden hummed before scoffing "Must be a dangerous foe to ward off a dragon king"

"If you are assuming mold and grime as a worthy foe then yes... yes it is" added in the dragon king who was at the moment idly inspecting her lengthened nails.

Ryden stopped thinking "Wait... so you're saying there's nothing there but just dirt and grime?" he asked but then a sudden glare from Tiamat caused him to halt his questioning tone

"if you seek danger then the Necropolis houses the living dead – puss covered cretins risen to guard the body of a demon named _Valefor_ ; the demon thief" her nose crumpled in disgust "those things are everywhere, the last time I tried to get my treasure I was covered in the damn things – took a week to clean off all the—ugh! Never mind that" she added before she then hugged herself in even more disgust

"And the spiders... Their HUGE! Almost the same size as me in dragon form!" she whaled

 _Spiders... same size as dragon... fuck that!_

"Ooook! I can see why you haven't gone" he commented with wide eyes brimming with arachnophobic fear "I can safely say I might shit my pants for doing this but Challenge accepted" he said with gusto, moments afterwards however and his body sagged in despair "oh god I'm gonna regret the shit outta this but damn do I want a dragonite weapon" he clenched his fist tightly "imma need a loooot of fire to get that done"

As he said that he felt the sword at his side – now back in his hand – shimmer slightly. He paused and raised it to eye level and listened to the sword spirit. Tiamat, who had been watching him silently suddenly became very aware of the weapon in the humans hand. Her eyes shot wide open after a moment of processing that what she was looking at was actually true and judging by the look of sudden surprise from the blonde devil behind him meant she'd noticed as well

"Gremory..." she breathed out "is that... _Infernum Fulgur_?" asked the dragon, eyes lined with very distinct surprise... such a weapon should have been noticed by her, yet its presence was perfectly hidden somehow.

Ryden stopped listening to _Fulgur_ momentarily and regarded Tiamat casually "Yes... I ran up into a raging storm and yoinked it from an obsidian stone prison at the top of a mountain" he glanced around for a second – eyes shifting from side to side – before he finished in a whisper _"it was actually pretty easy, I didn't even know what it was until later"_

She stopped thinking after he said that and simply remained where she was. Rivia Abaddon heard what was said and froze as well – both knew what stood before them at that moment...

 _An Arbiter_

Safe to say Rivia's body wasn't going to move for a while and her gaze wouldn't find anything else more important than the back of the one who'd saved her and her allies

Ryden clicked his tongue before looking to Tiamat with a wide smile "Turns out Ashfeld is in that direction – little bit more north – and apparently _Infernum Ignis_ is sitting there waiting... guess I found the fire I need" he summarized casually. Tiamat couldn't believe what she just heard and simply waited for reality to return

It didn't, the human or whatever he was, was still before her...

Taking a small period of time to release a couple breaths, Ryden sheathed his sword and held out his hand to Tiamat who stared at it hesitantly "So... we got a deal?" he asked, smirk raising high onto his cheeks

The female dragon king stood idle for a moment while Rivia Abaddon stared at the scene with a look of awe. To see a devil look so calm and tranquil – even humorous – stand on equal ground with thee _chaos Karma dragon_ was not something even she was capable of fantasising of, but here it was. Hours ago she was writhing in agony from a severe beating and drowning in despair at the fate that awaited her and her friends at _Lucifaad_ but now she was standing free with multiple rays of hope in the horizon and she couldn't feel any bit more elated, especially with the knowledge at exactly who had saved them

She was unaware of her collapsing form until a shocked set of eyes – owned by one Ryden vale Gremory – was gazing at her in worry, her body held gently in his arms.

It was a second after Tiamat shook his hand when Rivia suddenly collapsed, soft streams of tears leaked down from a set of eyes that held no hint of even crying – it was as if they simply chose at that moment to fall. He was at her side in seconds and holding her up by her back with gentle care so to not harm the healthy by severely weakened devil

"What's wrong?" he asked, slight panic in his tone

For the first time in two months, she spoke...

" _The... Arbiter... saved... me..."_ she mouthed before a faintly chuckle escaped her lips, tears still falling from her staring eyes.

The added chuckle was pure emotion Ryden mused and the tears were obviously related as well, when one spends so long in despair the air of freedom was freezing to the touch and could cause anyone to shake at its embrace and even he was no exception; Ryden was just glad there was a semblance of emotion in her tone and elated eyes, so far she'd looked distant and even broken which didn't at all help improve his mood, but now he was elated to say that she wasn't as damaged as he at first theorized

 _Lord only knows what he would've done once he got into Lucifaad if his theory was true..._

He sighed before looking to the dragon "Got any water?" he asked with a small cheeky grin

The dragon simply rolled her eyes at his sarcastic question before gesturing for him to follow with a wag of her finger. He nodded and picked up Rivia bridal style and turned to the carriage where the remaining devils present were standing. With a gesture of his head – the others followed.

Ryden stopped at the shoreline while the dragon simply walked back into the crystal clear water and stopped when she got to her hips "hand her to me, she needs to be fully submerged in order for this to work... tell the others to disrobe as well, I don't want blood in my pond" commanded the dragon king

He nodded as he handed Rivia Abaddon to the dragon before looking to the others "You heard the dragon..." was all he said before turning away and calmly walking back to the carriage. They hadn't before but Ryden wondered if the lead carriage housed any bits of Intel they could use so he decided to delve into that hunt while the dragon turned bloody caretaker handled the POW's... hard to form that train of thought into actual words Ryden noticed. Dragon. Assisting. POW's... doesn't sound right but that was exactly what was happening at the moment but Ryden ignored the oddness – he had a feeling this wasn't going to be the last of the odd occurrences in his time in hell.

Oh he had no idea...

Remembering a few bits of his ride in the military carriage back at the Gremory estate he remembered that there was a selection of drawers located below the seats and started his hunt there. No dice, bottom of the seats was clean of any kind of furniture so he frisked his hands along the sides of the cabin only to again come up with nothing. His mouth twitched before he climbed fully into the carriage and felt around before suddenly coming up with something.

It was a small manila folder, couple inches thick with what Ryden assumed as intelligence on something important hidden in a small canopy on the ceiling of the carriage. Considering this was a military prisoner transport he assumed the Intel would pertain to information regarding prisoners – obviously – and for the most part he was correct in his assumption. A good quarter of the Intel had named lists of highly important information regarding devils aligned with the Anti-Satan forces, he even found Rosalina Phenex and Abigail Valac in the list of 'HVT's' the Old-Satan's wanted captured for reasons unspecified... he could bloody well guess why though as only females were on this list. Ryden rolled his eyes at the otherwise morbid thought

Fucking perverts... what's next? Panty raid plans?

Skipping over the Old-Satan's degeneracy plans Ryden finally came up with something that wasn't disturbing. It was filed under the code term ' _Revenant' –_ a person thought dead, actually being alive. It took him a few minutes to read through the mumbo jumbo of prophetic dialect and lunacy normal heard from zealot rejects found at local bars but that's when he noticed the issue of the plans...

Resurrection, obviously hinted by the word _'revenant'_ written in the file and it for some reason had to do with the _necropolis_ and... The Malphes territory? That was all that was inscribed, the rest was covered in scratch marks and black ink leaving Ryden covered with a blanket of questions. Common sense leads him to think the Old-Satan's planned to resurrect the dead. The _necropolis_ was a mass grave of dead demons and ancient warriors of hell – but then how does the Malphes territory fit into that?

He didn't know demonology enough to fully form an answer but he did know this information was valuable to the right people so Ryden stuffed it into the pocket dimension before hopping out of the carriage.

As he approached the pond Ryden mulled over the plans he'd found further but upon doing so he never became aware of the devil standing before him. He blinked to shake his confusion from his face when he accidently bumped into her, he glanced up instinctually to apologise but went rigid when he realised he'd bumped into a perfectly healthy – freshly clothed – Rivia Abaddon, standing before him, her arms resting on her hips and a small smirk placed gently on her lips

He blinked again – leaned to the side – and noticed Tiamat sitting in the pond cleaning the other devil's with what he assumed to be disinterested interest – though she looked uninterested in helping the little devil's she did however scrutinize every inch of their bodies until they were perfectly clean and then would order them to dunk under the water. Ryden rolled his head around before quickly looking away – having noticed that they were all naked – and reengaged his gaze with a staring Rivia Abaddon.

Her clothing was simple yet very refined – Ryden suspected it was courtesy of Tiamat as her draconic magic was something of a mystery to him. If he had time he would have asked but it wasn't going to happen at the moment... shame, spontaneously creating clothes seemed very convenient.

Rivia wore an elegant and low cut black and blue dress that exposed a good chunk of cleavage – for 'reasons' Ryden didn't know. She had similar detached sleeves as Rosalina which had reached up into crowned shoulder guards leaving her shoulders bare for him to see, her left handed sleeve was dark blue while her right hand was onyx black. The dress also had multiple skirt tails trailing behind her, two large slits down the center and back of her dress exposed her long slender legs that which were covered by black thigh highs reaching up to her mid thigh and black high heel boots that reached up blew her knees.

Ryden wanted to whistle, she was beautiful before but now?... _damn!_

...Rosalina's got competition

Then he nearly choked on his saliva when – very vulgarly – Rivia reached up and tied her long blonde hair into a ponytail with a black barrette all the while making sure her breasts were perfectly accentuated by this action. Considering their proximity, this entire action covered his entire field of view and completely masked the large blush on Rivia as she did this. He paused in thought and slowly regarded the rather tall female with a look that said – very intelligently – 'Huh?'

"Well?..." she purred questioningly, shocking Ryden by the tone of her voice. If you could somehow turn the sound of cracking wood from a campfire and mix it with the soft sounds of flapping fabric in a gentle breeze then you had a perfect example of how bloody peaceful Rivia's voice was.

Better explanation – husked tone with a soft sensation of silky smoothness... perfect voice for an adult female of her beauty.

"You..." he all but breathed out, eyes wider than dinner plates as the tall female devil watched him expectantly "You..." he breathed again but then he just dropped it "You sure that pond didn't turn you into an angel by accident?" he commented light heartedly, still showing clear signs of shock

Rivia regarded him casually before she softly chuckled at his words "My, you are rather bold in your compliments... to call me an angel? Ufufu, bold man indeed" she purred out again

Ryden however took it the wrong way "Oh No! I didn't mean it as an insult Lady Abaddon! Twas a compliment I swear!" he screeched out

An uproarious laugh caught his attention while lady Abaddon simply giggled at Ryden's hasty reply, the man in question steaming with clear embarrassment.

Tiamat stepped forward from behind Rivia with a massive grin on her face "And here I thought you were a poised man Ryden Vale Gremory, for her to get your tongue tied up like that kinda insults me – am I not as beautiful?" she question but her tone and face suggested it was more along the lines of 'interrogated' then anything else.

Ryden swallowed – faintly hearing his balls busting under the combined gazes of a fully rejuvenated Rivia Abaddon and a scrutinizing Tiamat... a dragon king... that was mentioned before right?

Well when in doubt, exaggerate!

Ryden began blinking profusely "Ow... my eyes..." he muttered before he began rubbing them harshly "not to self: don't stare at two bright stars for more than two seconds..." he commented

Rivia chuckled again while Tiamat clicked her tongue in slight amusement

"Tsk... smooth answer brat"

Rivia merely smiled down at him gently but didn't speak.

Ryden breathed a sigh of relief, he'd dodged a bullet there. After getting his bearings back he shifted his gaze between the two devils with a questioning gaze, he even made sure they noticed his gaze on the mysterious clothes Rivia wore. The two noticed but didn't elaborate so he pushed

Ryden closed his eyes and breathed in softly "I get this small feeling I'm not leaving here alone..." he muttered knowingly

Tiamat hummed "sharp senses..." she wagged her finger at Rivia "this one requested it to me... she's pretty adamant about her reasoning so I'd be careful with letting her down if you so choose" she spoke, completely uncaring that the aforementioned woman was right beside her

He nodded before glancing at the woman currently staring at him with a new look of resolve, he stared at her momentarily – studying her expression and gait, even to her hands – before clicking his tongue and looking at Tiamat questioningly "what exactly is in that pond of yours? Phenex tears?" he asked

Tiamat shook her head "you mean you don't know?" she asked, shocked by his ignorance

He blinked and waited for an elaboration to which Tiamat obliged with a small growl of annoyance

"Dragon's have two distinct types of residual energy that they excrete from their aura's, one being a deathly poison type effect that destroys and corrodes everything they touch and the other being a healing or tranquil energy... you can guess what I have" she explained simplistically

Ryden nodded in understanding "So that water has got some serious healing energy seeped into it... Kinda ironic if you think about it" he replied casually

Tiamat's eyes flashed dangerously "...Explain"

He scratched the back of his head before replying "The chaos karma dragon... exudes a healing effect" he scratched his cheek this time in confusion "I guess the title was given later on than immediately" he then eyed the seemingly seething dragon – pride slighted just a little by his words – and smiled at her kindly "I take it you're a lot more refined than your title reveals" he chuckled to himself when Tiamat's eyes widened just a bit "I apologise if I showed you disrespect, I'm merely stating what I've seen"

The dragon suddenly turned her head from him, eyes glaring at the ground with a masked emotion "You are very brazen..."

Ryden chuckled again "so I'm told by many, I'm also considered to be nuts by both my allies and brother – considering what I'm doing – I would have to agree with them" he beamed good naturedly

Rivia watched as the devil before her actually conversed with Tiamat casually, even stepping onto a few thin wires pertaining to the title of the dragon with awe. Brazen didn't cover it...

After a moment Ryden sighed before looking at her, Tiamat doing the same after she regained her Barings and tossing a faint glare at Ryden.

He merely shifted his weight while again studying her closely. Rivia knew that he was trying to find any show of weakness and while at first she was offended by this – seeing as how she'd trained to contain her weaknesses through sheer force of will – she could understand his suspicion and even found herself growing angry at her own showing of weakness not a moment before... even if she couldn't help it. nonetheless her mouth opened to speak, conveying her own words before she even thought on them

"I'm not weak, what you saw was a disgrace... I am not that woman that which you saw" she said with passion, even momentarily causing Tiamat pause – as noticed by the lighting of her eyes momentarily - while Ryden merely raised a brow at her odd outburst

"Disgrace you say?... you consider that _a disgrace?"_ he asked, Rivia was taken aback by his slightly disapproving gaze "you survived three months in the hands of savages, who tried to take your very wings from you – yet you remained strong and denied them that sickening pleasure" he explained, making Rivia advert her eyes

Ryden stepped forward towards her "In despair you even became a beacon of hope for those behind you, and somehow made yourself out to be their sister figure even" he paused before gently gesturing to Tiamat who watched the two closely "you even stood in the presence of her, without fear or even noticing the danger – all just to get to me"

He rest his hand gently on her shoulder which stiffened upon contact, Ryden locked eyes with the shocked woman before him and smiled gently "how is that a disgrace? No matter the degree of which you fell you still stood up and made an effort out of what you had, you shielded the weak and took the brunt of the pain head on" he gently squeezed and made a reassuring smile directed to Rivia "remember what you were at your lowest, so you can reach your highest and never fall again" he added before letting go and stepping back

"anyways..." he started, ignoring the reverence in Rivia's eyes and the small smirk on Tiamat "... it was not weakness that I'm searching for, that's inherent – everyone's got a weakness – I mean a second ago I was a blubbering mess when in the face of two gorgeous women" he jested before shooting out a visible shrug

Tiamat laughed "ok, now you're just kissing ass"

Ryden nodded "maybe... but it's still true" he replied casually

Tiamat rolled her eyes at his comment while Ryden then returned his eyes back onto Rivia

"if your thinking I'm going to tell you to sit on the bench then you're wrong, frankly I wouldn't dream of it considering what they all have said about you" upon that comment Rivia's eyes slightly rose at his words before Ryden hit her with a causal question "You wouldn't happen to know a Rosalina Phenex would you?"

She shook her head at that, not having heard of her

Ryden continued on "well she and a few hundred others – that's to my assumption – speak highly of you, even going so far a regarding you as a hero, they even told me of the great evacuation of the Abaddon territory" he lightly tapped her abdomen "You single handily held a line against insurmountable odds for how many days? I don't know but that's gotta be something worth noting" he summarized before he glanced to Tiamat while Rivia blushed up a storm at his complements "why wouldn't I want that on my team... all we're doing is making a special delivery, so hell yeah she's in" he beamed but then paused "speaking of which, since I'm taking lady Abaddon with me, what will they be doing while she's not here to take care of them?"

Tiamat tapped her nose "sorry Gremory, that's a deal made between me and Abaddon... the kids will be in my care, so don't worry about that" she glanced to Rivia with a knowing smile "I'm sure you are aware of our deal, be sure to follow through with it"

Rivia simply nodded "Of course lady Tiamat"

The dragon sneered at the title "Just Tiamat brat... 'Lady Tiamat' sounds like a grannies name and I ain't a grandma"

Rivia waved her hands, placating the dragon "Of course Tiamat"

"I thank you Tiamat, one of these days I'll grab that treasure for you" spoke Ryden

Tiamat merely growled at him "don't get ahead of yourself Gremory, you got a city to erase first so get that done before you even think of running off"

Ryden smiled, nodding all the while "yes yes, I'll be sure to expand on your territory for you as soon as I can"

She smiled viciously at his change in phrasing the deal "I'll be waiting for the light show... now GET!"

Both Ryden and Rivia were suddenly pushed out of the large barrier by an unseen force, leaving Ryden smiling at the dragon's slow change in personality and leaving Rivia staring stoically at the five devil's casually sitting in the pond.

She turned away a moment after mouthing something Ryden didn't hear and began walking into the forest "Let's go" she worded resolutely

Ryden nodded gently at her words but stood there for a moment, idly watching the young devil's sitting in the sand of the small shoreline of the pond, Rivia hadn't noticed but they had looked over the moment she looked away leaving Ryden to witness the bright smiles on their faces. Tiamat noticed his gaze and simply waved him off – gesture more aligned with 'piss off' then what you'd assume

He took the message and sent a small – flamboyant – wave to the devil's and then followed behind a distant Rivia. He followed behind for a moment until he lost sight of the clearing in the thick woods. They continued to walk for a few more minutes until the female devil paused in a small clearing and tapped the space before her. Ryden was surprised to see a tear in space open before her, being the perfect size for a humanoid figure to casually walk through.

"This will lead us back to the road..." instructed Rivia

Ryden nodded and wordlessly stepped towards the portal but was suddenly stopped before entering by Rivia who place a hand on his shoulder

"hmm?" he hummed while glancing to her

"Thank you... for what you said before, I... I needed to hear that" she mouthed quietly, eyes downcast

Ryden merely smirked before he pat her head of all things and answered gently "Your welcome lady Abaddon... just remember what I said and you'll never fall again, not now that you got me by your side" his reply grew a small blush on Rivia before she sprouted up suddenly

"Rivia..." she mouthed before locking eyes with him "Just call me... Rivia" was her final comment before she grew silent

Ryden smirked brighter before nodding "Sure thing Rivia" he casually said, in a lighter tone

Rivia smiled brightly at his words before she let go and stood to the side "after you..." she said kindly, gesturing towards the portal

He smiled in return.

Soon after his little trade of formalities he stepped into the black void, Rivia following not a moment behind and he duly noted the large smile on her face as she followed. Ryden knew of many coping mechanisms used for recovering from what she'd been through, what she sought was connection, maybe something else but what he did know was that, because of his words he set her a more correct path than the one she had chosen. To hate herself and her weakness in times of despair was only going to cause a bitter poison to corrode herself over time, Ryden was glad he managed to divert that and upon that thought he let the subject escape him and lost himself in the sensation of what surrounded him. The sensation was odd to him – cold even – the space itself was an ideal definition of _void_ as there was nothing within but pure blackness and Rivia following closely behind him and it was at that moment when Ryden realised that he was walking in the Abaddon families most well known trait...

The intelligently named power called "hole"

No joke... that's what it's called, swear on the Gremory's name... riveting stuff honestly

He'd learned of the most prominent family house powers and attributes with his time at the getaway estate. The Bael family had the _power of destruction_ – a literal power to erase pretty much everything. After learning about it he then knew then why Sirzechs was adamant in keeping their spar's weapons only, because he might just kill him with his power – no need to test it after all. The Sitri family specialized in _water and ice manipulation_ , Serafall being the most powerful ice user to date; it's said that if Serafall were to be 'freed of all restrictions' then she could literally freeze half of hell with the snap of her finger...

Get that girl a damn Nerf... too damn OP!

Astaroth family possessed _powerful intellect_ – Ajuka was their prime trophy of that bragging right. Agares family had – to a limited extent – _time manipulation_ and the Belial family had the notorious power of _worthlessness_ which basically shuts down any kind of power if the caster understands the power he's disabling and considering it was notorious for most devil's to broadcast their abilities basically made the family a power house.

Not bad...

The Abaddon family had the power of _hole_ which literally uses holes in space that can absorb any attack and redirect the attack at any given time – even store them. The extent of the power was provided before him in another field of specialization

Teleportation via _void gate_... nifty shit... Saved Ryden a good bit of time and he sighed at the convenience provided before him because he hadn't been looking forward to bunny hopping on rough terrain again

The void effect lasted for only a second longer until a light sprouted up before him and boom... he was standing before three extremely shell shocked devil's that bore holes not only into him but the woman standing quietly at his right flank

The three remained silent... staring

Ryden simply watched in awe as the black mass of intangible energy swirled in its spot behind him for a moment before fading away soundlessly. Ryden whistled at that "damn... that was really cool" he mouthed in slight awe

Rivia giggled "I'll be sure to show you it more if you want..." she offered kindly

Ryden's eyes brightened "Perfect... I'll keep that offer in mind"

With one last smile, Rivia regarded Ryden kindly before she turned to the three stunned devil's and gave them a small nobles bow – crisp and perfect – and then regarded them with a warming smile

"Greetings... you must be the ones that saved me and my dear friends – my names Rivia Abaddon, former head of the Abaddon house, it's a pleasure to meet you all" she greeted professionally

Ryden noticed that some time during his leave, the three must have worked hard to clean up the mess they left on the road. Each of them were covered in some kind of dirt and even had bits of branches and leaves stuck in their hair, looking further into it Ryden even noticed the single lone carriage was parked perfectly at the side of the road while all of the corpses were buried respectfully a few feet away from the road in a small clearing... didn't expect that Ryden mused

The three simply stared at Rivia for a moment before they suddenly locked their eyes onto Ryden, looks of grand confusion were wrought on their expressions and an even clear sign of wonder was mixed in with it... two emotions that correlate perfectly via definition and they were expressing them both at the same time.

That's some next level confusion if he had to say...

Then they asked the one question in perfect unison

"What the hell happened?"

He smiled brightly at them, knowingly... one long ass explanation coming right up!

* * *

Couple of minutes later – or what felt like hours – Ryden managed to fill in the gaps and questions floating around in the heads of the Devil's like a wild and angry hive of bees. Sometime during his story they relocated off the road, making sure to hide the carriage from view and now they sat in a thick area obscured on all sides by trees and thick shrubs. Rosalina was leaning casually on a tree, her eyes simply staring at both Ryden and Rivia with deep interest while Abigail did the same, she was located up in a trees branch a couple feet above them as a look out, her eyes were mainly on the new arrival herself however, a look of reverence dominating her gaze. Rivia herself simply sat seiza style at Ryden's left flank – eyes closed calmly and simply taking the time to meditate and clear her thoughts; the man of her interest had taken a seat on the green grass who simply sat campfire style.

Nyx was the only one standing and pacing back and forth

He didn't take the story well... much to Ryden's amusement

"So... not only did you suddenly jump off with a carriage on your back – inadvertently _or purposely_ show off unnatural strength – you make it to a clearing in perfect time and ran into FUCKING TIAMAT!?" roared a heavily breathing Nyx Oriax "WHO WAS FUCKING _BATHING_ NO LESS?!" he added, equally as loud as before. The devil took a deep breath before adding again, with clear dumbfounded awe "how – _in Satan's name_ – are you not dragon shit right now?"

Ryden chuckled

"Don't you laugh dammit! This is some serious shit, Tiamat is not – and I repeat – _NOT_ meant to be fucked with!" he laminated with severe gusto

Ryden chuckled again...

...A vein popped on Nyx's temple

However before he could literally explode Ryden simply gestured for him to calm down "I'm aware of the danger Nyx" he eased

"Doesn't bloody feel like it..." he jabbed

Ryden shrugged at the shot "That's mainly because I'm a Swanson..."

"A what?"

"Nothing..."

Nyx seethed at Ryden's light tone before huffing and dropped down in a childish sulk, amusing Ryden further. Seeing that opportunity in the action to make her move, Rosalina stepped from and locked eyes with Ryden

"What happened to the other devil's?" she asked genuinely

This caused Rivia to open her eyes calmly "they are safe, the Arbiter made a deal with the dragon king that safe guarded their lives and provided medical care for them and myself... It is why I'm in perfect health" she answered casually, unaware of the sudden development of shock on all three devils present

Ryden popped in "Mighty fine medical treatment if you ask me" he commented off handily

Rivia smiled at him "indeed"

Abigail shot up after a moment of thought "You said _Arbiter... who_ or _what,_ is that?"

Rivia simply turned her gaze to Ryden who simply leaned back and rest his back against the trunk of the tree behind him. The others noticed the eldest woman's gaze and gave off three different reactions, Nyx grew confused, Abigail smirked at something else entirely and Rosalina snapped her fingers

"That's the word I was looking for!... you're an _Arbiter_ – he who wields the weapons of hell shall be granted the title of Arbiter, the _Infernum armis_ are those very weapons" she explained

Ryden whistled but remained confused "and what does that entail or even mean?" he asked

Rosalina's reply was interrupted by Nyx who simply waved off that question "Who cares about that Arbiter crap, did you just say he made a damn deal with Tiamat?" he questioned Rivia forcefully

The woman in response to his words frowned deeply at the belittling of the title of Arbiter but regardless, answered him anyway "yes... for providing medical care and shelter for my friends, the Arbiter will destroy _Lucifaad_ "

Ryden suddenly piped in "don't forget I made an extra deal for a couple pounds of dragonite ore"

Rivia nodded "And he made a bonus deal with Tiamat for dragonite ore" she added – practically mirroring him word for word

.

.

.

"He's nuts... officially nuts" muttered Nyx with a ghostly expression

Abigail snickered "I thought we already established that?" she added questioningly

Rosalina simply stood before Ryden, an aura of authority radiated off of her form as she glared down at the uncaring devil below her

"What deal did you make Lord Ryden" she asked with extreme seriousness

Ryden shrugged "All I need to do is retrieve a stolen treasure from the demon Valefor's tomb in the Necropolis" he said before shrugging "I figured that after we blow up the capital, we evacuate the devil's in Tiamat's care back to the anti-Satan forces then jump over to _Ashfeld_ "

Rosalina and Nyx were too shell shocked to answer but Abigail was still coherent enough to press on

"What's at _Ashfeld_?" she asked

"Another _Infernum Armis..._ since the necropolis is crawling with the living dead and giant spiders that even give Tiamat the willies, I thought it would be perfect to grab _Infernum Ignis_ for some good ol fashion spider extermination via hellfire" Ryden planned out before clicking his teeth "Sounds like fun to me..."

Abigail took a deep breath while Rosalina simply shook her head and dropped her reply all together, finding the rather crazy comments coming from Ryden to be extremely off putting

"Whatever... let's just try and get this capital out of our way first, before we go on your little adventure" she said

Ryden shot up at that "perfect... what's the plan boss?"

Rosalina sighed again at the sudden display of energy from Ryden before she simply gestured for them all to follow her.

It was odd for her to fully grasp it, not too long ago did she and Ryden have a serious conversation and she thought she had seen the full extent of Ryden's character but like before – it was still not all of it. Not only did Ryden take his 'smile' to a whole different level, he went well beyond her realm of preparation and now she was slightly afraid she'd be left behind.

How could a man with so much blood on his hands smile so brightly, joke so easily and laugh so casually and even care so valiantly about the well being of others like he did? She didn't know the full answer to that but she had a partial answer

So far he did all these things easily and without a hint of hesitation and even branded it as professional approach to handling anger. But he did one other thing even easier...

 _He disregards his own safety_

Ashfeld was miles behind enemy lines, the necropolis was too, being even further than the former and held by numerous members of the Old-Satan's elite fighting force, the Lucifage families private army... _ **Death knights**_. There was talk within the brass about possible troop movements along the borders of _Lilith_ to the small town of _Ashfeld_. What they were doing was a mystery but their numbers were undeniable,

They were numerous... far too many for a small team like theirs to make any headway so in the end it was suicide to even think about going there. Did Ryden not care about his own life? His own words suggested that he did but his previous words contradicted them fully...

Was she looking too deeply into this? Perhaps she was...

Ryden showed signs of wisdom when given the chance so it wasn't as if he was stupid or ignorant to obvious danger. Perhaps his power was the key to his overconfidence? She hadn't really brought it up but during his game, Ryden had displayed powers beyond what the power of destruction possessed. She was aware of Ryden's dishonorable discharge from the Gremory family some five hundred years ago and had assumed it to be because of the pathetic ideal most nobles had nowadays. The concept that any devil that didn't inherit the family trait was for some reason an absolute failure.

If that was the case then she really wished to have seen lady Venelana's face when Ryden showed up at the doorstep, prancing on her noble pride with powers beyond her imagination and an _Infernum armis_ strapped to his back

That would have been a sight to see... But she digressed

Whatever his reasons or motives, Rosalina knew she'd only get answers the longer she stayed at his side so that's what she planned to do

A mad blush sprouted onto her face suddenly upon that last thought before she tempered it down with a few soft but harsh pats to her cheeks

 _What the hell was she thinking?_

Rosalina shook her head of the annoying thoughts and hardened her resolve

She only wanted to see the full extent of Ryden and the mystery that surrounded him

Yeah...

...That's all she wanted... at least that's what she thought...

* * *

For a few minutes Rosalina led the small team a few miles from their commandeered carriage. First they crossed a moderately sized gorge and then traversed over rough terrain in order to achieve enough elevation so they could get a perfect view of their target. As this was happening Ryden took in the sights of the capital city and where exactly it was based in.

He didn't know the full measurements but it looked two times the size of 2 New York City's mashed together to form a giant mega city. It sat in a perfectly rounded field besieged on its north, east, and west sides by wide mountain ranges that span for miles in their perspective directions. To its south was a massive spanning waste land of forestry with no mountains at all; According to his geographic study on hell, _Lucifaad_ was in the top left side of the squared map, from that point he remembered where exactly allied lines were.

They were all the way near the bottom right side of the map, now having taken the capital city of _Leviathia_ the anti-Satan forces were 'on the map' now but they had a long ways to go before they even came close to where Ryden and co. were... it just went to show him just how _alone_ they truly were.

The slight shiver in his spine was ignored...

After the long hike they stopped on a cliff side perfectly overlooking a main gate on the eastern side of the capital – exactly where his team would be approaching from. Once they stopped Rosalina got down to business on her plan...

"We'll make our entrance into the capital from there" she said while pointing to the eastern gate "once inside, we'll use the cover of the carriage until we reach the stables at the second drop point here" as she said that her hand pointed to a stable area located further into the capital, about a couple hundred blocks from the large main castle within the city.

"What do we do about the gate inspection?" asked Ryden as he identified parallel lookout towers beside the main gate. Coincidentally a carriage convoy stopped before the gate and had two large searchlights – irrelevant for the conventional use – scan the convoy before releasing a small siren for the large double doors to open, the convoy easily pressed on in and the gates shut not a moment after.

Rosalina nodded at his question before resting her hand on Abigail's shoulder "simple... guards normally remain on watch for prolonged durations of time, Abigail will simply take them out once we reach the gate, the automated scanning system should open automatically and ping us in if enough time passes"

Ryden's brow furrowed at that "Pretty odd security system..." he commented idly

She simply shrugged "keeps the guards awake and alert, since no action hits _Lucifaad_ most guards are pretty bored so it happens more times than you'd think so they installed the attention system in for their own torture then anything actually smart"

Nyx clicked his tongue "...wouldn't want to be caught sleeping on the job, I hear the punishment is death... you'd think this place to be more of a prison then a glorified monastery"

Abigail chuckled "I'm not complaining, the more idiocy they have the easier it is for us to get in... well... for _you guys_ anyways, I'm already where I need to be"

"Just don't freeze on us..."

She smiled "I never freeze..."

Ryden mulled over the plan at hand before striking up a second question "that settles the getting in part, what's the plan on making sure were not made while we sneak around?"

Rosalina smirked before glancing to the crimson haired woman at her side. Abigail sighed deeply upon noticing her stare before stepping before him, slight frown adored on her brow.

"Hold out your left arm, palm up please" she ordered resolutely

Ryden seemed put off by her forcefulness but complied and held out his hand

She slightly huffed before taking it and running her finger down his forearm until she stopped at his palm and drew a small circle at the base of his palm, just below his thumb. Ryden was shocked as she did this when a faint trace of demonic energy – purple in color – followed her finger movements until a demonic sigil appeared on his hand. Its design was similar to every sigil except the interior emblem resembled a downward facing arrow head with what seemed like flames trailing down behind it

The Valac family crest... he'd never seen it before...

"Hey..." came Abigail's voice before her hand lightly smacked his cheek, his eyes shot up quickly to see a very serious Abigail glaring down at him "that's my trade secret, I spent centuries perfecting it so I don't want to see it on anybody else but the five of us present, got it?" she ordered with glowing red eyes. She was dead serious

Ryden nodded simply "yeah..." he said before humming "what does it do?"

She huffed again before she raised her own hand and demonstrated. With her middle fingers she formed a fist and pressed her fingers on the muscle area where the sigil was place and then she suddenly went invisible

!?

Ryden's eyes as well as Rivia's went wide in surprise at the display, moments later and Abigail was standing before a mildly startled Rivia; her hands simply gestured for her to do the same thing to which the silent woman followed his example and held hers out.

"This will allow you some options when traversing inside the capital, I designed it to remain undetected by energy scanners so abuse it as much as you want... it's got no limits other than the amount of demonic energy you have – pretty sure that won't be an issue – and it's also got a fun little bonus added to it; not only will you be able to see yourself, you'll also see others using it as well"

Ryden's eyes widened before he glanced down at the sigil along his left arm "Thanks..." he muttered with barely concealed awe

Suddenly the woman smiled brightly at him "you're welcome... just remember what I said about secrecy or else you'll find an arrow in your heart ok?"

Ryden very quickly regarded the woman with fear before nodding profusely while Rivia simply nodded – poised and professional courtesy.

Then Ryden noticed both Rosalina and Nyx hadn't received one and raised a brow at that "you two already got one?" he asked

Rosalina smiled at him before raising her hand – sigil sprang to life by the action "got mine a few hundred years ago, Abigail made me work for it but it was worth it" she said while the woman in question simply snickered at her... there was a story behind that, he knew it

Nyx yawned – raised his own hand like Rosalina – and casually replied "been friends for eons, got mine a long time ago" he said before a pebble smacked into his face roughly "OW! Damn it woman what now!?" he yelled

Abigail simply smirked at him with a dangerous energy on her eyes and lips "what was that about _eons_? I'll have you know I'm only 693 years old, Nyx Oriax... I am still very young so I'd appreciate it if you would refrain from associating me with your over exaggerations" she spoke dangerously

Nyx grumbled and rubbed his cheek "fine... sheesh"

"Anyway..." started Rosalina "we'll use this to move around the city without too much risk but I'd recommend you keep sudden movements to the bare minimum"

Abigail beamed up at that topic "exactly, too much motion disrupts the energy distribution around the whole body so unless you want to start shining like an angel then I'd advise you to move _slowly_... got that students?" she instructed, tone a perfect match for an over achieving teacher

Every hour he learned new quirks from the devil's at his side

Ryden reacted slightly at her tone and words but nodded anyway, Rivia followed easily along without uttering a word – soaking all information up like a literal sponge.

That was until she thought of something, a critical part of any covert op...

"What about communication? We can't use any sigil comm's while within due to possible detection; how will we be able to coordinate with each other?" questioned Rivia, her eyes staring at the distant city.

Ryden shook his head at that. "we won't, we'll establish a base of tasks and get them done accordingly... rendezvous point should be on you Lady Abaddon – your ability to cross massive distances easily should be our best route of extraction" he answered calmly, the others nodded along with him after having born witness to her capabilities.

Rivia nodded "then where will I be during the siege?"

Abigail piped "you should remain at the stable where the carriage will be stored, it'll make it easier for those inside to remember where to go if things go loud"

"And if it seems like you'll be overrun then the secondary point of interest should be there... see it?" added Nyx before pointing to a large tower located closer to the eastern gate "perfect landmark to see from within, if you're in need of falling back then go there and we'll be there once we're done" as he spoke Rivia noticed his point and nodded calmly.

Ryden glanced to Rosalina questioningly "by the way... what is your guys' job? So far, I'm aware we're just delivering a bomb and then high tailing it out but that kinda task should be easily done by just one man" he asked. It really should be an easy op for him if he was being perfectly honest, and now that he had a 'stealth upgrade' getting in should be even easier but now that Nyx and Rosalina were tagging along it only complicated it again.

What if one of them got captured once he triggered the bomb? Would he just leave them?

No... No he really wouldn't, but then he would be – very possibly – endangering himself to extreme heat and energy exposure the likes of which he didn't know the full extent of. Ryden hadn't exactly experienced what an energy shot to the chest or head felt like and he was not at all trying to see what kind of damage it could do to him. Regardless of his defensive abilities he wasn't brash enough to place his full faith into it, even though it had saved his ass more times then he would admit.

If it could? then great, but he wasn't willing to test one of the arguably _many_ silver linings going for him... knowing his luck it might just be a temporary attribute

Rosalina nodded while Abigail actually sighed before pointing at Rivia in gesture "you know what she was not an hour ago?"

Ryden glanced to Rivia calmly and simply stared at her for a moment before it hit him and the look of revelation on him made both Rosalina and Abigail nod. Rivia was on a convoy carrying _prisoners_ so it was highly possible that there was more within the city

Ryden knew that was important the second it was brought up

"I see... so you suspect there to be more prisoners within the city" he muttered while tapping his bottom lip in thought "and where would they be? I'm sure they wouldn't keep them all conveniently in the same spot"

Rosalina nodded at that but simply smirked knowingly at him which in the end gave Ryden pause

"No way... They do?" he asked with immense doubt, his eyes wide

Rivia hummed – a dark expression dotting her eyes "that's what they did at the camp in the Beleth territory. Crammed us in tight spaces and made us work slave labor, they even made us –"

Ryden suddenly set his hand on her shoulder the second he noticed her eyes glaze over and squeezed gently. The glazed look vanished and the woman seemed shocked of something before looking away from him... as if her previous action had dishonored her somehow.

A moment of silence passed awkwardly before Ryden tapped her shoulder gently and eyed Rosalina "where's this barracks?" he asked

She nodded quickly before turning and pointing to a decrepit building to his right, located just on the border of the two sections of the main cities districts, it had no activity inside and seemed to be almost heavily guarded – not enough to stop two eager ultimate-class devils but enough for some kind of finesse to make it work.

"Inside that building, I've studied troop movements two and fro and have narrowed down the location of the prisoners – even saw some guards discipline one before dumping her back inside" she revealed calmly

No one saw the clenched fist from Rivia Abaddon upon those words...

Ryden nodded "So that settles the Prisoner task but what about other security measures? If your gonna try and break free a large number of prisoners then I'd like some insurance, so if there's a possible 'alarm' or something inside you could disable before doing that, then that'd be great"

Rosalina mulled it over before nodding in agreement "small detour shouldn't hurt, we'll disable the what we can in the main barracks then high tail it to the prisoners barracks and pop the chains... we'll need to escort them to the stable however so we'll need someone to clear a path" she informed

"And I assume you'll need my support in clearing that path?" asked Abigail

"I'd assume so... given your specialty" hummed Rosalina casually

The Valac family devil smirked viciously "this should be fun..." she muttered darkly

Ryden nodded at the plan but suddenly got an even better idea, one that flowed perfectly with execution. If done right that is...

"you can forget about bringing them to the stables" he started before pointing at Rosalina and Nyx "once you get the prisoners make your way to the secondary rendezvous point and hold position, it should be quicker and less dangerous than moving across wide open terrain with a large contingent of bodies" he said before then pointed to Abigail "once they have the prisoners prepared to move, shoot one of your arrow's at me"

!?

Looks of surprise and shock developed on everyone's faces upon that request but before they could say anything Ryden placated them "a weak arrow, blunt point preferably and silent enough to not make a sound" he said casually before regarding them with a slight edge "you all saw me take Valeria's sword to the gut... what happened to it huh?" he asked – sniffling softly for no reason.

"...It shattered" replied Rosalina, eyes set in understanding – Nyx and Abigail followed quickly afterwards

Rivia's eyes widened at that, having not witnessed the feat. She wasn't expecting that kind of an answer at all. The gaze she redirected to Ryden – the _arbiter_ – shifted into even larger hints of reverence that which was slightly noticed by Ryden on an off glance in her direction but he ignored it.

He smirked at Rosalina before pressing the issue with his eyes back on Abigail "exactly... since your stealth ability has the bonus of seeing others using it, you should be able to see me; I'll hunker down at the entrance to the main castle and wait, once it's time simply tap me on the back with a blunt arrow and I'll proceed with delivering the bomb. Once triggered, I'll hoof it to Rivia who will be at the primary Rendezvous point and we'll meet up with team 2 and extract, no one needs to wait for nothing, well except me anyways... that sound good?"

The others nodded shortly after thinking over his idea but then Nyx piped in with a question Ryden himself had been mulling over

"So what do we do if things go bad?"

"We'll prioritise the prisoners and open communication sigils at will; Rivia will be actively using her powers and will move to your guys' position as fast as she's able. Then you'll begin extracting as many prisoners as possible; once I'm done delivering the bomb I'll rendezvous with you guys and we'll extract from there... that work?" appealed Ryden

Nyx nodded while Rivia added in another question – one that Ryden had also been thinking of

"And if one of us is captured?"

Ryden sniffled again (damn pollen) and regarded the rather hopeless question with a casual and even arrogant disposition "the way I see it... we're five – _ultimate-class_ – badass' surrounded on all sides by a large number of low-class assholes so you gotta ask yourself... are we locked in there with them? Or are they locked in there with us?" he said, ending his little speech with a set of rhetorical questions

He paused after a second before suddenly unsheathing his _Infernum Armis_ "not to mention I got this puppy here, ol _Fulgur_ is getting mighty dull right now so if you're captured... I'll show them some _shock an' awe_ as punishment _"_

He knew a football captain before. The guy knew how to make a speech and Ryden wasn't about to let the man's lesson on amping up his team with words pass him by. He had a little bit of excess energy still coursing in his veins, so why not try and lighten the mood with good ol fashion testosterone?

To add to his words Ryden pat Rivia Abaddon on the head lightly before looking to Rosalina confidently, the others doing the same with smiles of their own

"Oorah?" he asked, using the most well known war cry in history of his time...

US marines baby!

The blonde haired Phenex prodigy breathed in deeply before releasing it in a long – nervous – sigh but then right after that her eyes lit with a confident aura that made Ryden's smirk grow into a fully fledged toothy grin

"Let's glass these Imps of the face of the underworld"

Oorah indeed...

* * *

For some reason or another, the quiet carriage ride to the eastern gate of _Lucifaad_ felt kinda nostalgic to Ryden. It was an odd feeling to have right before undertaking the most daring, _off the record,_ operation in Anti-Satan history but it was the most prominent feeling he had as it brought precious memories of him going to sports games back when he was a kid. The rides where rode in silence just like now. Ryden's dad was a sports fan – heavily so – and almost immediately once he could walk, dropped him on the ice at the age of two and taught him how to skate. From then on to the age of 19 Ryden basically lived and breathed the game. To him the rides to the arena always got him pumped; he'd be lying if he didn't miss it and now that he was once again riding in silence to an important event got his blood coursing with lightning and anticipation.

Who knew he'd be in hell – 1,500 years in the past – riding in silence to a military operation with three total strangers miles behind enemy lines? Life had a way of making him pause and that's what he was doing – pausing and taking in the moment.

The others were doing whatever they could to null their own nervousness, Nyx was up front driving the carriage – saying it was his job to make sure they passed the gate for their plan to even start; Ryden didn't question the devil when he made it clear it wasn't up for debate so he let the devil do whatever as it was clear he wanted to keep something of himself secret so Ryden did fight it.

Rosalina was casually sitting with her upper back pressed to the side of the cage which had been fixed back up before their departure. She was currently trying to be as low to the ground as possible – this was mainly because the cage floor was mostly uncomfortable for her to handle. Ryden could only agree to that notion, it _was_ uncomfortable as not only was he doing it but Rivia was as well.

She however, was the odder one at the moment...

Rivia was handling her nervousness more – "exotically" – then he could possibly fathom but he had ignored it for the most part. The newest addition to the ragtag team of powerful devils had been through enough as it is and now she was even back in the cage that had nearly been her tomb not even an hour ago. Whatever was going through her mind must be hard for her to handle.

Or at least he thought... the small smirk of tranquility on her face spoke otherwise

It might have to do with the fact she was using him as a body pillow. Maybe... Call him prude but when a solid 50/10 woman holds you in a soft yet tight hug, could make anyone blush and he was no exception... not even by a mile.

But he tried to keep his cool and simply shut his eyes to think on other matters, ignoring the soft warmth the woman provided and definitely ignore the two large assets pressing into his chest and side

Due to this action he completely missing the jealous gaze from Rosalina Phenex herself...

He glanced down to the woman currently holding him tightly and thought on it for a second.

Not too long ago did he pull her from this very cage, battered and bruised and almost dead with wounds he couldn't believe someone would inflict on another. He was thankful the woman wasn't abused in _that way_ during the long three months of captivity and he had no desire to know why upon that revelation so he dropped it the second it reared its ugly head. But now he was trying to understand the woman's mental stability.

He didn't at all desire the touch of another as you could guess to why that is but for some reason Rivia Abaddon was more 'cuddly' than Venelana herself – regardless of the physical abuse she suffered. Maybe it was a difference in character, he didn't really know but he admired the woman's strength of character nonetheless and found himself even liking the contact.

Guess he was starved for Physical affection...

He dropped the thought on the woman's status before pulling up another topic he hadn't dwelled into yet. Rivia and Rosalina spoke of this title ' _The Arbiter'_ with great reverence. It became clear that regardless of the side, be it politics or ideals, legends or myths didn't change or become forgotten and it seemed his ability to wield an _Infernum Armis_ was related to that title.

 _Arbiter_ ; current definition: _a person empowered to decide matters at issue; judge; umpire. A person who has the sole or_ _ **absolute power**_ _of judging or determining_ _ **anything**_ _._

A king, emperor, president – you name it. This title was basically the devils version of naming a successor to rule over the land. Ryden didn't know if he liked that title upon thinking about it – present love for halo notwithstanding – and simply disregarded it as a possible tradition left forgotten over the centuries. Maybe even preserved in small generations to keep its memory alive and considering the coloration with that title and the _Infernum armis_ it might be one of the oldest traditions in hell so far.

Ryden silently hummed, he didn't know if it had any kind of impact with the society of today for devil's and severely hoped it didn't, last thing he'd want to do was cause a second civil after this one was finished – however long that would take.

While he thought on the matter Ryden became aware of the carriage coming to a small stop – probably at the eastern gateway. The stop lasted a couple of minutes with nothing but silence, it was a good sign; it meant Abigail had done her part with doing in the two guards up in the watch towers above them. Though Ryden couldn't help but feel slight nervousness grip him at such an eerie silence. His worries vanished after a moment more and soon enough they were moving again.

Ryden was perplexed by the security detail and its design, you wouldn't at all hear of this kind of issue sprouting up from the white house or something so it left Ryden questioning the intelligence of the gate manufacturer with how blatantly stupid it all was. He didn't dwell on it further, if it's easier to get in then he wouldn't complain.

He blinked away some of the slight fatigue of the ride, 20 miles was a bit of a hike and he wouldn't be lying that some of the day's events had his mind filled with too much awe presented before him, and besides, how many hours had it been since he woke up? 12? Maybe more?

Whatever the case, the long ride had been enough to cause his mind to become groggy so he had no choice but to shake his head violently and add a few 'soft' slaps to his cheeks in order to get his mind back into full functionality.

After he did that he glanced down to the softly sleeping female resting her head on his chest

He gave her a light _Boop_! On the nose and she immediately sat up calmly, blinked away her fatigue and instantly dropped her tranquil expression with stoic professionalism. He was stunned by this woman's actions and oddly remembered that damn bipolar most devils had. Not a second ago was she peacefully snuggling to his chest like an adorable puppy but then like a light switch she was back into her stoic expression again – one that he'd noticed was her resting expression, cold dismissal and un-interest dominated her gaze fully. He quietly stared at her for a moment before he shook his head in dismissal and glanced over to the second blonde in the cage with him – One that had somehow scooted closer sometime during the trip...

Was... what was happening?

Ryden became befuddled by the sight of the – normal prideful – blonde devil sleeping peacefully not even an inch away from him. From the beginning of the ride she was basically hugging the back portion of the cage with him being closer to the front but now she was practically touching his shoulder – having shimmied a good couple feet in order to get to where she was now. The road they followed went from simple dirt to perfectly paved roads by about the half way point. There wasn't any extreme bouncing that could cause any subtle movement so it was probably done by her specifically.

Flattering...

Honestly Ryden was at odds with what to assume Rosalina's true personality but he could guess his earlier assumption of _Tsundere_ to be about as close as he could get in fully understanding her and if he knew what those were then he could guess that deep down the woman silently trying to vie his attention was more soft then he believed. And again, he was completely confused as to what could have garnered the woman's actions, the only thing glaring him in the face was his actions that had done that. The more primal nature of his natural attraction for Rosalina was probably his power as well, call him arrogant but Sirzechs had pinned the title _ultimate-class_ on his records with clear approval and pride so he knew that if it came from him then yes... he was a powerful son of bitch.

And when it came to devil's, power attracts... _very_ easily

Mmmmm...

The carriage stopped for the second and last time – they had made it in. He shook his head again of those thoughts and moved to wake the sleeping Phenex below him but tensed when her reaction was more violent than he anticipated, she shook slightly and her mouth quickly moved to yelp at his sudden touch – suggesting actual consciousness – but it only came out as a muffled moan then anything when his hand quickly gripped her mouth.

He leaned in close to whisper the message...

" _Easy there... we're here, get ready"_ he whispered calmly causing her eyes to widen at his proximity – he was aware that it caused her to blush and decided to retreat back. He sighed softly when she relaxed and let go. he turned to the back of carriage and softly opened the back fabric to the side. From there he noticed a perfectly empty cargo bay – almost modern in design actually – but its classification was a _stable_ oddly enough, he guessed the devil's evolved faster than humans, not really much of a surprise there considering the age difference so Ryden simply ignored it. The bay was vertical in length and had multiple parking slots that which were currently empty along the side – they being the only ones there currently. Directly ahead of them was a map of the city for military use along with maid and butler usage. Turns out _Lucifaad_ wasn't actually civilian purposed – that role was mainly for the city _Lilith –_ and mainly populated military personnel for the army of the Lucifer's descendants, that being _Rizevim liven Lucifer_ and some unnamed toss pot running around just calling himself 'Lucifer'

He was an obvious fake and actually confirmed to be the formers son, so that completely neutralized the 'second coming' bullshit they like spewing at several octaves louder then acceptable.

Whatever the case they were most likely here. What was left of the cargo was simply shipping containers housing wine and other spirits and 'poisons' for partying – probably even prostitutes... poor bastards.

He nodded calmly when he noticed the coast was clear and then jumped out with a quiet grunt of effort. Rosalina followed close behind him while the others were outside and gathered near a collection of boxes at the rear of the cargo bay. As they moved to join them Rosalina blinking away actual fatigue in her eyes...

She really had been sleeping.

Ryden calmly watched guard on the right of the stable while Nyx had cleared the left before returning to Rivia who quietly studied the area before leaning against a tall selection of boxes against the wall in the middle of the room. Rosalina quietly stepped towards the group after making sure they had not been followed in.

All clear on all ends... good so far.

For the most part, they had made it into the city with no issue. Abigail had done her part perfectly and had taken down the watch tower guards with casual ease which then allowed them easy passage into the city/monastery. Ryden had been slightly unnerved by the sheer military presence but simply dropped it. The rough count of actually tangos in the area was roughly close to double of the assault force estimated at the Bael clan territories wastelands which meant for him a larger body count than anything else.

Once they regrouped at the center, Rosalina piped up...

"We all know our objectives, stick to your tasks and we'll get this done easy... no deviations" commanded Rosalina, her bearings having be readjusted

The three nodded before Ryden shot off into the direction he last remembered the castle to be in and Nyx and Rosalina did the same for their own objectives, there forms fading as the vanished into their own respective doorways... unseen by the guards outside

Rivia nodded in the direction of the two teams – her eyes staying in the direction Ryden disappeared to longer – before softly stepping into the shadows nearest the center of the room – in between to containers – and simply melted into the shadows like a ghost.

The operation kicks off now... all in, or all out

* * *

Ryden sidestepped pass a couple of guards that patrolled along the sidewalk of the street he'd chosen as his pathway towards the castle. He made no move to remove them out of the equation since the numbers in the city severely outclassed the technicality of it and would only increase the odds of them being spotted by a larger margin. The only bodies they needed dropped were courtesy of Abigail and that's what he wanted; only her having to kill for the majority of this op but if he had no choice then so be it.

As Ryden made time with small jolts in sprints down the street when no one was around he took in the city sights for land mass markers to remember his fall back plan and to get a grip on what he was currently walking in and what kind of terrain he was subject to. It was oddly gothic yet modern in design and almost resembled perfect medieval design to the letter. All around the castle was shanty houses lined with black stone brick and simple greyish metal roofing with streets matted in the same ore, most of it was high design but that was because they had managed to pass through the secondary checkpoint with the disguise of harboring precious cargo – something that had been discussed before departing. The first check point was pure military – barracks, kitchens, along with recreational buildings and even alters to Lucifer himself to prey too were even among the many buildings in the first checkpoint. Since the military arm of the Old-Satan's were mostly low-class _sheep_ the higher ups didn't press to much budget on making sure their living quarters were perfect

Case in point, they had passed into the rich district, which housed all the officers, elders, commanders and even generals. The majority of the numbers were in the outer portion of the _Lucifaad_ capital – the poor district.

It was good but bad at the same time. If they were made then the enemy would not disperse like a normal combat reaction but instead diverge on them like a tightening hand – clench them into their grip by overwhelming numbers. Not preferable and Abigail and himself were main individuals that would make sure that never happened if it did; _Infernum Fulgur_ would help in that regard fully – having appreciated his little comment prior to departure the blade was amped up, no pun intended, to destroy as many devil's as it could.

His pace continued...

The cloaking effect Abigail had invented was pure _awesome_ for Ryden, not only was he perfectly unseen but also unheard as well or to an extent at least – the only negative opinion he had at first was dashed the moment Abigail mentioned the ability to see himself perfectly and in this case he could very well do that; his vision was dominated in a bluish hue that seemed to highlight unidentified individuals red while making sure to keep himself and other users highlighted a ghostly blue – not to bright to look at nor to blurry to fully make out.

Some Ghost recon shit right there...

He pressed himself faintly against a brick wall in order to avoid getting in the way of a second set of conversing officers. Like expected – they moved by without any idea he was there or that they were _this_ close to curtain death if they did. Ryden wanted to laugh – actually. Being perfectly stealth was a different kind of high and he was elated to know the little gift Abigail gave him was permanent, now all he needed was a shoulder mounted laser cannon and a wrist blade and he'd be the perfect hunter

He'd just need to practice throat clicking...

As Ryden made his way down the street, he quietly bleed off into a side street leading towards the curved road that led upwards towards the castle door but suddenly froze when he noticed a large contingent of guards standing by the main gate way up the road; almost looking like a VIP entrance checkpoint if he was to say

Figures he'd hit a small snag in his approach. Ryden silently crept to the side and melted into the shadows of the bush just for added security and studied the guard's patterns for any possible ways to sneak in. From the bottom of the road leading up to the main castle was a small contingent of about six guards standing by a motion detecting sigil that covered the whole gate and he knew he was in a full-fledged _snag_.

'Snag' was a word not used often in his book, _issues_ he could deal with and _minor annoyances_ were the same thing but _snag_ meant his whole 'mojo' was stopped dead in its tracks and it always annoyed him when that happened.

He knew this was way too easy at first...

He mulled over his options for a moment until he heard a soft, silent, _thunk_ on the rock wall at his rear. He paused and glanced over to see a small – jet black arrow – lodged into the rock wall that led up all the way to the to the top of the castle gates which would drop him directly into the gardens – completely avoiding the checkpoints along the way

Three seconds later and a whopping _six_ more arrows shot from the night sky and impaled themselves in perfect climbing formation along the rock.

Abigail sure was considerate... and creative

Ryden made a 'thumbs up' motion in the general direction of where the arrows came from before starting to take advantage of Abigail's scenic route. The shot was insane to make but Abigail was apparently Robin Hood, Oliver Queen and Hawkeye all wrapped up in one accurate package

The distance from which she shot was a good _20 miles... 19x_ the distance of _Chris Kyle's_ legendary sniper shot with perfect accuracy and arrow placement

Though she did have the aspect of the supernatural on her side so that might discount some of her ability but it's not like he'd doubt her though. Ryden reached the top section of the rock hill and vaulted over the cobblestone wall and perfectly landed within the central park area of _Lucifaad_ castle.

His eyes swam with what he saw...

It was like a scene from a heavily plugged CGI film made in his previous year in order to perfectly represent fantasy level architecture and gardening. The walkway that dominated the gardens was perfectly squared off and symmetrical that which gave off a perfect shine that complemented the white moon in the sky. Water fountains spewed red liquid that seemed to glow among the mostly black varnishing and brush. The trees – that which were also cut into angular shapes – were black in color and seemed to give off a slight crimson shine from the light exhumed from the aforementioned fountain. Black seats – perfectly cleaned – sat around a small crimson fire that gave slight warmth to the ones sitting around it.

It took him some time but he identified a number of individuals mulling about the area – simply lounging around and conversing casually while maids and butlers – clothed in the traditional family colors of the Lucifer descendants; that being gold, silver and darker silver... simple yet so refined.

Quietly he made his way along the outskirts of the gardens, making sure to keep Abigail located at his rear to make her 'tap shot' easier. After a moment of searching he found himself sitting in an island of trees near the southeast point of the garden, a distance away from lounging officers and easily sighted by Abigail 20 miles out... or at least he hoped

What was he thinking, of course Abigail was gonna hit him... he idly noted he sounded a bit to energetic on that notion...

He sighed softly and simply doomed himself to witness a boring party display itself before him

The easiest objective was done, now it was Nyx and Rosalina's turn...

* * *

Abigail was like a perfect statue, she stood stiffly yet loosely, her back straight, shoulders squared and legs shoulder width apart upon a sharp peak on the cliff side where they had forged their plans prior the departure of the others. The breeze in the sky did little to distract her and the slight nips at her ankles from the few grass and weeds barely registered, her outfit completely neutralized outside senses on otherwise useless portions of her body, her gloved hands, metal gauntlets and metal shoes were the only senses she made sure to clarify, everything else was pure distraction so she did away with it

She was calmly staring at the city, calmly assessing the two teams and impossible distance. Her eyes were alit with deep red energy, eyes slitted like a dragons and varies magic circles rotated around her orbs rhythmically

 _Distance analysis and vision enhancement spells_

She was a woman of many mysterious, so many she may even forget some of them and this was one of those many 'mysterious' that would remain as her top achievement and never be forgotten. With her distance and vision enhancement spells she could easily watch the details of distant prey from a couple _miles_ away.

A distance so far that if she so much as chose to miss, no one would know where the shot came from... that is if you don't factor in that she could actually cancel a shot _mid flight_ meant she was a literal ghost, a death dealer. If you were a target then you wouldn't even know it... and she never missed

This was her natural style of hunting: long range and silent and if need be... an artillery strike _._

From where she stood an array of arrows, mostly red arrows, surrounded her position in a perfectly organized fashion. To her right were her favored _'heart seeking'_ arrows and to her left were her high explosive arrows, ones that shone blue but cackled with red whips of dangerous arc energy.

She loosened up when she finished assisting Ryden traverse a steep hill side lined with rock and now she was watching him make his way up into the garden area at the base of _Lucifaad_ castle and hid inside a well viewable portion of the well detailed gardens – his back perfectly facing her.

How considerate of him...

She smirked softly before she glanced to her right and spotted two glowing blue blips make their way towards the main barracks. She noted the time and realised that it was exactly midnight on her wrist watch, meaning the majority of the old-Satan inquisitors would most likely be sleeping by now or were too drunk to be of any threat. On a side note though, she hated the Lucifer territory most out of them all due to its permanent state of darkness, sure it felt nice but it made terrible with keeping track of the time, at least in the other territories they had the sense to copy the human world by have a day/night cycle of some kind, even if the sky just shifts a different color was more appreciated then this.

Just a few of the minor things that bothered her...

She tapped her right temple gently, the rotating magic circles around her eyes sharpened which in the end sharpened her gaze so she could see further ahead – she even lightly tapped it again and twirled her finger gently and her eyes shifted to _x-ray_ mode upon noticing Rosalina and Nyx infiltrate the main barracks without exterior issue. She simply picked up a number of armor piercing arrow's and held them in her hand calmly while she unclipped her full bow from her left hand gauntlet compartment.

The full bow was simple in make but much larger than the gauntlet secured mode she had used for CQC engagements. The limbs of the bow were elegantly curved and decaled with a simple red metallic casing that ran along the majority of the bow until it suddenly jutted forward and away from the portion where her bow string clips to – that part was black in color and pulled down towards the bottom limb. From there a red energy shot down from the top limb and connected to the bottom limb before solidifying into a thin string that made a small acoustic sound when fiddled with.

 _Draw weight: 450lbs_

She rolled her shoulders and returned her gaze back onto the two dare devil's currently within the barracks of the most heavily guarded city... she was arguing that fact as the two made perfect headway with little issue. Most guards were bored senseless so because of that lack of energy, both Rosalina and Nyx made easy work of getting in and even disabling the security systems without detection and without dropping bodies.

That was until they stepped outside upon finishing...

It was an odd angle of the perspective that had made the inquisitor standing at the corner of a street – a few feet from the barracks' entrance – suddenly pause when Nyx stepped out along with a slightly hasty Rosalina Phenex behind him. Not of their fault honestly, they both moved at a controlled pace that hardly displaced the stealth function but the moon light radiating from the sky and beating down onto the blackened streets created a nasty glare from the wrong angle and that had to be one of the most unlikely of occurrences to happen.

Yet it happened right before her...

She swiftly notched the arrow and released it, the heart seeking arrows were designed to complete her ranged assassin style. Her range and vision enhancement spells on her eyes was modded with a 'marking' function; if she spotted someone and kept her eyes on it throughout the whole second it took for her to engrain the signature of the target on the arrow fired then it was over.

That played out for the billionth time before her once she released the arrow...

Before even a peep was made the arrow she fired crossed an impressive distance and imbedded itself in the heart of the marked target within 2.2 seconds of releasing her shot

It wasn't a _high velocity_ arrow – an arrow that basically _teleported_ with how fast it was – and left no velocity rings upon release but its job was always perfect.

She watched with slight amusement as both Nyx and Rosalina suddenly jump at the sight of a red arrow slam itself into the devil that almost made them, it was funny to see and never grew old to Abigail; before the body hit the floor Nyx caught it and quietly dragged the body into a corner – away from public attention – and merely tossed a thumbs up in her direction and continuing on towards the border of the first and second gate.

The prisoner barracks

Abigail subtly picked up a few arrows and prepared herself for her support role

* * *

Nyx breathed easy, as did Rosalina who followed silently behind him. They had almost been made by a lucky devil not a moment before and had it not been for the intervention Abigail then the operation would have been FUBAR within ten minutes of it starting. It was not at all desired by anyone on this team for this plan to fall through perfectly, however they did prepare for the worst they all still did not desire it to happen.

Plan B was always the last resort, not at all a choice but a reaction to the unforeseeable events that could factor in.

So far the first objective was completed, neither Nyx or Rosalina knew Ryden's status but it wasn't their job to worry – he after all had the easier job of the two teams, hell even Rivia had an easier job then they did so it was all on them. Thankfully the security measures implanted into the city were sub dermal in nature. That meant the 'lock down' procedure was to actually quarantine the city with a massive dome that would lock all inside and keep everything out, regardless of the power output.

Nyx had made short work of it, even if they were made then they'd have a good thirty minute window of time to get out before it was brought back up online... that is if they even noticed there was something wrong with it.

Nyx and Rosalina had been nervous upon that first task but thankfully the guards present were more interested in sleeping then working, which made their jobs obviously easier. So now they moved like ghosts through the streets of the city – towards the barracks close to the border. Rosalina had noticed the issue of why they had nearly been spotted and that was the few patches of light radiating from the polished black walls and metal roofing that had shown a light on them, which meant the slight air displacement that was produced by the active camouflage was much easily noticed by the common folk. Such a minor issue had nearly cost them due to the nature of a jumpy guard wired on _lucirum –_ a powerful drink that heightened reaction time and sharpened visual abilities to such a degree it could count as a hallucination trip gone bad.

 _What fine luck they had_

They ignored that and simply countered the issue by remaining in the shadows and only crossed through the streets when it was absolutely necessary. Soon enough – after moving for what felt like thirty minutes – the two devil's arrived at the prison barracks.

The building was a long dilapidated mess outfitted with dated metal sheets and limestone walls that grew mold and mildew like the plague. The roof looked almost caved with a few bits of _rock_ being lodged in the centermost portion of the large dent in the roof but seemed like it was still good enough to last a few more hours before it collapsed – killing a good number of those inside – which probably wouldn't at all bother the few inquisitors guarding the barracks entrance ways. They probably wanted nothing more than to do away with them if it meant less work in a city that was literally a continent away from enemy lines.

Nyx and Rosalina could agree to that... if it meant an easier time for them then they would appreciate less guards on duty.

The barracks had three entrance ways into it and seemed more like a large – long – barn then anything close to an actual barracks, it _was_ probably a barn outfitted with barrack material just to keep the energy displacement sigils active longer. Rock didn't conduct magic energy very well so metal was the best conduit for keeping those strong enough inside too weak to put up a fight.

Three entrances lined the barracks; the first was along the wide main entrance to their right, which faced the mountains to the east – directly where Abigail's support fire was coming from. The rear entrance was parallel with the first – facing west and a side entrance facing south. Rosalina and Nyx chose to use the side entrance due to the fact it was the closest to their position and furthest away from the two guards on the east and west entrances.

Six guards in total were counted by not only them but Abigail as well – who lined her vision on the two guards loitering around the front.

As they approached, Nyx took the guard on the left while Rosalina silently rushed the guard opposite to his.

They struck in sync, surgical and deadly

"?!" not a sound escaped the throats of the two shocked inquisitors, who stared at what seemed like _lethal air_ displayed before them, a soft shimmer of energy later and they noticed the two ghosts glaring down at them faintly – as if a displacement in the air – before eternal blackness overtook their vision.

 _Two down..._

Nyx eased the body down while Rosalina simply tossed the body of her kill into a ditch just behind them. The slight distant sound of troop movements and carriages did the job of muffling the sound of a body hitting rock well enough but it didn't lessen the disapproving glare he sent to the eager blonde. Rosalina merely waved off his worry and caution before she stepped into the barracks/barn.

Her nose crinkled and her skin crawled at the smell and sight before her. Low end living was the only thing she could use to describe the life style provided before her. Among the large number of bodies present about a good quarter were male while the rest were female; all that was provided as clothes were raggedy old rags and cloth that hardly provided efficient protection and barely covered anything, their beds were simple straw stacks that which were lined in blood, dirt, and multiple other traces of degusting excrements. The conditions on the slightly numerous devils were varying to her and random per gender.

Some had bruises, lining the face, neck and wrists – even going so far as bruising on the legs and stomach.

Others had numerous lashing marks on their backs...

And others were simply malnourished, looking more like _clickers_ with a sentience then anything a devil should look like. Rosalina's heart started to beat faster when she identified the ages among them, a good number were above the age of 100 while others were hardly breaching passed their first century of life

!?

Her eyes seethed and her hands – clenched and shaking – ached with eager bloodlust as she watched the devil prisoners before her practically wonder around the room aimlessly, despair stricken victims.

She kept calm enough to not overcharge the camouflage keeping her hidden from all but the idea of getting another old-Satan _sheep_ in her hands was the most intoxicating feeling to her at that moment. She knew rage very well, it wasn't for glory that she aligned with the Anti-Satan forces but for her own desire of freedom and cause... she was a refined woman that saw the old-Satan's actions towards its own people as deplorable and unforgivable and upon hearing of their most darkest of deeds, lit the spark of her ire instantly.

She had shown her might a few times before and she'll show it again... _without_ mercy this time.

Nyx kept pace with Rosalina as she slowly stepped up to the guards at the rear entrance, he knew it was her first time actually seeing an internment camp, and her reaction was surprisingly more poised then his was. Back when he first jump head first into the Anti-Satan forces he had nearly tried rushing enemy lines like a madman upon seeing what they did to the ones they captured.

Total savages...

From then on he was always aware of the horror one sees when witnessing the despicable acts of the 'smarter' side of the devil race. Rizevim was an idiot, the amount of times he'd seen his dumbass presentations at the rallies in this very city he knew full well the guy would sooner jump head first into a meat grinder if his father Lucifer asked him to.

Seriously... he wasn't kidding, the guy was _that_ dumb

Rosalina however was handling it much better than he expected...

That's what he thought until she got her hands around the guard at the rear entrance, her hand gripped the devil's mouth roughly – warping the faceplate with her strength – and literally _ripped_ the devil's throat out with her _bare hands._

!?

Nyx's eyes were wide open as he did in his own guard, his was swift and clean – blade to the soft area along the throat – but Rosalina made sure the kill was as brutal as possible. As time passed by the small muffled groans and gurgles became mute as her grip crushed the helmet down enough that it encased the devils skull within a metallic vice, muffling his voice painfully.

The severe lack of oxygen and immense pain, along with the rapid loss of blood made the last moments of the inquisitor's life a literal nightmare, the slight thrashing and wailing arms slowly milled down until they went lax – kill confirmed.

Rosalina merely dropped the body gracelessly and glanced over to a nervous Nyx who regarded her warily

His hands motioned to calm down and Rosalina merely nodded calmly before she took time to breath in and out in order to keep herself from doing something so foolish again. While her reaction was expected it was still however incredibly unprofessional to allow pure emotion to take over on something as high risk as this. She steadied her breathing and relaxed before nodding to Nyx and falling in behind him.

The last two guards were already assured dead; the shots just hadn't arrived yet. Nyx went left while Rosalina took right and simply raised their arms slowly at the flanks of the devils talking leisurely to each other

The three had practiced this style of stealth a few times before in mild conversation; giving Nyx a nod they both reached up and tapped the right shoulder of the guard, the two guards glanced over but suddenly went limp when two arrows slammed into the two in perfect sync. The bodies went limp immediately afterwards both Nyx and Rosalina grabbed their targets bodies as they fell and slung them over their shoulders and simply carried them back into the barracks and disposed of them.

By then the many conscious prisoners had noticed the sudden lack of guards in their area and grew surprised when two bodies of their former wardens suddenly fell down onto a stack of hay in the corner of the barn, their eyes widened further when two devil's suddenly appeared out of know where a few feet from the bodies

Both Nyx and Rosalina simply held their fingers over their mouths as they faced them

"Been silent... we're getting you guys out" they said simply

Their tone was commanding but to them it didn't matter...

Relief gripped their despair filled hearts

In a span of two minutes, both Nyx and Rosalina suddenly became miracles to a whopping number of 20 devils...

* * *

Abigail released a small breath as she stood at attention, eyes watching the barn for activity while at the same time making sure no other guards decide the prisoner's barracks was a decent destination to make. For the most part the coast was perfectly clear; as a matter of fact the section containing the prisoners was one of the most baron part of the city. It was understandable from a cities perspective and when most occupants were relaxing soldiers from the front lines, it was a given that most of them would be relaxing then actually working.

Her eyes focused further down and noticed Rosalina was suddenly jumped by a small devil; her form was skinny and lacked proper clothing which caused Abigail to sigh after believing her friend to be under attack. This was one of the minor setbacks of this plan – since the enemy lines were so far away, the idea of being saved was about as hopeless beyond anything describable, all the unjust acts done to them would most likely go unheard of, even forgotten and all the horrors they'd face alone – cut off from family and friends – would be heart retching for anyone.

They had just done something they had long since believed to be a fantasy born on a really bad day

The hugs and tears were simply uncontained emotion, expected and understood

Abigail let a gentle smirk sprout up on her lips at the scene before her, poor Rosalina didn't know what to do, what with all the hugs and even kisses she got from the large number of prisoners was almost laughable but thankfully Nyx was experienced enough on the matter and calmly informed them of their plan.

Five minutes was all it took for the prisoners to organize themselves, thankfully there were no bodies being escorted out and even some of the older devils – empowered by a moral high – actually carried the much younger and weaker devils upon their backs before falling in behind Nyx and Rosalina, determination and sheer force of will domineering their expressions

Abigail was impressed...

But soon enough Abigail grunted before notching an arrow – brittle in makeup but sleek enough to cover long distance – and reacquired Ryden sitting in the garden... having hardly moved since sitting.

A small smirk graced her lips at that before she released her arrow, the faint sound of _nothingness_ over taking all ambient sound in the area

 _Subsonic bolt_

"Bring the pain Lord Ryden... let's give these gutless cowards a reason to fear the Anti-Satan army..." was all she said, an eager and bloodthirsty grin dominating her expression.

* * *

When he felt the soft 'tick' upon his back via Abigail's signal arrow it felt as if a fire – raging and untamed – was finally released. His eyes opened sharply, faintly lighting up ferocious blue before they were suddenly over taken by a slight crimson afterglow

 _Fulgur was ready as well..._

He stood up and made his way forward, the many lounging officers around the garden had actually begun falling asleep along with a few of the maids that chose to sit by them as 'pleasure escorts'.

He ignored them as he casually walked to the castles garden entrance way. Inside was a high ceilinged interior with multiple chandeliers running along the halls in every direction, the castle was to convoluted to venture forth without valuable Intel so he made do with what he had.

He closed his eyes and focused, after a moment a pulse of energy – unseen and unfelt – rushed out from Ryden's position as he trudged forward at leisure pace. The energy bounced off all the walls, the ceiling, the floors, the knights running along the sides of the walls from the uppermost floor to the deepest most dungeons. His mind's eye saw everything from maids to officers to guards and to even heavily armored knights that which were all in the one room at the top of the castle where he even felt someone else up there as well... someone strong.

He popped his ears and **heard the world**...

His eyes narrowed in focus, he'd done this many times in the Halphes territory and there he was limited, before he got sparse comments and small conversations until his mind couldn't take it, but now?... now he had no such hindrances.

Finding what he wanted was easy, all it took was a single thought – a command – and the meeting up on the top floor was broadcast to him clearly...

" _My Lord Lucifer, we have learned of the failure in the Bael territory, lord lucifage's plan has failed..."_ spoke a distant voice; the tone was urgent but strongly poised in its execution

Ryden ascended up the stairs, walking past a couple of unsuspecting guards before a second voice – one more vulgar and arrogant – sprang up in reply

" _Don't be so negative you idiot, my servants plan will work, he hasn't failed me before – unless you discount that failure in Halphes!"_ it wasn't a shock to Ryden that he heard the voice of Rizevim liven Lucifer, the distinct tone of vulgarity and pride was easy for him to remember. He'd seen some of the recorded speeches... they were really hard to listen to.

His senses led him to the upper most portion of the castle – at the highest point of the castle. to his right was a large window that took up the majority of the right wall, leaving nothing but glass that which overlooked the city in its entirety, from there he noticed two guards wearing royal armor. The majority of it was silver in color and lined in crimson and gold, their helmets crowned in a crimson tuff while the back of their armor had two angelic wings extending from their shoulder plates, the color being pure platinum.

A homage to a dead 'hero'...

A third voice sprang up as he approached the door to the meeting room, he could smell the faint scent of burning wood and the other faint smells of wine and booze, clearly a small meeting.

" _What about lady Leviathan? Her forces have been in position for too long and she fears her location has been revealed, if any more time elapses then she might be running into a trap... what should I tell her?"_ spoke a much more urgent officer – hinting to a slightly less degree of experience.

He heard Rizevim snicker slightly before his voice grounded it out a faint growl _"tell that hot piece of ass to hold position until the Ruina imperium is detonated, I will not tolerate anything else – fuck sake – to her to camp there the night if she has to!"_

Ryden's nose crinkled at the colorful title given to this _lady Leviathan_ and on an off chance even found himself wondering just what the general of the serpent looked like but ignored that. Rumors told of Rizevim's legendary vulgarity and profanity – even his perversion and lust was in there and if following that then the old looking coot might just 'do the deed' with anything that had a pair of legs on it.

Base on what he was hearing, he wondered if the devil had a few slaves in there...

He probably did, now that he thought on it...

Ryden sighed before he waved his hand to the right - a slight displacement in the air followed the action.

It was like a gust of wind, faint and unheard yet it carried a level of lethality only he knew. The guards standing by the door had their heads suddenly twisted in a complete circle before they tensed, then crumpled to the floor – however Ryden caught them with his _grip_ and gently placed their deceased bodies at the sides of the door frame, soundlessly and perfectly motioned by his very hand movement

Ryden glanced down at his hand as he stood before the door, feeling nothing from what he'd just done other then awe at the ease it took to kill to men

 _The weight of his enemy's lives... weighed in the simplistic motion of a gesture..._

He smirked down at his hand before flexing it and then dropping it down to his waist, the ones inside had been talking about troop movements to the fight in the south – Ryden wondered if it involved the Andrealphus family territory. He couldn't say he fully remembered but it was one of a the few points they made while he dealt with the guards outside

Then they mentioned the idea of possible flanking routes, supply lines and slavery targets

It was morbid beyond what Ryden could digest. The old-Satan's VIP target list, the one he'd found in the carriage, was actually a list of VIP targets the old-Satan's wanted to break and use for demoralization of the Anti-Satan forces, why it mainly centered on female devils was obvious to him and the reminder of Rivia's transport meant she might have become one of the first 'hero's of the Anti-Satan forces' beaten, broken, abused and battered and then broadcasted on live devil television to show his sides forces the image of a beaten hero.

All heroes after all, garner moral and hope... toppling or destroying that image is a valid motive but not the most morally acceptable, but it sounded like Rizevim didn't care at all about morals.

That would make it easier on Ryden when he shoves his sword up his ass...

The Old-Satan's were like Mexican sicario's... dirty methods throughout

He'd heard enough...

Ryden casually stretched – popping every joint and muscle group – before rolling his shoulders and gripped the sword on his back but held it where it was. He reached up with his other hand and rapt his knuckles on the large double door

 _ ***tap* *tap***_

There was a sudden round of silence on the other side of the door before he heard a voice call out with barely contained annoyance; he even heard the sound of a few heavily armored boots start shuffling around the room.

He smirked at an idea...

"Who is it this time?" Rizevim himself called out

His smirked shot up into a vicious and feral grin before he raised his right leg and yelled out at the top of his lungs...

"FBI OPEN UP!"

His leg then slammed into the large door, his powers amplifying the strength behind the kick to create a massive explosion of force...

 _ ***BOOOM!***_

In the heat of the explosion multiple events occurred. Ryden sped into the room and identified the first target or targets – wearing form fit black under armor with large plate metal covering the majority of their bodies and screamed 'luxurious' and edgy by the gothic and gaudy design of black and silver along with the odd white glow upon their chest plates and pauldrons.

But what grab his attention was the skull like embroidery on the helmets worn by the quickly moving knights within the room.

On the other hand, the small team of _death troopers_ converged into a defensive perimeter around Rizevim who at the same time made a B-line for the back door – all sense and purposes basically dropped the moment he witnessed the large sigil proofed door layered with multiple defensive barriers and sound proofing suddenly explode from a simply kick from a devil wielding a glowing red sword that spat large bolts of Arc Energy all over the place.

It was like a storm had just erupted in the room...

As Ryden entered he unsheathed his blade into a downward released swing and hurled a large blast of arc energy that actually vaporized two highly ranking death knights standing guard over Rizevim as he retreated, it then carved a large crevice in the marble floor and wall and then stopped in the other room. After his swing the red bolts that danced around him shot him into the danger zone of a death knight within the span of .03 seconds.

His sword was cleaving down again once the knight was in range. It felt no resistance – the extremely thick and highly tempered metal plating matter little to the unleashed rage and fury of a crystallized blade of calamity. Ryden moved the second the knight was bisected, the body crumpling in two parts gracelessly while Ryden chomped the head from the second knight standing just behind the first devil.

His follow up swing used the momentum of the first and carried it into a seemingly pointless acrobatic cartwheel that slice down the devils chest and stomach. The armor and skin parted to release the bloody guts within but the knight was dead before he followed his guts to the floor – the amperage of the Arc energy having literally shut everything down.

"Protect the Lord at all cost, he does not make it passed us!" yelled out the officer within the room, this one had red cloth dangling down the groin and hindquarters – trademark signs of extreme loyalty and experience.

The rest of the room was suddenly silent once the remaining five knights held their position – backs facing the room Rizevim had vanished into.

Ryden slightly sneered... devil moved quickly; he barely even saw the slimy old coot

Ryden swiped his blade to the side, his third kill had fallen to his knees before he joined the other two face down on the ground behind him, he sniffled slightly before he stared at the other knights calmly who stared back at him with deep fury.

Ryden sighed, noticing the jig would be up in a few minutes once Rizevim made it to someone capable of doing something so upon that thought he reached up to his ear and opened demonic comm's with Rivia.

"Rendezvous with the second team Rivia..." he commanded

There was a pause on the other end before the serious and slightly deep voice of Rivia Abaddon replied

" _Understood... is everything alright?"_ there was clear worry in her tone, Ryden noted with a small smirk

"hmm? Oh! Everything's fine... I'm just gonna be a little late, I'll see you soon..." he cut the link the moment after

One of the more brazen knights of the order of Death sneered at him, obviously finding his lax words to be overconfidence and stepped forward with overconfidence of his own

"Pah! Such arrogance, here you stand against five of us and you think yourself the victor?" he went off – mildly causing an immense cringe to crawl up Ryden's spine. "We'll flail your skin from your wretched bod—"

 _ ***Bvvvv!* *SQUECH!***_

A violent crimson bolt of arc energy met the skull of the devil instantly, the volts within being strong enough to turn the devils head into a literal fountain of blood and gore when it subsequently exploded upon contact – staining the room and the knights beside him with brain matter and anything else available.

The knights glanced from the dead knight at their feet before glaring at Ryden who regarded them with a set of blinking eyes, genuine surprise dotting his face

"What?" he asked genuinely "that wasn't me..." he pointed to the glowing sword in his hand "That was her"

They glanced down at the sword which seemed to glow brighter upon them looking at it – _Fulgur_ expressing its distaste.

Ryden smirked when he noticed them suddenly tense after a minute of staring at his sword. The sudden and subtle shaking in their forms was a clear sign of their realization that they had been attacked by the last thing in hell that could actually bring fear to their hearts...

An _Infernum Armis_ of all things _..._

"Now then..." he mouthed, twirling the sword slowly before dropping into a two handed sword stance, blade held to his right side – tip up.

"...Who's next?"

None made the first move...

* * *

Rivia took a deep breath before exhaling and locking her eyes on the three guards located in the room with her. She had been watching them inspect the carriage they'd used to gain entry into the city with extreme attention – making sure they didn't become suspicious of its actual use. None of them had been paying attention to the pair of glowing white eyes at their flank – eyes that watched their every move. While at first she was fine with sharing the room with the three guards, seeing as how her presents wasn't even noticed since they entered, she did become more desiring of ridding them once she received a message from the Arbiter.

One that meant only one thing...

" _Rendezvous with the second team lady Abaddon..."_ he said, voice eerily calm

Her heart nearly sank at that. Did he get captured or did he get cornered? She had a hard time believing it was possible, Rivia hadn't seen the devil's power nor had she witnessed his preferred style of fighting but from what she'd picked up, Lord Ryden Vale Gremory was in fact very strong – point proven further upon noticing his possession of an _Infernum Armis._

So why was he ordering her to follow the backup plan?

Whatever the cause she was sworn to him, his words were orders and his triumphs were examples of the highest of deeds imaginable. This was the ideal passed down to her; the role of a Guardian was in the shadows of the Arbiter

Ryden was the Arbiter... failure to adhere to his orders was unforgivable...

She nodded to herself resolutely but worry seeped into her tone

"Understood..." she said calmly before she unknowingly pressed a personal question "...is everything alright?" her cheeks singed with a small blush at the mistake

The Arbiter however seemed to not care and almost sounded surprised by her question "Hmm? Oh! Everything's fine... I'm just, gonna be a little late, I'll see you soon Rivia..." he replied lightly before the link was cut

Rivia's body remained motionless after that, her cheeks practically glowing with a fierce blush while her eyes stared wide eyed at the floor below her – shaking with concealed emotion

He... he really was... kind...

Rivia suddenly stiffened when she remembered the duty bestowed on her by the arbiter and suddenly step out of the shadows, her eyes set into a level of seriousness that somehow warned the guards in the room of her presence by the seemingly odd decline in temperature.

Their eyes suddenly turned to see a gorgeous woman standing on the landing platform in the center of the cargo bay, her eyes staring at them with such a degree of ferocity that it caused them prolonged pause.

She sneered at the insects blocking her before raising her hand, A _white_ magic circle sprouted in her hand taking the image of the sigil of _Abaddon_ – a circle containing a upside down pentagram and a wailing skull directly in the center. Various ancient letters were inscribed in the five points of the pentagram while the white light released from the sigil blinded all in the room, a loud wailing hiss soon followed before the power was released.

It was like a Railgun – fired three consecutive times in perfect sync – and the effect it had on the devils before her was absolute. The air displaced and twisted viciously, leaving behind a visible vapor trail that led from the sigil to what was once the heads of the devils that stood before her.

The three crumpled to the floor before the _heavenly_ woman, the gaze that which was the last they saw was one of indifference and utter disgust hidden within a set of stoic and condescending eyes.

 _The Power of Annihilation... Abaddon's true power_

Rivia barely stood still for a moment before she turned and walked into a black hole that which vanished immediately after she stepped in

Everything that she was was trained to fight alongside the arbiter...

Nothing would be held back now...

* * *

Ryden sighed faintly, watching as the last of the death Knight's fall to the ground from a final decisive diagonal slash. The majority of the last couple of minutes was mostly him dancing around what he assumed to be elite knights of the Lucifage family house by using every known scientific attribute demonic lightning had to offer. So far he got extreme speed, reaction time an automated defensive system and even long range blasts that moved so fast that it was basically a remote detonation beam that just said 'die!' in a really deep voice

The knights he fought were good and had coordinated positions and strategies that really complemented their partner's choice of weaponry perfectly.

Ryden liked _Infernum Fulgur_ , he liked the design, the element, the fact it basically made sheet metal out of every sword held in his enemy's hands but the sheer _overkill_ it brought was both a blessing and a curse. No weapon could compete, not one – not even Sirzechs would test his own sword against the bloody thing – so in the end it was as Serafall had said...

Being powerful – _was truly_ – a curse...

He wanted to remedy that, as much as he loved the sword, it was still too OP for him to grow on. He couldn't help but feel dissatisfied with every fight with it because of that very fact. He learned _nothing_ in fights other then the fact he had better 'loot' then his opponent, not skill. The Death knights moved like liquid and struck like hammers with the precision of a surgeon while all he did was move super fast and swing his sword with moderate skill.

It was like Brinyalf all over again, _he_ let his defenses get to his head and because of that he was easily defeated by a person that actually met his match and then some. If Ryden wanted to grow to the highest of peaks then he'd need to **grind** , not _surf_ his way to the top...

You _always_ fall when you surf...

 _Fulgur_ was all for this – actually – and even desired him to find an opponent worthy to test him but Ryden doubted that. The religious icon for the Old-Satan army wasn't even able to release one of the _Infernum armis'_ during his reign so what was the chance of someone doing it now? Whatever the case, Ryden knew the blade would still see immense amounts of action and bath in gallons of blood. Sure, he wanted to grow to his own heights in skill and obtain power the hard way – the respectable way – but to dismiss the power of the sword in his hands was just stupid.

If he was in the front lines facing an impenetrable fortress then heck yeah he'd bust it out and use it, but that was a tactical usage and much better suited for a blood thirsty blade such as _Fulgur..._ the body count... would be immense...

He really wanted his Swordspear back though... fighting a small number of enemy forces was boring if there was nothing to learn from it. He'd have to wait for that treasure hunt and spider extermination before he could get his hands on some of that sweet, sweet dragonite...

Ryden visibly moaned at the idea before he reached down and yanked a bit of red fabric from the dead Death knight officer (try saying that 2x fast) and used it to clean the crimson blade in his hands. While he did this he suddenly jumped when a noise caught his attention.

"what the... Fuuck?" he questioned as his eyes locked onto a flat disk shaped item sitting on the table, directly where Rizevim had just been sitting at. It was like a series of beeps and hums – like a default ring tone – constantly filling the room with an annoying rhythmic tune. Ryden casually approached – being mindful of the bodies at his feet – before he pushed aside the bit of curtain that fell on the table and picked up the contraption.

His eyes narrowed briefly before he remembered what he was holding

"Devil's got mobile... who knew?" he joked with a small laugh

Ryden set down the flat long distance communicator on the table and tapped the top and pushed a tiny ounce of demonic energy into it, soon after the screen lit up briefly before someone he'd been looking for appeared on the screen...

A fierce grin stretched across his lips...

" _My lord, I have finished preparations in the Halphes territory, we will—"_

His smirk grew feral and his eyes briefly flashed red as he looked down at none other than _lady lucifage_

His smirk grew mischievous when her crimson eyes – exposed perfectly – widened upon seeing him, she was wearing an eccentric but formal dress that covered the majority of everything, same as always, and even had a set of small pauldrons on her shoulders – oddly new in addition since the last time she wore nothing there, just bare shoulder.

His eyes remained however on hers, the image the hologram displayed before him made the woman seem so small – so fragile... so _weak_... he found himself enjoying that a little too much.

He smirked down at her as she watched him plop down on to the chair previously used by Rizevim and set his feet disrespectfully up onto the table.

"Hiiii" he drawled out in greeting

The woman's eyes set into the fiercest sneer he'd ever bore witness to and remained silent... it amused him immensely.

He chuckled faintly before he looked down on her "How often was it that this role was the other way around?" he asked

Silence...

"how often did you receive my most vicious of threats? My most sincere of promises?" he pressed on, uncaring to her silent treatment and the clenching of her hands upon her arms.

He leaned back, having been closing the distance between him and the woman of his hatred; he sighed and glanced up at the ceiling

"I've lost count..." he commented before a bitter laugh escaped him "but now...now it would seem the tables have turned" he added before smirking down at the woman.

" _Where. Is. he..."_ came her only reply, a demand – rife with pure rage

"Who?" he asked before looking around

A vein nearly popped on her forehead at his faked confusion

His eyes glanced causally to the door behind him, the one Rizevim escaped through

"...Pussed out like a bitch! Ran the second I came through the door" he replied with a mocking smile "mighty brave leader you have, to run the second danger presents itself... hehehehe, I think he shit himself actually, smells weird in here..." he added with a humors tone

The woman sneered harder – if that was even possible

" _he has little need to waste his time dealing with you"_ she growled

Ryden laughed at her before countering smoothly "and I have little need to chase his fat ass down the street... I'm not here for him"

The woman actually raised a brow at his comment, obviously wanting an explanation

Ryden readjusted his position in his seat before he tapped his finger against the table rhythmically "apparently from what I overheard from Rizevim a moment ago, your brother forged a plan to wipe out the Bael clan territory, sounds familiar right? I mean... you were there" he said, eyes glancing down at the image of Lady lucifage with mirth.

She nodded but said nothing as usual

"Well I just happened to be there as well" he revealed before shifting his gaze into a slight frown "you really should have check in with me – seen how I was doing; you might have even liked what you would have seen, or ran the second you saw what I had obtained..."

Upon his words the lady of the Lucifage house raised another brow. In return to that action Ryden merely rose _Infernum Fulgur_ to eye level and casually examined the blade while upon response of its reveal _Fulgur_ allowed a slow show of power by summoning multiple arcs energy all along the blade and handle, even adding in a few grazes to Ryden's hand and chest as sign of its affection.

The reaction was something Ryden dearly wished to capture and frame, his eyes swam with sadistic glee upon witnessing it as he placed Fulgur onto the table for a simple reminder to the woman before him.

Her eyes widened and her hands loosened their grip along her arms that which were crossed underneath her bosom and her mouth parted slightly to reveal her pearly white teeth.

His glee grew on with the words spoken by his enemy.

" _You... I have severely underestimated you..."_ she mouthed quietly

Ryden sighed deeply and loudly "it took you long enough... six months of your best and you still thought I was nothing" he shook his head roughly "sheesh! What does it take to please you? – eer, if I have to do _that_ to please you then I'll have to decline... You're not my type" he jabbed

The woman's sneer returned _"Vulgar cretin..."_

Ryden merely laughed at her dejected retort before he sighed again "anyway, back onto that story... you assisted your brother in defeating Rosalina Phenex so you could use her as a conduit for the _Ruina imperium..._ says a lot about that brother of yours" he jabbed, she sneered in return "well here's the thing lucifage..." he started

He reached into his pocket dimension and summoned the golden orb that used to be the _Ruina imperium –_ it being something else entirely – and set it gently on the table "we disabled your plan, freed Rosalina and killed the three devils you sent as security, but do you wanna know the real kicker?"

He didn't wait; he knew she would be silent

"I reopened the sigil leading to _Lucifaad_ made by your very own... kid brother" he revealed before he gestured proudly with wide arms "he's the reason I'm here, sitting in your master's office, killing _your_ knights" as a sign of added gesture he picked up a discarded helmet wore by the Death knights "but that doesn't really answer my full reasoning on being here does it?"

He stood up and walked over to a fireplace just behind him "how do you take down a dictator? A tyrant? A god?" he asked rhetorically, lady lucifage merely listened. Ryden smiled darkly after a moment's pause "you don't kill them outright, that's just feeding the hydra's regeneration – were there is a greater evil there is always a lesser few scurrying around for the scrapes, vying for attention and masquerading as friend and ally, once you cut one head off, two more take its place"

Ryden turned and sat back down after admiring the purple flames inside the fireplace – rather odd color of flames if he had to add.

"In order to permanently remove any of those previously mentioned, you must destroy what makes them tick, what makes their ideals seem so real; destroy their money, their wealth; destroy their homes and destroy the belief created by glorified stories... kick out the foundations and drag the one on top down to the streets, humiliate them... _then_ you can kill them" he explained, his eyes remained locked – with great ferocity – on a equally glaring devil "my aim is simple... for the price of your bondage towards the innocent under my gaze, I won't just take _Lucifaad_ from you... I'll remove it, _permanently_ "

His words were final and resolute and their meaning hit home for Lady Lucifage whose eyes widened considerably when the man's fist slammed down onto the orb, cracking the class sheen protecting the energy within

Fire – white and gold flames – over took the room but didn't over take him or the image of Lady lucifage for he didn't allow his words to end there

He had one final promise to make her...

He relocked his gaze onto her, his once blue eyes shown with the most clearest of crimson, arcs of lethal demonic lightning arced from his eyes in random directions "One city of history falls and another **will** follow as well... I promise you this, before this war is over – you will know my despair and the pain of the ones you had killed..."

His eyes flashed bright, brighter than before

And _her_ bones shivered for the first time in ages upon the words next spoken...

"I'm coming for you... _**Grayfia**_ Lucifage"

The last thing Ryden saw before the connection was destroy was the shell shocked expression on one _Grayfia lucifage_... having never uttered that name to know one for the past one thousand years

He smiled one last time before he quickly scooped up _Fulgur_ and sheathed it and made a B-line for the large window in front of him. By then the fire had nearly consumed the entire room, only once did he leave and jump through the glass did the reaction he was looking for happen

 _ ***BOOM!***_

What remained of the top floor of the Lucifaad castle was now a shredded and gutted husk but that wasn't the orbs doing

Ryden feel a good 100ft before slamming into the ground of the gardens, fissures and cracks sprouting from the impact but Ryden didn't pause to admire his handy work, instead he gunned it for the rock wall and jumped off their as well and landed into a sprint and continued his pace directly towards the secondary rendezvous point

" _Ryden! Where the hell are you!"_ yelled the voice of Nyx

Ryden's sprint slowed as he pressed his finger to his ear "I'm on my way! I should be there in a second!" he yelled back

" _Hurry up, Abigail's picking up a massive level of demonic energy a couple hundred feet behind you"_ he paused momentarily _"She says it's going beyond the realms of a Ruina imperium, we gotta leave_ _ **now!"**_

upon those words Ryden jumped to the side to avoid a massive spire of flames that sprouted up from the ground "Fuck! Yelling will not increase my speed!" he shot back

" _yeah well it should... hey what the hell are you doing Rivia!? Get back here ! hey what the – oof!"_ Ryden grew suddenly confused by the exchange of words on the other end but that distraction made for a deadly mistake

 _ ***CRASH!***_

Whether it was bad luck or simply stupidity it didn't matter to Ryden who found himself in a barracks full of Old-Satan extremists who were in the middle of rushing out the door at the sudden commotion from outside however upon seeing him they quickly changed their rush towards him, easily identifying the Gremory sigil on his red attire

"Oh crap..." he muttered

However before they even made it two one hundred meters from him a black portal opened in front of him before vanishing, leaving the form of Rivia Abaddon standing in front of him protectively

"You will not touch him..." was all she said before she summon a white – large – magic crest into her outstretched hand

His eyes blinked once at the difference in color but they blinked rapidly when she unloaded a massive pulse wave towards the large group of twenty devils, then like an eraser then large platoon simply vanished – poof – turned to dust upon the wave passing over them

What?

His mind was rocked back to reality when a few more spires of lava and fire exploded from the ground just a few meters from him. Ryden went to stand but a pair of arms interrupted his action and soon enough he was held _bridal style_ in Rivia Abaddon's hands, the woman softly smirking and blushing at him admits the chaos around them

He blinked

She stared

"Uh... Rivia... we need to go... N-now" he urged awkwardly

She stared down at him for a moment longer until it then dawned on her and she merely hummed in annoyance "oh... Right..." was all she said

Then darkness overtook them...

And the last thing he saw was a world of fire over take _Lucifaad_

* * *

It was always an odd experience to travel through Rivia Abaddon's portals for Ryden, one moment he was standing in an erupting city surrounded on all sides by chaos and horror unlike anything he could imagine but then the next second was standing in the large pond area before a large group of civilian prisoners, the three other devil's he considered friends and a large blue dragon standing behind them...

Life was sure odd for one Ryden vale Gremory but he found himself uncaring to that particular subject

What he was preoccupied with at the moment was the look of actual _humor_ on a dragon, a dragon that stared at the position he and Rivia was currently in. He knew he was tall by human standards but there was something in the devil's food or natural growth rates because he went from being the tallest to the shortest by at least a couple inches then add the embarrassing bridal carry he was in by a brightly smirking Rivia Abaddon and his confidence in himself nearly plummeted to the core of the earth

He glanced up at the woman holding him "C-can... C-can you put me down?" he asked

Not a hair moved upon the reply he got from a frozen Rivia Abaddon "No..." she all but said in a resolute tone, clearly enjoying the proximity

That was it and he knew it was final...

He suddenly pouted – instinctual by the sheer hopelessness before him, Rivia looked way to happy to care

A loud roaring laughter erupted before him and he glanced over to see Tiamat laughing her ass off in dragon form. His mind blanked at the sight of the large dragon – roughly the size of a B52 bomber plane – wheeze and grip its underbelly roughly at the sight of him in a bridal carry. It was really hard to imagine that this was actually a real life scenario he was in. A laughing dragon finding humor at his expense really brought clarity to his life...

And upon that clarity did he notice the 20 escape prisoners staring off into the distance – a distance in the same direction of a rising orange light.

The others noticed this, as did Rivia, who stepped forward towards a small parting in the trees to look at a perfect distant view of _Lucifaad,_ the large city in the distance suddenly swelled up from the ground and then sank into the earth below, destroying everything within the city and obviously crushing everything within with high quality metal and rock.

Ryden was finding the idea of having just been down there a second ago to be mind boggling while a few disappointed gazes from the others suggested the reaction was bit lack luster

Until Tiamat spoke up

" **Be aware devils... this may get a little bit** _ **hot**_ **"** warned Tiamat who quickly tapped her front claw onto a rock just to her right, the same dome of energy used before suddenly sprouted up again... and just in the nick of time as well.

The ground beneath Lucifaad pulsed visibly, a massive ball of orange light suddenly jumped from the earth below the center of the city and then dropping until it was a hundred meters above the city, it was visible to all on the plateau of Tiamat's territory that the large orb of energy was going critical and noticed by the slight red arcs of energy pulsing from the orb, it grew more violent as the seconds went on until the orb started to vibrate and then shoot down into the earth below it

then the sky was lit in an orange light...

a light that covered the majority of the underworld...

 _ ***BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!***_

The cry of the explosion was deafening and the aftershock was felt through the earth below them, a heat wave so thick kicked off and bashed into the dome Tiamat created violently but those within were merely too shocked at the massive fire ball before them to feel it.

Ryden heard of the Tsar bomba – the worlds largest bomb – the bomb created by the soviets and the effect it had on the world and the earth around it...

But this...

...This was much larger

Fire rose from the ground in a massive spire, velocity rings – high up in the sky – coiled around the rising heat loosely before dispersing before another to sprout up in its place

Lucifaad was the Ideal example of 'firsts'. From this point in history – the modified Ruina Imperium detonated within the castle itself produced the first sun ever in the territory of Lucifer's capital city, the crown jewel of hell itself

And now it was nothing but a smoldering crater...

Ryden sniffled before chuckling, the others soon noticed this and glanced over

"what the hell are you laughing about?" asked Nyx

Abigail hummed "hmm... I think he broke mid jump" she commented

"No... Ryden wouldn't break from that" Rosalina defended firmly

Ryden finished laughing to himself and looked the others in the eye, a wide smile adoring his face

"So... you guys wanna do that again?"

.

.

.

"Ryden?"

"yeah Nyx?"

"shut up... Just, shut up"

* * *

 _A/N: This chapter was WAAAAAAY longer than I anticipated but was it worth it? hell yes, throughout the week I've been receiving incredible reviews and so much positive feedback on this story it's honestly overwhelming to me_

 _Overwhelming You may ask?_

 _I say that mainly because this story has been in planning for 2 YEARS! Maybe less but it's been rolling around in me noggin since 2015 and throughout those years its evolved more and narrowed down into a more 'story' driven narrative then what I usually see on this site and what I had previously plan._

 _Not bashing anyone or any of those writers – their passion is their own and I feel no need to hate on them – but canon is severely overused and filled with edgy stories of this 'betrayal' Shtick I see running around and 'gamer' stories that to me are just massive power trips._

 _I'm making myself a hypocrite actually... I'm interested in the 'gamer' trope from a writing perspective but the other one bothers me for some reason._

 _Anyways, I'm deeply grateful that this story has sparked a hit and hasn't been bashed into the earth along with my will to live (just kidding) and I do also apologize for my grammar mistakes – though some say it's easy to overlook – I still wish to make the best damn chapter I can make, no matter how long it takes *eyes this chapter with fierce glare*_

 _Anyways – again – now I'll start filling in some questions and maybe shed some light on a few issues that may sprout up within your minds..._

 _First and foremost, that being how five devil's managed to take down a juggernaut of a city like_ _ **Lucifaad**_ _on their own, and make it look freaking easy as well!_

 _That's easy... imagine you're in a city and are currently at war with a country hundreds of miles over seas and your just lounging about in some military base in Nevada and some – unseen – highly trained and arguably overpowered devil's sneak into the base with active camouflage... you wouldn't even notice, and if you did then a sniper_ _ **30 miles**_ _out with a practical aimbot will simply take you out with the quietest long range weapon in history – a bow. yeaah, chances are they'll get in, get what they want, kill whoever they want – and leave without anyone noticing because no one's been warned of it, hell even the officers are Dicking around..._

 _Next topic_

 _While at first I wanted to keep a few things about side characters a secret I just wanted to point out the 'teams' new addition_

 _ **Rivia Abaddon**_ _, chances are your probably wondering where the hell that second power came from and I have just one answer, easy and kinda agreeable... because I hate the power of hole_

 _The DxD devil family power is confusing as shit... I looked up the demon Bael and noticed on the demonology page that he has no mention of being a destroyer, that's actually Abaddon's shtick, Bael has the power of making people invisible and to grant people wisdom... and he's OP in October_

 _Sooo... yeah, I gave the power of annihilation to Rivia because I wanted to... there's more on that next chapter and also on her current mental state (for those wondering why she seems so poised after what she's seen) and her character design is based off of_ _ **Cassandra Aoi**_ _from the anime_ _ **freezing**_ _. Now upon that subject we have... 'the arbiter' as per mentioned by her multiple times_

 _SIKE!_

 _Stay tuned for what that actually is and I can't guarantee it's gonna be fully revealed next chapter either, that title is very important for the entirety of the civil war seasons so stay tuned_

 _And yes..._ _ **seasons**_ _. I've made categories of the multiple 'seasons' rather than 'arcs' because when a season ends you can expect a massive time skip in between them so I can close the gap towards canon. Not too massive but enough to feel like time has moved on and I'd expect a bit of a 'break period' in between season's so I can actually see some sun light for a moment..._

 _What else?... Ah Tiamat! Character design is based off of_ _ **Esdeath**_ _from_ _ **Akame ga kill!**_ _(obviously, but your free to use anyone else for your preferred taste). I've noticed in a lot of stories that whenever Tiamat is introduce she's either already built history with the MC off page or seems incredibly easy to infatuate with just a bit of flashy powers and some white knight comments... yeah that won't fly in this story, Tiamat is a dragon king and unlike Ddraig and Albion, she isn't sealed in a sacred gear so in the end she's not easily impressed... dragons pride right?_

 _Her tamed approach to Ryden was simple curiosity and a few other reasons, I can't really work off of the DxD page and what she acts like because she hardly shows up and isn't really delved into an actual character, all I know is that she's incredibly poised in both mind and body – hence her talk first, kill later approach to Ryden._

 _I have plans for her presence in this story, very important plans_

 _Next topic... how does Ryden know Grayfia's name?_

 _Simple... refer to the time Sirzechs first met Ryden in the Halphes castle. The conversation they had during that time should be able to piece it together for you guys and if not then it'll be mentioned in the future... (hint: it correlates with Ryden's powers)_

 _*deep sigh*_

 _This chapter breached into 35,000 words total, basically three and a half chapters worth of fresh content for you guys to chew on. Since this was my 10_ _th_ _chapter I saw it fit to make it extra long and full of brand new characters (that being only two) to add to the large list of characters I've yet to actually introduce, not to mention when I had at first made it to the 10,000 mark I hadn't even gotten Ryden's boots into the castle walls and I knew you guys wanted to see Ryden drop the bomb so I had to finish it at that point_

 _25,000 words later and here we are..._

 _I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I loved writing it_

 _So that's about it for this chapter, R &R and follow or favorite if you wish for updates and join me next time when Ryden fights an army of giant spiders... eughhhh... _

_Peace!_


	11. Return

- **Return** -

 _It was always a hard thought to process at the time..._

 _The thought that I actually pulled off, what many would consider an impossible feat. Blowing up the city of Lucifaad wasn't exactly a fantasy back then, hell it wasn't even dreamed in some random devils head as some kind of 'clairvoyance trip'..._

 _No... That's just too cheesy_

 _I – or WE, managed to do the impossible and made it look damn easy while doing it. It was so easy I was wondering if I had the difficulty set to 'rookie' when we made the insertion..._

 _However it turns out we're just that damn good._

 _Once that bomb dropped onto what remained of the destroyed city of the betrayer, the looks of relief and pride swelled brightly on the devils before me. Especially the POW's we had saved, they openly wept at the sight of the city that caused them so much pain – I could sympathize. Pure emotion and elation dominated all there – even Tiamat looked pleased..._

 _Aside from the elation and joy present I knew it wouldn't last forever. For my first day associated with the anti-Satan forces, I could fully admit that I was severely lucky in multiple ways. From meeting an understanding and arguably 'kind' dragon, to conveniently saving Rivia Abaddon – a famous hero of the anti-Satan forces and then managing to walk straight into hells equivalent of 'Mordor'._

 _I was lucky and I knew that luck would only last so long until karma came rearing her ugly mug again, it was best to stay prepared for that..._

 _It was unclear to us if our efforts had effected the Bael territory invasion; due to our sheer distance we had no clue if the old-Satan's would retaliate or if word of lucifaad's destruction had even reached them yet. So we needed to return to our lines in order to get the POW's back home, get debriefed and rested up before our actual deployment to the east... or jump right into a heated battle..._

 _It's as they say after all..._

" _No rest for the wicked..."_

* * *

The massive explosion of the modified _Ruina Imperium's_ after shock was still wafting in the air even after an hour of waiting. the massive mushroom cloud was still seen caking the sky in a slowly dwindling orange glow while what remained of the city of _Lucifaad_ simply lay in a massive crater in the center of the valley – was a breath taking sight for Ryden, to be so close to such degrees of destruction was awe inspiring. A testament to the term of there being a 'beauty in annihilation' and _Lucifaad_ was the perfect example; not even an hour ago – he was inside its very walls, scurry around in the shadows of the once massive and lustrous city created by _Lucifer_ himself. There was a degree of pride in him – ironic, to be the one to crush a tyrant's image – to be the one to deliver the critical strike to what seemed like an empire, the end of an era, gone in a blaze of humiliating glory... by the hands of a _human_.

He understood why it's called 'shock an' awe' and even now he wondered if the old-Satan's thought the same... and even wondered what their reaction would be if they knew of his true heritage.

He overlooked the wreck of the city from the clearing within Tiamat's small enclosure, being the only one to have remained to look over the large expanse of a now derelict landscape which sported a large sore in the middle of it. He didn't know how long it would take but he knew that over time, nature would take over – covering everything done in a lush green field with a massive dip into thick forestry. He oddly wondered what kind of creature would favor that habitat and seemed almost interested in that idea but he forgone the subject in order to quickly drink in the image before him and commit it to memory.

Tiamat had stated to the 20 plus devils present that the fallout of the explosion would leave the area permeated in a lick layer of smoke, heat, and raw demonic energy – the latter being the devils equivalent of 'radiation' – and had recommended they remain in the dome until the energy dissipated. It was fine by Ryden, he was thankful of Rivia's choice in destination which happened to be the dragons territory – the sounds of the water fall behind him echoed out infinitely which filled the dragons large personal pond with clear crystal blue water unlike anything he'd seen. The orange glow in the sky acted more like a sun then a color filter.

Beauty of the landscape aside, Ryden breathed in slowly before turning and eyeing the territories owner.

It was testament to his earlier comment on Tiamat's kindness. Even now she was assisting the devils they had brought back from _Lucifaad_ and even supplied a few bits of roasted _Liderc_ meat – some kind of supernatural rooster – and some other earthly greens he'd never seen before. He watched the now humanoid dragon mingle casually with Rosalina and Abigail while Nyx looked like he wanted to be anywhere _but_ beside the dragon. He smirked softly, Tiamat was also a Tsundere, like Rosalina but more like the older breed – the kind that acts outwardly cold, but is almost motherly in heart. He wanted to laugh at that summarization of a dragon king; she'd probably kill him if he said that out loud...

Admits the small crowd of lively beings was Rivia – whom had finally put him down – and had now taken to overlooking the POW's all together. She was assisting them in whatever way possible, they didn't really need that much medical care – the ponds natural healing effect was good enough to cover that – but what they needed was food and water, sure they got that, but they didn't necessarily have the strength to eat it.

So there she was. Feeding a couple of weaker devils like a mother would a toddler or new born. It wasn't hard for Ryden to know that the former head of the Abaddon family was a kind hearted person; he had seen it in the eyes of the devil children that had been locked in the cage with her and had felt their tensions ease when he had saved her life. She meant a lot to a lot of people – not only to those who regarded her with awe here, but back home as well.

His nose wrinkled when he remembered the Abaddon family territory had been taken a few months back, southern border – inside the territory of thorns.

So not only was Rivia captured and tortured but she had also lost her home as well. Sure she had managed to ward off the assault for her advisors, maids and butlers – saving countless other civilian lives as well – but that knowledge of some savage force being in possession of your home would be crushing. All the history, the secrets, the wealth... Gone.

And she had stayed strong even with that knowledge... Rivia Abaddon was indeed a very strong devil.

Before Ryden could indulge on that further he felt someone tap his shoulder and turned "Hmm?" he hummed, a little bit more energetically then intended.

Rosalina smiled that condescending smile of hers... it would seem it had returned, and with the vengeance if Ryden had a comment on it.

His follow up smirk was slightly more pained when the woman even added in a small chuckle of mirth at his show of enthusiasm.

"My, aren't you the happy one" she commented "What would be the source of your amusement?" she finally asked after another fit of soft – refined – giggles.

Ryden felt he had an idea crawl up his back and simply played along, adopting a condescending smirk of his own

"I don't really know, lady Rosalina – the fact we managed to destroy _Lucifaad_ all on our own or..." he paused and breathed in before locking his eyes on the blonde beauty before him "... the fact your breasts are bigger than I thought they were..."

His expression slightly shifted into an amused frown when the blonde before him actually grew so shocked by his comment that her eyes crossed momentarily before it finally smacked into her full force. Her mouth moved to word something but failed, her hands started to shake and finally... a massive blush sprouted onto her face that covered everything. Ears, cheeks – everything, almost head to toe.

The sight of the cracking woman was too much for him to handle, so soon enough a massive grin exploded onto his face followed by a loud laughing howl at the expense of the now shaking woman. Her eyes were wide in both humiliation and shock at not only the words spoken but by the reaction from the man before her.

Her blush increased when she realise she had yet again... been teased

 _Ruthlessly_ teased would be better a term actually...

Her arms crossed tightly over her chest and her torso pivoted to the side out of Ryden's gaze by sheer instinct which was followed by a disapproving glare deluded by the mad blush covering her body which only created the picture perfect image of a Tsundere. His roaring laugh was still in effect until his hand pointed accusingly at her.

"I KNEW IT!" yelled Ryden "I knew it was an act!"

Rosalina's blush somehow grew brighter at his words. She was always proud of her acting skills – so much so she believed only two people had noticed but it was clear now that she was wrong in that endeavor.

"P-please k-keep your voice down" she hushed with multiple stutters

Ryden complied after a moment to controlling his amusement, then with a soft couple pounds to his chest and a few extra chuckles he took a deep breath "haaa... ah, that was funny – should 'a seen the look on your face, priceless" he commented

It took Rosalina a moment to control herself. To be teased so ruthlessly without any kind of repercussion was not acceptable in her book but for some reason she found herself not willing to act on those principles for her modesty. What he said was too embarrassing to draw more attention to so she opted to dive away from Ryden's vulgar yet oddly kind compliment.

She frowned at that point but shook her head of those thoughts; she had a few questions she needed to ask Ryden... and they were not of _that_ nature

"Aside from your choice of words before, I had a few questions I wished to consult with you" she spoke, refined voice fully returned – Ryden's eyes rolled visibly at that which wasn't missed by Rosalina even slightly.

Her eyes narrowed while her arms subconsciously crossing back under her bust – unintentionally accentuating them.

"Is that a problem?" she asked

Ryden shook his head "No, but I will only answer if you speak to me as yourself and not a noble faker – I haven't spoken in that dialect since coming here, so I would appreciate it if you treated me as an equal, not someone you need to impress with soft words" was his reply, clear and fully heard by Rosalina

She stood there momentarily before dropping her arms and sighing

"Fine..." she breathed out before relocking her gaze onto Ryden "I was wondering on why you took so long in your task, by the time we reached the rendezvous point you should have already completed yours... did you get sidetracked?"

Ryden hummed – as usual – at the question before replying evenly "I managed to locate Rizevim's little meeting room and decided to eavesdrop on the little conversation he was having with a squad of _Death knights"_ Rosalina's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the elite forces while Ryden continued "I busted into the room after hearing a bit of info and managed to only scare the son of Lucifer off – little rodent moves fast"

"You didn't pursue?" asked Rosalina

Ryden shook his head "No point, Rizevim wasn't the main objective; he'll either turn up in some other historical city or he'll simply drop into hiding which in the end, doesn't really do much with the city of _Lucifaad_ gone" he smirked slightly "first move In destroying a tyrant is to remove the fame; _Lucifaad_ is that fame"

She nodded at his reasoning but found herself slightly taken off track by how well and confident he was in his reasoning. Whatever it was she didn't question it and had only found herself worried of Ryden's status upon witnessing Rivia Abaddon's troubled expression upon her arrival at the secondary rendezvous point. It wasn't hard for her to notice Rivia's sudden infatuation with Ryden – even if she referred to him as the _Arbiter_ there was a subtle degree of ' _want_ ' in the elder devils actions.

Professional acts be damn; Rivia Abaddon was very interested in Ryden... and for some bloody reason the thought angered Rosalina who found she suddenly considering the elder blonde a threat for objectives not fully grasped by the younger blonde.

Meanwhile Ryden was slightly at odds with the variety of expressions written on Rosalina and was completely unaware of the sudden declaration of war before him. He wondered if his answer to her question had angered her for some reason but didn't dwell on that. He followed his orders to the letter and didn't doddle around or deviate from his goal... quite honestly everything happened perfectly; the small conversation with the _lucifuge_ bitch was just extra in his book.

That thought brought a small sense of euphoria to his mind; such a perfect moment would never be forgotten and he believed it wouldn't even slightly escape that bitches mind either. _Grayfia_ prided herself on her anonymous reputation. For some reason being the only old-Satan extremist to despise fame and open acknowledgment as worded by _Grayfia_ herself in some arguments with some of her followers – probably her incestuous brother if anyone else.

Ryden shivered at that, he never saw Euclid but he knew from the mild arguments he heard between _Grayfia_ and that man suggested there was something else under the man's flirtatious comments towards his bloody sister.

Ryden never knew exactly... and he sure as hell didn't want to.

After a small moment to flush his mind of those disturbing thoughts, Ryden suddenly sprouted up with a question of his own, which shattered the deeply thinking Rosalina Phenex from her own 'odd' thoughts.

"What do you plan to do after we return? If I remember, you've got some problems with Zekram Bael – he was the one to sign the Geass scroll after all"

It was a reminder that went by with a sour after taste when Rosalina's expression delved into a troubled and slightly anxious one.

She shook her head after a moment "I don't know... hopefully Indris is handling the damage and gathering answers as we speak" she paused and bit the tip of her thumb – a sign of nervousness "still makes me question things though, why would the great king make an order like that?"

Ryden hummed again and glanced out towards the wrecked city and pondered on the subject. He didn't know Zekram Bael – never even met the devil – so his opinion on the being was lack luster and he knew he couldn't simply throw around his judgment until he got a firm grasp on him as a person. Saboteurs were simple to locate but hard to personally identify in crowds yet they always left behind bread crumbs to follow – the minor mistakes and lazy decisions are what usually cause their downfall.

For Zekram to use a Geass scroll and tie in a shit load of secrecies and black ink simply screamed forgery to him, and to make matters more glaring; _Geass scroll_ orders was basically _executive orders_ handed down by a president. So if it went public then all parties would have multiple eyes watching their every move and varies teams of political archeologists would start digging deep into the matter. Permission or not they would dig and if any dirt is spotted then its open season on whoever had the dirt...

Resulting in a downfall on both parties.

"Its best we get the answer straight from the devils mouth, I'll consolidate the issue with General Gremory if I get the chance and then we'll get our answers..." he finalized

Rosalina eyed Ryden "what do you mean 'we'? – if I'm not mistaken but this is a matter for the Phenex family, not the Gremory family" she replied slightly heated by his intrusion on her matters

Ryden eyed her momentarily, annoyance laced in his eyes "I believe I was the one to have saved you from that fate, not to mention my name is on that Geass scroll – if that bet you made was formally acknowledged..." he commented calmly, her eyes widened upon realising his fact "So yes, Rosalina – I said 'we'"

While at first his eyes shown with annoyance they slowly melted down to half lidded ones; he knew Rosalina's comment was a forced habit. Venelana had spoken about family privacy and the right of a family's refusal of any kind of assistance and even found it to be insulting for any kind of offer of help – clear sign of prideful behavior narrowing their field of vision.

He suddenly pat the woman's head – catching the woman off guard "you should really be more relaxed, whenever your uptight you make mistakes and you always lean towards that damn noble attitude you like to use" Ryden then motioned to the destroyed city before the blonde could sputter off a retort "see that?" his words caused her to glance over and look towards the smoldering ruins "You forged the plan that wiped out the capital city of hell – me and the others were just cogs in the machine that you built" he lightly patted the woman's head again who quickly swiped it away after a moment – he chuckled at that.

"I don't see your point lord Ryden..." she retorted with small hints of annoyance

He softly chuckled again "of course you don't, that noble image your trying to uphold is keeping you from seeing my high praise" he countered back smoothly

Rosalina was caught flat footed by his blatant compliment

He pressed on...

"The whole time you never resorted to title baring or jumping to the defense of your family name; you didn't whine about anything – you just took control and got it done; hell, I think you even managed to loosen up a bit" he glanced down at the floor, a small smirk playing on his lips before he locked eyes with a stock still blonde "gotta say... taking orders from you doesn't seem so bad after all"

The blush sprouted back madly onto Rosalina who's eyes nearly bugged out at his open words, which predictably caused Ryden to smile in return

"D-d-d-d-don't say such things so lightly" she muttered – the sheer degree of _steam_ coming off of her face drowned out the actual yell that escaped from the devil.

Ryden smiled brighter at her reaction and again took pride in having toppled the walls of nobility around the woman "I didn't say it lightly; you _are_ much more easier to be around when your relaxed"

His comment sparked yet another blush and a set of ramblings; however, instead of voicing them she opted to turn her head from him with a quick jerking of her body.

Ryden chuckled at the rather childish reaction to his compliment but relented in his teasing. The woman before him was just too soft inwardly – probably only got the more 'extreme' of compliments from everyone about her power and body, not about whom she was as a person.

 _Typical_

Ryden softly released a gently chuckle and then diverted the subject elsewhere "How is everyone else? I noticed Nyx was trying to escape Tiamat earlier"

Without skipping a beat, Rosalina replied instantly – gripping the change in subject like a life line "Everyone's fine, Nyx is still shaken up about mostly everything right now but I'm sure he'll adapt soon enough"

He nodded calmly at that "that's good, its best we prepare ourselves for the jump back to friendly lines – who knows if the word of _Lucifaad's_ fall has reached them yet so we may be arriving to a battle"

Rosalina nodded in agreement but suddenly light up "that reminds me, what did you overhear when you were tuning in to Rizevim's little meeting?"

He hummed "I did hear one of the death knights mention _'lady leviathan'_ and that she was the one in charge of the army invading the Bael territory" he informed before brushing his hand down his beard and scratching his chin "I also heard one of the knights mention _lord lucifuge_ and his plans failure in the Bael territory but Rizevim seemed to have high hopes in the devil"

Rosalina scoffed audibly "Oh he does, Euclid could compete marginally with General Astaroth when it comes to inventions and intelligence, so I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that Rizevim dotes on Euclid very much" she tapped her lip while Ryden soaked in the info "Now that I think on it, I remember the upper brass mentioning him being a top priority target, he was the one to invent the death knights signature armor and stealth technology seen on those phantom knights they got running around"

Ryden glanced up with a raised brow "you talking about those skinny little insects with the glowing chest plates?" he asked, she nodded. He tittered on his feet before clicking his tongue "We engaged a few of those during our little anti-terrorist mission back in the crucible"

She smirked at him "Annoying?" she asked knowingly

"Yup, but still dangerous enough for the common folk" was his easy reply. He scratched his head after a moment before returning to their previous topic "what else did he invent?"

Rosalina shifted her weight on her legs and crossed her arms in deep thought "I'm not sure, the most prominent two in recent decades was his long range coordinate scanner and communication interception devices"

He blinked and simply stared at her, clear signs of exasperation "that can be bad..."

She nodded in agreement "It is, communication to forward lines is severely limited and the higher ups have to resort to issuing orders via surgical sigil's rather than open communication sigils – I can't really calculate the amount of lag time between order delays, it's just to hectic"

Ryden found himself nodding in understanding. Its one thing to fight a war and remain coordinated but to fight someone who can overhear your communications is a nightmare no military likes to have. However, the most dangerous was the first invention that worked perfectly with the second.

 _Long range coordinate scanner_... it didn't take Ryden long to figure out what that meant – anything with ' _coordinate scanner'_ in it screamed _UAV! –_ So not only did the Old-Satan's have the ability to intercept troop movements, they also had the ability to literally spot those troops and then bomb the shit out of them with pinpoint accuracy. Ryden's skin crawled at that perfect synergy and fought down a shiver. Sure the Old-Satan's had a smaller number of devil family contributors – that being 18 to the anti-Satan's 24 – but they didn't at all lag behind in numbers and funding; that came directly from the _lucifuge family_ , the one family most wealthy in hell – being light years ahead of the Bael family in financial power and rivaling them in political power, should the war be brought before the Dantalion Court.

Fat chance that'll happen...

While Dantalion was neutral in its political stance – their favoritism was leaning more to Anti then Old. That's what happens when you rape, purge and cut the wings from fellow devils, even in hell 'morals' finds a place.

Ryden made a sour expression upon his last thought "and what counter do we have?" he asked calmly

"Nothing..." came the voice of Abigail

Both Ryden and Rosalina soon noticed the presence of both Nyx and Abigail standing a few feet from them. While Abigail was smiling at the two, Nyx seemed more like a ghost then a hardened devil soldier and Ryden could make a guess as to who was responsible.

His eyes trailed off to the left – just a couple feet from Nyx himself – was Tiamat and Rivia; while Rivia sported her usual blank expression of cold disinterest, Tiamat wore a small smirk and even passed on a few glances to Nyx; in response to the glances the devil seemed to grow paler, which in the end made Tiamat smile slightly brighter.

Ryden shook his head, he could identify a teaser from anywhere but he didn't really expect a dragon like Tiamat to be one.

 _The more you know_...

Ryden glanced to Abigail and furrowed his brow at her reply "Nothing? You mean we have no counter to their advanced intelligence?" he asked, extremely perplexed at the lack of military tech.

"No, even if General Astaroth possessed the means to counter their technology, we don't have the resources and supplies needed to create such a thing on a wide and consistent scale" she replied evenly "it's why we're focusing our efforts to the southern border – to the city of thorns. Inside the territory is the resources and supplies we need but we'll need to breach their defenses first"

Nyx hopped in afterwards "would have been possible before if the general didn't divert the majority of his forces to the Halphes territory"

Ryden chuckled faintly at the comment

"What?" asked Nyx, confused on the humor written on Ryden, the slight incline of the others brows spoke of their own confusion.

"I'm sure he had _reasons_ on such a change in objective; I wouldn't argue tactics with a war hero" spoke Ryden cryptically

While the others merely nodded at his words in understanding and agreement, Rosalina however narrowed her eyes at the devil. He knew something about the Halphes territory – the way he worded his reply sounded more secretive then placating – even knowing; and while the others could look past the words spoken by Ryden, it was mainly due to their ignorance. She knew what Ryden had faced – spoken from his own lips – and while he didn't fully express the truth of his tragedy, he did elude from it purposely and with obvious refusal to elaborate on the full picture to which she could fully understand why.

His eyes said enough though...

Ryden cleared his throat after a moment and eyed the few ultimate-class devils before him as well as the seemingly uncaring dragon king "If the territory of thorns is our next objective then it's all the more imperative that we return to the front" he urged before glancing to Tiamat "how long did you say the demonic energy field would last?"

The dragon tittered softly on her legs while eyeing the space outside the dome around them for a moment. A second later and she nodded to herself and returned her gaze onto Ryden.

"Hmmm... about a couple more minutes should be safe enough" was her reply. Ryden nodded kindly to the dragon while the others nodded along with him silently, their minds prepping themselves for the journey back to the portal further east; however, Before Ryden could word his measure of appreciation, the dragon merely waved off his action or attempt with an additional set of words "for those last few minutes I would wish to speak with you alone Gremory... Regarding our deal"

Ryden silently blinked at the dragon – eyeing those around him for a moment of hesitance – and then nodded to the dragon. With a small gesture of her finger, Tiamat turned and walked off towards a cave to the far right side of the pond area. Ryden made it a few feet in pursuit of the dragon before pausing and glancing to a following Rivia Abaddon.

He smiled gently to her "Stay her Rivia... I'll be back soon"

Rivia didn't say anything, just stopped where she stood and hummed in acceptance – said hum came out disapprovingly noted Ryden.

Ryden ignored that though – seeing a confrontation clearly present in the slightly narrowed eyes of Rivia – and simply nodded in understanding before turning and following the dragon, leaving the others alone.

Nyx cleared his throat "I wonder what kind of conversation she wants with him? I thought they already leveled out their deal" he said in wonder

Abigail lightly jabbed the male in the ribs

"Oi! I'm not appreciative of this abuse woman" barked Nyx while turning to a slightly amused but stern Abigail

She wagged her finger "Don't assume you know everything in a dragon – their minds are sharper than ours" she said clearly before resting a hand on her hip, a teasing smirk suddenly sprouting on her lips "Besides, maybe she wants to give him some kind of _personal_ _reward_ for his actions in _Lucifaad_ "

Both Rivia and Rosalina suddenly stiffened at that and were suddenly seen staring at the back of the dragons form – said dragon for some reason began to accentuate her hip movements into a very clear strut – a _very_ challenging strut.

Rosalina wasn't aware of the tick mark on her forehead as she took in the dragon's actions and Rivia was suddenly very wary of the dragon's motives – her eyes narrowing slightly in response to that very thought.

Abigail snickered quietly at the two while Nyx found himself sheepishly shaking his head at the image before him. To see Rosalina so strung up over what was obviously a tease on the dragon's end was honestly hard for the devil to imagine or believe, yet here it was...

He oddly wondered if the dragon actually _was_ teasing, normally one turns around and smirks at their target yet the dragon didn't even turn around to smile deviously at Rosalina.

His eyes widened and his lips curled into an amused frown as he glanced to the floor in silent horror and awe

"Ooohh boy..." he mouthed quietly

* * *

It took a minute of silent walking until Ryden and Tiamat reached the inside of the massive cave that was hidden deeply on the far right side of the large mountain wall. Once he stood before the entrance his eyes shone with sheer brilliance at the interior of the rocky cave while the dragon watched with amusement. Unlike most caves near waterfalls, they usually carry a degree of moisture and dampness yet the cave before him was spic and span – not a drop to be seen – and the bottom of the cave even had a grass flooring, like a carpet, and to make for the full supernatural picture the inside of the walls glowed and glistened as if it was covered in light blue glitter and pink sheen; it all shown like northern lights in a night sky which made Ryden freeze upon seeing it – the beauty literally taking his breath for a light jog.

Waking up to that kind of view would be crazier then any acid trip he could think of – it was like he was floating a drift in space itself.

"Ok, this is epic..." he breathed out

Tiamat chuckled softly as they entered the cave "didn't realise my humble abode would make this large of an effect on you... and here I thought you were hard to impress"

Ryden grunted in amusement at her comment "You overestimate me Tiamat, anything that sparkles with such splendor is sure to catch my eye"

"Oh? Does that mean _I_ catch your eye as well" pressed the dragon, a slight smirk on her lips sprouted as she regarded the human beside her with a slight glance; her eye brow raised in anticipation.

Ryden smirked at the dragon's words "I don't need to remind you the brilliance of a shining star; the meager gleam before me hardly comes close to that"

Tiamat laughed at his words, softly and refined yet the amusement was clear to Ryden who gave himself a high five at his reply behind his back – that was all quick wit, and he thanked his mother's charisma immensely.

The dragon sighed as her mirth died down and fully regarded Ryden with a small smirk – eyes narrowed into a full vixen styled expression "you are quick with your words human, no such devil would have been capable of speaking like you without fumbling" she tapped her finger against her lower lip "Which makes me wonder – how are you still breathing?" she added seriously

Ryden blinked and glanced around the room with clear suspicion in his eyes "I don't follow..." he replied calmly after a moment of studying the cave and his surroundings

She lightly frowned at his words "You mean you don't feel it?" she asked with slight agitation

Ryden noticed the tone and hummed in quick understanding "Oh... your aura" he said before twirling his finger around in the air "That large pressure that's sitting over my head like a storm cloud... yeah I feel it" he said while nodding

Tiamat tilted her head in wonder "are you not scared of it?" she asked before quickly reaffirming herself "don't take my question as a threat, I'm merely curious – many devils have been effected by it yet you... your something else"

Ryden understood her interest in a matter of seconds. He thought on that for a moment longer until he simply nodded to himself; it was clear to him that his unaffected nature to the dragon's aura was something she had rarely been subject to. It was allot like Brinyalf in a way and Ryden found himself quietly mirthful that somehow, the failure of a devil had managed to be the subject of a lot of examples lately, he guessed the devil had actually managed to been of some use...

... Too bad it was identifying toxic habits.

Brinyalf was used to fighting the weak, which polluted his mind and significantly weakened him against others. Tiamat was almost the same in a more _social_ matter – due to her constant 'scary' aura, she had come to expect fear in the eyes of most devils and beings around her but since he wasn't effected by her aura , she had suddenly grown curious as to why that was.

Contrary to the subject, Ryden _was_ nervous of the dragon's aura. However, over time his powers had started to actually compensate the power exuded from the dragon, which diluted its effects. This had happened during the weeklong training with Sirzechs – who possessed a monstrous aura – and that over the course of the week, Ryden had found the aura much less 'potent' – its effects on his awareness and his nervousness literally vanished overnight and now it felt as though it was simply a blanket and nothing worth being terrified of.

Much to the dismay of the crimson haired devil...

It was both _that_ and the fact he also _refused_ to kneel to _anyone_... not even to a dragon.

With those thoughts at hand he suddenly smirked playfully at the dragon "I didn't realise my tolerance of fear would make this large of an effect on you... and here I thought you were hard to impress" he said sarcastically.

The dragon paused... both in mind and her approach to the back of the cave. Due to her stopping Ryden continued in a bit further until he himself stopped a couple feet ahead of the silently staring dragon. His lips rose into a steady shit eating smirk as Tiamat digested what he had just done; a half minute long and a small smirk of her own developed on her lips.

"Why you little..." she growled out; smirk rising into a small smile "Quick witted and equipped with a silver tongue... you are much more then what I assumed you to be" she informed suddenly

Ryden's head titled and a slight widening of his eyes suggested interest "Really? And what did you assume of me before?" he inquired

The dragon approached the human and stepped past him "I head strong fool... one that would inevitably die a horrible death brought upon him by his own stupidity" she spat out while walking past Ryden. The human blinked at the tone of the dragon and rose to retort but was stopped when Tiamat's index finger rest itself on his lips "But I'm loathed to admit that my earlier assumptions were... _misplaced;_ I had assumed a fool stood before me yet what really stood before me was someone worthy of my full attention" her eyes slightly shone with power and her lips reached his ear _"I don't normally admit faults human – remember that well"_

He nodded calmly while Tiamat stepped away from the proximity breach and turned to the wall behind her. Ryden followed the dragons gaze and slightly widened his eyes at the different kind of design on the wall; it rolled with blue energy and arced out the same colored energy in bolts of static electricity – he suddenly glanced around the room he found himself in and was quickly aware of the large slope in the middle of the room which was surrounded in the same kind of energy rolling off the roof, walls and even floor.

It was Tiamat's resting place – her room.

His eyes turned back to the dragon to only see her holding up her hand and focusing a small portion of power to her finger tip. Blue electricity cackled up the dragon's finger which slowly morphed into a sharp, black claw. He then watched as she took her now clawed finger and drove it into the wall and carved out a large 24" slab of _dragonite_ from the wall itself. The wall slightly cackled in disagreement to the act but didn't really fight the dragon's action; Tiamat barely noticed the lightning – more involved in cutting then feeling the slight pleasurable bolts of lightning on her body. After a moment, Tiamat stepped from the wall and gestured to the now loose slab of dragonite.

Ryden blinked for the hundredth time that day and then glanced to the dragon with slight shock. Tiamat however shook her head "For following through with your promise of destroying that devil capital, I gift you some dragonite – your interest in it was noted" Tiamat glanced down to her finger and shook her hand – the claw disappearing as she did so "at first I assumed you'd only get part of it done, yet not only did you destroy it completely, you also banished the darkened sky as well"

Her words rang loud for Ryden as he stepped before the slab and slide his hand along it; he paused and turned to the dragon in confusion "You said 'banished the blackened sky' what do you mean by that?" he asked

"Those devils created a dome over the territory a while ago – blocking out the sun created by the primordial demon _Ignis"_

He spun around at her words, having stepped before the slab "You know of the _Infernum armis?"_

Tiamat nodded and leaned against the wall behind her "Yes... I was not around during the rule of the primordial demons but I did learn that one of them – named only ' _Ignis'_ – created a sun in this territory using his powers" she frowned deeply at that "The devils then created false skies above them, masking the splendor of the hellfire sun..." she quickly glanced to him "I had wanted to see that sun again and you have given me that opportunity and for that I have gifted you some of my dragonite; but take heed, as it stands, should you complete my other task then I will give you three times as much before you"

Ryden glanced from her to the slab of dragonite still lodged in the wall; after a moment he nodded resolutely

"I will see to it your treasure is returned Tiamat – you have my word" he spoke

The dragon smiled "Good..." she muttered before pushing herself off the wall and glancing outside where she made out a purple light shining from the sky; she clicked her tongue "Times up human, the demonic energy residue has dispersed, its time you return to your allies"

Ryden nodded and grabbed the slab of dragonite from the wall and followed the dragon out from the cave.

Outside was something Ryden didn't expect to see. When Tiamat mentioned there being a sun hidden behind false skies, he assumed it to be a sun that he was familiar with – orange – however what was seen in the sky was massively different in color.

 _It was amethyst_...

The sun in the sky was amethyst purple and rolled with swathing globs of purple heat flares and blackened spots along the perfectly circular sun. To many it was breath taking to see, the purple sun had been masked behind a wall of false darkness for many centuries and only now was it witnessed by the twenty plus devils in the familiar forest – accompanied by a powerful dragon.

Tiamat stood at the precipice of her cave, her eyes staring up to the royal purple sun while Ryden stood to the right of her – his eyes locked on the same beauty before them.

They stood there for a moment until the dragon gestured to the group of devils at Ryden's right "are you not interested in leaving Gremory?" asked the dragon

Ryden scratched his head "About that..."

Tiamat tore her eyes from the sun in order to express her confusion at Ryden's words. Ryden however smirked at the dragon and pressed his issue before she could word her confusion "I was wondering if you were interested in joining me and the others – fighting the Old-Satan's could entertain you" he offered with a small smirk

Tiamat stood a moment in silence – contemplating – before smirking herself "To ask a dragon king for such a service unrelated to her... you truly are a brave one" she mouthed with clear mirth

Ryden shrugged and turned to look at the sun "meh, Offers on the table... encase you get bored I'm sure I could find something to relieve you of it"

Tiamat suddenly developed a fierce expression "then how about we make another deal? – one on the side" she offered calmly

Ryden nodded, slightly unnerved by the sudden fierce gaze expressed onto him "and what deal would that be?"

She leaned in close to him – her body having turned to face him completely – and nearly pressed herself against him in this action, a habit she seemed to subconsciously do whenever she could. She breathed deeply before speaking "I have never found a human so calm in my presence nor as powerful as a devil; you stand before me as if you believe yourself an equal to me, yet I will be the judge if you are rightfully so... accept my challenge via combat _Ryden Vale Gremory_ , if you can prove yourself my equal, then I will join you"

A cold shiver traced up his spine when the dragons lips parted a little more to reveal her K9's – longer than normal and sharp – the mere image of the dragons gaze exuded a degree of ferocious beauty that which strengthened the term that with every rose, possessed thorns veiled behind its beauty. It was hard to remember that the seemingly kind dragon before him was indeed a dangerous predator – probably on top of the food chain in the familiar forest – however, to Ryden the smile on Tiamat wasn't that to strike fear into him, but something else... desire... want...

He knew then that the dragon sought someone that could stand shoulder to shoulder with her; it was Flattering for Ryden. He was only a week into his life of training and combat in a time long before his own and he'd only witnessed a small bite of real conflict when they took the prison convoy, yet right now a dragon of renown and legend stood before him – eyes lusting for a challenge – and believed he could become an equal.

He had heard of prodigy status before from Serafall but this was ridiculous...

"I accept your challenge Tiamat" he spoke suddenly, catching the dragon by surprise "however I must ask for some time to hone my skills further; while your words do me great honor, I feel it is overestimated to an extent" he added while stepping from the dragons proximity – eyes looking back out to the purple sun and then to the preparing devils to his right "if we were to battle now then I would only disappoint you, rather than impress you"

From behind him Tiamat released a faint chuckle – the previous ounces of bloodlust faded along with this action. The dragon hummed in amusement, her eyes locking onto Ryden when he turned to regard her "You are very humble – normally those I grant such an offer jump at the opportunity without thought"

"How often do you make such offers?"

"Not often..." she muttered out quietly

Ryden frowned at the slight downcast look in the dragon but ignored it. As much as he wanted to know, he knew the topic was a tender one just by how 'fragile' the tone was so he only nodded in return to her words "Then I'm very lucky... or unlucky" he frowned at his words before shrugging "I guess it depends on the confidence"

Tiamat smirked at his good natured reply "I guess it does..." she agreed, her eyes staring at the large sun again – eyes slightly narrowing at it.

For a moment longer, the two simply stood there staring at the sun and quietly enjoyed the breath taking sight before them. Ryden had been wondering on why the massive amethyst orb of demonic fire wasn't as bright as he had thought such a thing would be. He'd been staring right at it for a good minute now and his eyes weren't roasted into embers so that was a good sign. He nodded to himself for no reason at the thought – the sun must be some kind of differing type of flame – _hellfire!_ Ryden clicked his tongue as soon as he remembered just who had made the rather large star. Perhaps the concept of the sun before him was incredibly different in comparison to earths; the one before him did have origins in hell so its properties could (or should) be different then what the earth's is.

His mind halted in theory making after a hand dropped onto his shoulder. He cleared this throat when he noticed Tiamat gesturing to the slab of dragon metal in his arms.

"I just remembered something useful for you" she informed before requesting him to hand her the metal ore with a slight wave of her hand. Ryden hesitated momentarily before soundlessly nodding and handing the basketball sized metal slab to the dragon.

After taking the metal ore into her arms the dragon gripped the slab tightly and forced a heavy amount of draconic lightning into the metal ore. Ryden raised a brow when the metal seemed to almost glow blue – as if it was super heated to its melting point – while lightning cackled off the slab randomly. After a moment the small and unexpected light show died down, revealing the slab as it was before.

Confused at the dragons actions Ryden found himself frowning inquisitively which was noticed by the dragon who immediately smirked knowingly at the devil

"Most devils don't know this but dragonite isn't always indestructible" she rose the slab and dumped it into Ryden's arms

Ryden took the rock and studied it momentarily before glancing back "I'm guessing you just did me a massive favor..." he guessed, the dragon hummed before making a fist and focusing a small bit of lightning into it; quickly after and a small blue gem was seen in Tiamat's hand.

She hummed again while eyeing the gem held in between her thumb and index finger "normally, the devils mine dragonite from old caves throughout the underworld and it take years for them to achieve anything because they don't have the one being that could make their lives easier... can you guess who that is?" asked Tiamat with a small smirk

Ryden knew easily "A live dragon..." his eyes lit up after a second "Wait a bloody minute... do you mean you just loosened the molecular compound and density of dragonite... with an ionic charge?" he asked suddenly

Tiamat actually blinked at his question "molecular... compound?" she repeated, clear confusion in her eyes.

Ryden nodded "the chemical mating of two natural compounds – in this case the bedrock and your draconic element" his lips suddenly pursed at his own words before he scratched his head in his own state of confusion "wait a minute, the bedrock is a _compound_ yet your draconic energy is more of an _ionic gas_ which molds with the bedrock to create dragonite – which somehow contains latten electrical charges that can be used at will?" He was befuddled at that and found himself rubbing his temples in slight mental agony at the hard – or easy – problem before him.

"I really should have paid more attention in chemistry" he muttered to himself with a slight shaking of his head.

Tiamat found herself lost completely at the humans train of unknown words, she believed herself to be the most knowledgeable when It came to _locking_ and _unlocking_ dragonite ore; the trick was simple yet exclusive to dragons only. The first task was easy, force a degree of the differing types of draconic element into the desired metal; main example being what she did to remove the slab for the human before her. To that end she merely forced a counteractive stream of her element into the dormant element inside the metallic rock which _unlocked_ the metal and loosened it for cutting but only for a temporary period of time until it locks again by itself.

What she did now was force double the electric energy into the metal and freeze it's _locking_ phase until an equal amount of energy is forced into the metal again and that being the blue gem she had created. Its effect will crack the 'wall' she placed on the energy that locked it.

What the human spoke of however was different and extremely convoluted if the look of confusion on Ryden was anything to go by.

 _Amusing..._

She faintly chuckled before suddenly tossing the gem in her hand at Ryden who immediately caught it without looking "whatever your assumptions may be Gremory, know that I have cut the time it'll take to forge that metal into a formidable weapon; the gem in your hand will relock the metal into a tempered state... that it should be twice as strong to what devils forge from dragonite"

Ryden looked up at the dragon before down at the gem – then back up at Tiamat "why are you doing this for me?"

She smiled almost darkly at his question and found herself almost licking her lips as well with clear signs of impatience "because I am not patient enough to wait a decade for our confrontation, once your weapon is forged – grow strong with it, master it, then come find me and we will see if you are worthy of my loyalty..."

Her words rang loud and clear for Ryden as he studied the gem in his hand; she was eager for a challenge and he knew it the second he saw her dark smile, which for a moment shone with clear draconic features – her eyes were slitted and her teeth were irregularly sharper than before. Thoughts followed the expression on Tiamat's face; the drive she had was immense for what was merely a small challenge yet he couldn't stop himself from feeling excited as well. It was his bucket list again and a new addition had been added at that moment.

 _Defeat a dragon via trial by combat_

It must have been part of Tiamat's imagination because after her words escaped her lips and reached the human's ears, a large ferocious smile – nearly hidden by the silhouette of the sun– spread along Ryden's lips; His hands tightened over the gem before his eyes met Tiamat's.

"I look forward to that day, Tiamat" he said confidently

Tiamat said nothing – only smiled – before a voice caught Ryden's attention

"We have prepared for our departure, Arbiter"

Ryden nearly jumped when the voice of Rivia suddenly sounded off from behind him but his trained senses dulled the sudden inclusion of the Abaddon devil to the extent of simply causing him a slight heart attack. He clutched his chest – glared at the suddenly snickering dragon – before nodding to Rivia without hinting to his surprise.

"I'm on my way..." he said before regarding the dragon again. Tiamat eyed the humans action with a slight rise in her brow before shaking her head to defuse what was obviously a 'thank you'

"Think of my actions as a form of incentive Gremory, the only gratitude I care for is the completion of our deal; so I hope my giving you and your miry bad of misfits safe shelter was enough of an incentive" she spoke with authority, her arms crossed under her bust.

Ryden nodded "then it has done its intended purpose, I'll see to it this treasure of yours is returned" he suddenly scratched his head in confusion, a pensive expression laden on his face "I just hope I know what it is..." he muttered doubtfully

A snicker escaped Tiamat's lips "Oh trust me... you'll know" was all she hinted

Ryden nodded at that; it was probably the best hint he'll get so it'll do for now. He bowed lightly to the dragon while the silent Rivia did the same, though much deeper then the former "I'll see you soon Tiamat..."

"Don't keep me waiting Gremory, I may be patient but not _that_ patient" she retorted quickly, a slight snark to her tone

"I as well will make sure our deal is seen through, Tiamat" spoke Rivia suddenly, her right arm over her chest in a constant bow

The dragon huffed "I know you will... now enough with the damn formality, its making this awkward and solemn"

At her words the former Abaddon Lordess rose to a firm attention, back straight and eyes locked onto the dragon like a text book military instructor; Tiamat sighed at that before looking to Ryden, a slight pained expression worn over tired eyes "I sure hope you manage to _loosen_ her up..." she muttered out hopefully

Ryden stiffened at her words and how she worded them, and then by the sudden smirk on the dragon at his response to her words, he knew full well just what Tiamat had meant.

 _Cheeky dragon..._

He shrugged – an action meant to shrug off the dragon's words casually – while Rivia glanced between them in confusion, not at all grasping the innuendo spoken by the dragon which was to the relief of Ryden.

"I'll see what I can do" he replied calmly, already leaving the dragon's side

"Surely it can't be that hard..." replied Tiamat offhandedly – smirk withstanding.

" _Goodbye,_ Tiamat" he replied urgently – exasperated by the dragon's uncaring courtesy

With a quick wave over his shoulder and a small smirk directed to the dragon in farewell, he began his pace back to the others with Rivia following closely behind him.

As Ryden walked off quickly with his female compatriot, Tiamat stood silently at the edge of her caves entrance; an amused expression playing on her lips as she watched the human leave with his devil escort. After a moment a small smirk/smile played on her lips even further when she fully embraced the type of conversation she just had with the unknown human known as Ryden Vale Gremory.

He was... _different_ then most; her nose crinkled at that assessment and she found herself slightly cursing her natural bias to anything other than dragon. While dragons were the only ones to actually intrigue her, this human had managed to do the same as _him_. He was headstrong – like _him –_ possessed mighty power – like _him_ – and just like _him,_ he was just as foolish.

A _good_ kind of foolish...

She didn't know what this meant, this _interest_ in a being not her own, yet she couldn't defuse the immense interest she had in Ryden. She hadn't planned on betting her time to a cause not hers to care for, yet when Ryden had made that offer to join him – she found herself falling into the subsequent challenge willingly. It wasn't as if her free will was doomed to that of a lower being; Ryden didn't seem like the tyrannical type, but rather to see if what she thought of Ryden was true – if he was as powerful as she thought. If she won then that was that, she would choose what path to take and move on if she so chose to.

But if she lost to him...

 _Would history repeat itself?_

Her eyes watched Ryden closely, her interest sparked by buried emotion; his posture was almost... _familiar_ and his aura... nearly suffocating. It was something she hadn't noticed, that Ryden exuded an aura that naturally carried a sense of _command –_ of _dominance._ It was probably the trick of the amethyst sun and the natural emotional properties it had on troubled souls because – for a moment – Ryden's form was replaced by another's. His body flexed and bulged into almost rippling muscle, corded and taught into adamantine strength, his crimson hair shortened into a spiked mess which was tinged with small amounts of gold. She was aware of the chill that ran up her spine when the image before her created the form of someone she had known a long time ago. Due to the emotion that held her, Tiamat made no attempt to shiver away the feeling... the similarities... were almost perfect, and only now did she realise them... such short sightedness.

 _Ddraig..._

It was as if the thought was a command – the form that encompassed Ryden... _turned_ to her

Her eyes widened at the image displayed before her but then she suddenly frowned menacingly. It was a Ghost, a figment of her imagination – created by the playful properties of the hellfire sun above her – its goal was only meant to spur her emotions...

 _My Sapphire... my precious... sapphire..._

Tiamat's fists clenched strongly – blue arcs crackling in response – and her emotions quickly dipped deeply into the negative.

"Be silent... your words will _never_ effect me again" growled Tiamat, her aura caking the space with murderous intent. The image that had covered the retreating form of Ryden _smiled_ at the commanding words. The ghostly emerald orbs glistened with slight mirth before the image faded like dust in the wind, leaving a troubled and aggravated Tiamat standing _alone_ in the empty pond area... Ryden had long since left.

Her tongue clicked in extreme annoyance before she suddenly dipped back into the cave in order to get out of the amethyst rays of the sun. The once beautiful star...

...Only seemed to piss her off now.

* * *

Sirzechs stepped forward, his body moving inquisitively towards the area in which Ryden and the others had vanish a few hours ago. His eyes tracked all along the large conference room with a keen eye, scrutinizing every detail down to the cracks and shredded bodies of the many dead inquisitors that lay at his feet. Sirzechs wasn't alone in this, directly behind him stood Praetor Saladin, his armor unscathed and remaining as pristine as it had been since his arrival at the getaway mansion. Directly before him stood Serafall and her personal praetorian – Eris. The two stood on the stage, staring down at the deceased corpse of both Gloria Bathin and Lady Stolas.

They had been right in their earlier assumptions, the Lordess of the Stolas house was indeed a traitor and had actually been the one to personally detonate the explosive shard within Brinyalf Stolas; the autopsy reports had listed that the shard had been imbedded within the devils heart at a young aged, which was further proven by the lack of potential in the devil – considering the heart is the most vital of organs in producing demonic energy spoke of the degree of depravity lady Stolas had reached.

All this truly meant to both Sirzechs and Serafall was that the Stolas betrayal had been in planning for a long time. It was a bitter pill to swallow for all two generals and an enraging pill for the two praetorian leaders and Praxis Bael himself. Casualty reports had funneled in after the _Ruina Imperium_ had been defused, The 3,000 civilians present had managed to escape the event nearly unscathed, the only possible casualty had been saved by Ryden himself, however, out of the 500 Bael official maids, butlers and guards present – not counting the high-class devils – over half of the staff had been killed while what remained had been severely wounded and maimed.

Sirzechs' fist clenched tightly as that memory pass him by. He knew his anger was unnecessary, whatever price had been labeled by this deed of terrorism, he was sure Ryden and his little band of – arguably powerful – but unlikely compatriots would cash that price in full and with double to blood spilt.

He knew Ryden would manage _something..._

His hand reached up to his ear, a small magic crest sprouted to life upon this action "What's our status commander Bael?" he inquired with a hard tone

There was a pause on the other end before the Bael Heir light up _"So far general, the Leviathan army remains motionless... no movement has been spotted anywhere"_

Sirzechs nodded to Serafall when she glanced to him, a small message that carried a small measure of relief for the young general "Good, inform me if there's any updates"

" _Yes general..."_

He cut the link and stepped towards the base of the stage, looking at both Eris and Serafall with a questioning gaze. His eyes glanced to the headless body of Gloria Bathin – her slowly decaying head held an expression of permanent hopelessness while the body of Lady Stolas – the once beautiful devil – now sported a massive hole in her chest cavity and one directly through her right eye; though a beauty she had been, she was not the holder of that title anymore. He smirked at the morbid sight before looking at the two females.

"It would seem they are dead..." he sassed

Serafall snorted softly "I can see that Sirzechs" was her mildly offended retort

"Then why are you studying them?"

Serafall shook her head "I'm not; I'm trying to locate the means in which Lord Ryden and the others had used to infiltrate enemy lines by locating some residual demonic energy left behind... I was hoping I could find the answer as to what allowed them that chance"

Sirzechs blinked into a smirk "let me guess... you're not finding anything?" he guessed confidently. Internally Sirzechs was already aware of the reality of Ryden's nature. Since the human was, well... _human,_ he left behind no demonic energy, only a faint aura of some kind and only managed to manipulate already existing sources of demonic energy, the Gremory family crest had helped in giving the human a constant source of demonic energy to mask himself in, however, the source was different then natural source energy and that it dispersed quicker than a normal devils residual energy.

Good thing most devils practiced that field...

Serafall shook her head "None, its completely vanished... I located Lady Rosalina's energy – not like it was hard that is..." she said before glancing around the room. Sirzechs understood that; when Indris Phenex had approached the front entrance with a maid in toe, the devil explained the 'source' the _Ruina Imperium_ had used...

 _Rosalina Phenex_ had been that source...

Due to that rather degusting act by the three high-class devil terrorists, Lady Rosalina's demonic energy permeated the area in the prodigal Phenex's energy; it was like a ray of direct sun light – mildly stifling the room with the residual heat it naturally emitted. With a quick flick of Serafall's wrist the energy was erased completely, allowing a fresh breeze to enter the room. The four devils fell into silence after that – their minds working in overdrive.

For a moment that is...

"Are you all having fun?" asked a voice

Both Sirzechs and Serafall glanced towards the entrance of the conference room, while the two praetorian knights stiffened into firm attention upon the sudden arrival of a third general.

Serafall nodded firmly "No we are not Ajuka..." replied Serafall as she watched the green clad devil walk calmly down the central walkway "...but now that you are here I'm more relieved the anything"

Ajuka nodded in understanding as he trudged down the room in a controlled pace "I can see that, my scouts told me the enemy forces have not moved since their arrival" the emerald devil turned to Sirzechs, a unspoken question relayed through a simple glance alone.

Sirzechs shrugged "Don't look at me, I just got word from Commander Bael and he said the same thing... not a peep to be seen"

Ajuka raised a brow before adding in his two cents "Are you sure it's not an illusion?"

"Positive, Commander Bael had rigged the outer most regions within the wasteland with motion tracking sigils – and he'd posted multiple scouts along the border just to be sure of it... so far nothing" Sirzechs shrugged and shook his head, confused "I'm at a loss... whatever strategy they are pulling; I've never heard of it"

Ajuka grew silent, his hand reaching up to his chin in contemplation

Serafall piped up "maybe they are—"

 _ **BOOOM!**_

Whatever the young general was going to say was drowned out by the sound of a sonic boom, it was loud and defining to all the devils present – all of them reaching up and shielding their ears with pained expression in order to staunch the ringing in their heads.

"What in Satan's name... was that?" moaned out Serafall as she actually rose to her feet, the force of the sonic boom had actually managed to drop the devil from her feet.

Ajuka did the same – the effect apparent to all present – before rubbing his ears "A sonic boom and a powerful at that"

At that mention Sirzechs opened the link with his commander "Status?! Are we being engaged!?"

Commander Bael was immediately on the line _"Wait one..."_ there was a long pause – a pause that spanned to long for Sirzechs' comfort before the line reopened _"Negative General... their... the enemy force... they're... retreating?"_

Sirzechs felt a massive wave of hope flood over him, though he could detect a sense of confusion in the voice of Praxis, he knew the confusion wasn't related to a miss read but rather confusion towards the actions of his enemies... a retreating enemy force three times your size was not something one could fathom.

Serafall jumped down from the stage and stood before Sirzechs, having seen the ghostly expression written on the older devils face

"Are we under attack?" she asked calmly – though her eyes spoke of underline worry

Sirzechs glanced up to her – paused – and then shook his head slowly "No... They're retreating"

?!

"What! Why the hell would they retreat?" she all but yelled in shock

As Serafall sputtered off exasperated question after question, Ajuka calmly placed his finger to his ear and opened a comm's channel with his advisors. After a minute of conversing with them he dropped his hand from his ear and looked to the two with what was assumed to be his standard 'ghostly' expression – overwhelming blankness.

"I just got information regarding the sonic boom" he called out; the others glanced to him with their own dishevelled expressions while the two Praetorian knights behind them glanced to one another in their own silent shock. "My advisors just informed me that the shockwave we just experience originated in the northwest regions of hell... in the Lucifer territory"

The room fell silent... so silent a pin could drop and all would hear it

Ajuka blinked, suddenly aware of the shock on both Serafall's and Sirzechs' face; his eyes squinted – they knew something "What am I unaware of?"

He didn't get an answer from the two... rather from something else...

An energy spike alerted them of a tear in space – located just behind them. The five devils sudden threw up their arms in response to the sudden event. A red magic sigil lit with flaming red and black matter that seethed with destructive energy, a second sigil sprouted up and caked a small section of the conference room in hoarfrost while the third lit up the room in emerald light and complicated formula created specifically for evisceration... two swords quietly followed behind them, they're blades held threatening at the portal.

The only sound that could be heard from the five was the soft humming sounds of their magic crests and the silently whistles of their primed demonic energy, however... a collection of voices soon joined the silent symphony.

"So that's the plan..." a confident voice echoed out from within the portal, a second later and a crimson haired man stepped from the tear in space – garbed in royal crimson attire. All five devils present immediately identified him – it was Ryden.

Nyx then stepped from the portal, his eyes closed and his hand gripping his skull with an expression of exasperated pain "Yeah sure, it's not like we have to breach enemy lines hundreds of miles from any allied forces and then beg karma doesn't rear its ugly head if we do" he chimed, clearly dumbfounded by what the red haired devil had said.

Ryden waved off his comment "Pff, if you keep hitting me with them negative waves I'm just gonna keep proving you wrong"

A faint chuckle echoed out behind the two unaware devils, a moment later and Rivia, Abigail and Rosalina stepped from the portal... followed by 24 POW's that bore looks of silent awe at not only the area in which they stood but to the devils that had brought them here.

"Honestly Nyx" piped Abigail; Nyx subtly noticed the look of mirth on the woman's lips "out of everything we've done, I can safely say we're kinda made to break the impossible... considering what we just did"

The raven haired devil merely nodded at that after a moment of contemplation

As the large slew of devils stepped from the portal, Sirzechs and the others defused their demonic magic – having heard the voice of his adopted younger brother, Sirzechs had been the first to drop his spell in favor of just staring at the large number of Prisoners that flowed out of the portal. Then they all locked eyes...

Ryden blinked at Sirzechs, glanced around the area and then raised a brow at the general... he wasn't aware of the paled looks on the others behind him, minus Rivia of course...

"Hmm..." he hummed, rubbing his chin with a small smirk as he looked all three generals in the eye "this is some return party... _three general's?_ I'm flattered" was his cheeky comment.

While Ryden sounded calm and even amused at the presence of three general's, the others however didn't show those qualities. They all dropped to a knee resolutely and silently – a natural action in the presences of one or more high ranking devils. This action left both Rivia and Ryden standing alone among the bowed forms of his allies which honestly caused Ryden to scratch his temple in even more amusement – even the POW's dropped low on _both_ knees in reverence to the three general's.

Ryden had heard of loyalty and faith in a superior but this felt like he was standing before a bloody sith lord. None of the general's had stopped them in this action and he couldn't really tell if they even noticed – their eyes were too wide in shock at what stood before them.

A faint glance to Rivia showed that she didn't even seem to care of their presence; her head was drooped in solemnity – eyes gently closed – and her arms were gently held over her abdomen while her position was firmly placed, again, at his left flank, just a few feet from reach. Ryden had found himself wondering why the devil hadn't joined the others in their bow but withdrew from asking – not a good time anyway.

Ryden simply stood at attention, a loose attention while the three general's and two praetorian's stared at them with silent shock; none of the devils had witnessed the sight of a dormant teleportation sigil sudden reignite back to life like that before, the idea of doing such a thing was ludicrous and Ajuka Astaroth was the prime person to have come down with that evaluation. It was obvious Ryden had – again – baffled the devils before him.

His eyes trialed over the devils, his eyes landing on each general for a moment until he raised his hand and snapped his fingers; easily closing the tear in space with a mental command. All present suddenly drew their attention onto Ryden, who simply redirected their gazes onto the 24 POW's bowing to them. He couldn't outright order the general's to wake the hell up but he could get their attention easily enough.

Serafall took notice of his un-worded command and sprung to action by opening a comm's sigil "Get me a medical team in the conference room immediately" she commanded clearly

The words sprung the others back to life; Sirzechs took in a sharp breath while Ajuka actually coughed into his hand – embarrassed at being caught off beat as he had. The two praetorian's stepped forward and proceeded to assist the POW's with any medical attention they could attend to.

Sirzechs coughed into his hand before waving it "Rise..." was his first command – voice carrying an underlined awkward tone. Once the others returned to their standing positions, their backs straight and their arms held behind their backs – full attention – Sirzechs nodded resolutely to the four devils – correction: _five_ devils. Sirzechs' eyes locked onto the form of Rivia – eyes pensive at the seemingly familiar devil at Ryden's flank; his memory was jumbled by the current moment and the past life and death situation so he couldn't make a full grasp on who the devil was – it was _just_ on the tip of his tongue.

He dropped the notion for the bigger picture...

He regarded Ryden calmly "how was your delivery?" he asked plainly

Ryden smirked "Successful..." was his vague response

Sirzechs' slowly smiled at the news "Excellent work Knight sentinel" he spoke with mirth – eyes shimmering with underlined pride – before looking to the others with the same expression "All of you... fine work, exemplary beyond my expectations"

The high praise rose the hearts of the devils present while Ajuka nodded along with his best friend but said nothing, having not been fully tuned in as to what the incognito human before him had done, however, based on the glowing expression on Sirzechs it must've been a crucial task. Whatever it was, he would know soon upon the teams debriefing.

Serafall stepped forward slightly and piped in with a question that raised Ajuka's attention "If you wouldn't mind Knight Sentinel, but could you explain to me how you managed to reach enemy lines?" she asked

Ajuka's eyes rose slightly at the meaning behind the question – his mind taking in all information he'd studied in a near instant. A _scar fissure_ – remnants of a previously casted teleportation sigil had just been opened before him; Ajuka damn well knew that such a feat was impossible yet the impossible had been done before him... he had to revaluate that as soon as he could

Ryden nodded at the question "yes General; I felt the presents of a tear in space and opened it..." he started bluntly – uncaring to the sheer casualness in his tone – the general's eyes slowly widened as he continued "the circumstance was desperate, so I searched for the closest available path to counter the issue" Ryden then clicked his tongue "The path that I had found just so happened to be _Euclid Lucifage's_ personal teleportation sigil..."

A slight shiver traveled up the spines of the general's at the news presented. Euclid lucifage was a high priority target – closely linked to the major arteries of the Old-Satan's technological division – so by that knowledge, both Sirzechs and Serafall knew full well the gravity of which the invasion had been. They had believed themselves merely present to a large scale invasion force with the assistance of a traitor amongst them... they we're wrong. They knew now that this was a much bigger then they realize... it came straight down from Rizevim himself.

Sirzechs coined in "what was your conduct within the operation"

"Simple... we identified the largest target available and removed it completely – all the while rescuing any POW's along the way" he closed his eyes before gently pointing to the woman behind him "One of them being the previous Lordess of the Abaddon house... Rivia Abaddon"

His eyes opened to see the three devils sudden grow shell shocked at his reveal; his lips curled into a slightly contained laugh before glancing to the devil behind him – her eyes locking onto him instantly

"They seem to know you well..." he commented

She nodded calmly "so it would seem..." was her equally calm reply – almost uncaring actually, Ryden noted that.

Serafall stepped forward towards the Abaddon devil, a look of concern in her eyes "Are you hurt Lady Abaddon?" she asked, clearly worried of the woman's status

Rivia shook her head "I appreciate the concern but it is too late for it... The _Arbiter_ as seen to my injuries himself, I need no attention" she retorted sharply, her eyes locking onto Serafall with a underline of ferocity Ryden hadn't seen in her since she obliterated the large platoon of devils back in _Lucifaad_. Her words were spoken with refined grace – but it came out sharply, and barbed. Again, Ryden found himself noting the tone in Rivia towards the general of the blue legion. Her lack of cordial action in the face of the three generals and the lack of even acknowledging them and now the sharp tone.

Clearly there was a history...

The smaller devil flinched just slightly at the older woman's words while the other three merely looked anywhere but where Rivia stood – expression of guilt masked under a fake facade. Ryden was not alone in witnessing the trade of words and mixed emotions, nor was he the only one slightly confused as to the harshness in Rivia towards the obvious show of compassion from Serafall... a deep history was before him, and it wasn't a positive history.

Ajuka cleared his throat before regarding Ryden "What target did you choose?" he asked quickly, trying to move the subject away from the obviously agitated devil.

Ryden blinked away his thoughts, his eyes glanced back to Rivia who regarded him with a complicated expression, his eyes conveyed worry to which she merely shook her head and then fell back in behind him – eyes gently closed and posture held at attention... incidentally, he noticed her form was slightly closer to him than before, so close that if she wanted to – she could grab him.

He sighed before looking to Ajuka, his eyes holding nothing but tranquil amusement. Dreary mood aside, he really couldn't wait to see the expressions on the devils, so much so that his slightly frowned brow rose softly into a genuine smirk, his eyes lit with mirth – subtly hinted by a glint of crimson light upon his mild expression of sadistic humor... this'll be good.

" _Lucifaad_ general... _Lucifaad_ was our target"

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _I'm back!_

 _So after the last chapter I decided to take a couple days off – near to a week – since the last chapter was basically three chapters forced into one I thought it fair to at least give me some time to rest and get some other things done._

 _then that turned into a damn month... sorry about that, kinda side tracked with allot of stuff on the side_

 _Alright, excuses aside this chapter was mainly exposition, a build up towards many different arcs within the story and that being Tiamat and Rivia as a whole – I need some back stories and I need them developed; they're not just a bunch of tits slapped onto cardboard cut outs... sooo. I'm not really going to get in depth with it since you'll all learn and see what I have planned sometime in the future._

 _However, it's come to my attention that 'harem' is a slight deterrent when it's used – aside from the fact that this is the DxD section as in... It's kinda inherent and not to mention expected really - I have noticed a small trend in the community that the idea of multiple woman is a repulsing factor when it comes to building a connective interest with a story or character (totally understandable)_

 _Personally I don't really like reading MOST Harem stories... why you ask?_

 _Well I don't really like being the kind of guy to say it but... they are handled..._ _ **horribly**_ _... like... oh god_

 _Not all of them, but the majority. Long story short: if your chapter or story starts off with the MC having sexual intercourse with two or more woman (or even just one) there is a slight chance you may or may not be doing it wrong... sure you'll get mostly positive reviews but remember the majority of DxD's fan base lean more towards the sexual aspect then actual character development on the Fanfic site... they actually prefer the "development" of the characters then the actual person._

 _The more you know..._

 _So with that said, I kinda feel the harem aspect has been given a terrible rep and I just want all ya'll to know that the harem will be taken more seriously in this. The weight of the characters will have a much higher impact on Ryden then a normal harem and lemon scenes (a further venture down the road) will be more 'releases' then simple degenerate wanking sessions... I'm not here to rub off on ya'll with my fetishes, I'm here to tell a story_

 _And yes... I **do** like harems for the record... when their done __**right**_ _they can be **funny**..._

 _This is my sort of aim, for the end goal to make one feel satisfied with what they read, I at first wanted to do a singular relationship story but realized most OC x OC stories hardly go noticed or even liked so I refrained from it and then decided to make a harem route – larger viewer interest in it and its fun to write... like actually, the barbs and drama that's gonna come around is gonna be hilarious!_

 _Aright so I hope I didn't trigger any writers willing to do a harem story, just know my "rant" was more advice then me simply screaming hatred towards a story, we all got our kinks, it's just I'd prefer the more 'horrifying' kinks remain in the private folder_

 _And that's about it, **favorite** or **follow** if you want to get more updates on this story and **Review** if you got anything to say..._

 _Peace!_


	12. Brink of Retaliation

**-Brink of Retaliation-**

 _I can remember the day before my real deployment with the Red legion very clearly..._

 _While at first the military presence at the crucible was nowhere near outfitted for an offensive retaliation, the morale of the men and woman present was exponentially high when news of the oppressive force of 10,000 Old-Satan's withdrew from the wasteland. This was all because of the obvious explosion of news about Lucifaad's destruction and the combined efforts of me and my team._

 _And believe me, I was shell shocked as well at how fast that got around..._

 _Then the flame was lit – and the fires of determination was burning brightly in the eyes of almost everyone with the territory; the old and the new within the red legion was brimming with the desire of a firm and violent push into the territory of thorns._

 _Morale is a strong factor in war, just as important as supplies was, so judging by the looks in the three generals eyes told me at that moment that we'd be seeing some action very soon._

 _The time was right after all, with the Old-Satan's retreat – their tails tightly tucked between their legs – the Anti-Satan forces had the best opportunity to step onto the plate and make another valiant push into the heavily fortified territory of thorns and establish a foothold._

 _I remember that day being one of the busiest days of my life... and the most stressful; Aside from toppling an impervious empiric castle city to none existence, I still had many things to do before the deployment..._

 _Politics and past grudges being two of them... wonderful!_

 _Well I guess I did have that slab of dragonite to fiddle with, so I guess I had that going for me._

* * *

To say the atmosphere in the Command tent was stifling would be the biggest understatement of the eon, and Ryden knew perfectly well why that was the case. A number of individual's was in the room; the three generals – obviously being the biggest presences in military authority – sat just before him and his allies in throne like seats. To the right of them sat Zekram Bael, the devil smiling the most subtle smile Ryden had even seen, and framing the four terrifying devils was Praetor Saladin and Praetor Eris, the latter having introduced herself to him only a few moments ago when they all consolidated into the command tent.

There was one other devil as well, black hair – short into a _taper_ styled trim – no beard, and outfitted in the most spangled roman armor he'd ever seen. The devil had introduced himself to be Praxis Bael, his commanding officer and THE biggest hardass in the red legion. Joy.

He got a good 'whiff' of the devils personality just from the hand shake alone. Excessive strength was applied and a slight undertone of disgust was also present within the devils tone upon the verbal greeting; other than his horrendous first impression skills the devil carried himself with a poise most military officers dreamed of and fell in perfect line at the left flank of Sirzechs, which is where he'd been standing... silent... and fuming.

It had been a few hours since their return from their small vacation to the Northwest Territory, and during most of that time they'd been grilled with question after question regarding their conduct, and success in eradicating _Lucifaad_ from the map. While it was boring as hell at first for all present, it quickly began to be enjoyable when the questions finally reached the point in when they all arrived in the Territory of _Lucifaad_. Safe to say the others – not being his team – were not at all prepared for what they had to tell them.

"H-How did you manage to keep the prisoners safe while you infiltrated Lucifaad?" questioned a stuttering Sirzechs. Serafall look like a ghost had taken residence within her and Ajuka was mildly contemplating his own intelligence. They had just be bombed with his fully explained – basically essay detailed – response on how he managed to open a _scar fissure_ and manage to project the jumps coordinates perfectly to match the former users trajectory.

Apparently it's impossible... Ryden doubted that – but he was an open minded individual.

"I escorted them to a small pond area so to clean their wounds and find them something to drink" Ryden then tittered slightly in preparation for his follow up "From there I made contact with the Chaos Karma dragon Tiamat who—" he paused suddenly when the analyst in charge of keeping track of what he was saying did a sudden spit take at his rather casual wording of meeting a terrifying dragon.

One awkward moment of silence passed before the madly blushing analyst suddenly got up and was quickly replaced by another... the motion was so efficient, Ryden wondered if regular spit takes during debriefings was a thing. Who knew?

Sirzechs played it off while Serafall was still unresponsive to everything around her and Ajuka was simply drinking in every word spoken with rapt attention. Sirzechs gently coughed into his hand and pressed his question "And how did you handle the legendary dragon?" subtly, Ryden noted a small shot or reprehend within the devils question but ignored it. His response was a good enough retaliation.

"After a few words I managed to get the dragon to agree in taking care of the POW's while I in return would remove _Lucifaad_ from HER territory – this being a deal I struck with her" he replied calmly, intentionally adding in the hint that _Lucifaad_ was actually her territory. He guessed if the devils before him, and around him, assumed that he merely used the dragons own pride against it. That would be a better substitute then telling them that the dragon had merely spared him due to her curiosity and the fact the he was human.

Its best that door never opened... just a slight peak could blow his cover.

There was a long silent pause, the eyes of the devils present were simply locked on him and again... he could tell why.

No one makes a deal with a dragon and gets away with it cleanly... there's usually some blood involved and it's usually not the dragons. To them, he was the first devil in recorded history to speak with the Chaos Karma dragon king on friendly terms and come out the other end with something to show for it. Such a notion was unheard of, yet to both Sirzechs and Ajuka, they could fully agree that anything branded 'impossible' or anything related to 'unheard of' was in direct view of Ryden's range of expertise.

The silence was awkward for Ryden, mainly due to the looks of awe he was receiving from beings twenty times his age and maturity, but what really set him up for a trip down awkward avenue was the heated look from Serafall. There was no passion in her eyes – before there could be a misunderstanding – but it was clear his actions had gone light-years beyond what the general of the blue legion expected of him. Arguably she only managed a few moments of conversation with him, but from that small exchange he managed to rub off onto the petty devil in an extremely positive light. From his own humble view, he was at least knowledgeable on military actions to a degree that favored Serafall's interest, and possessed a fair amount of natural skill in combat that branded him the good ol' prodigy curse – similar as to what all generals had.

He was flattered by her words before but the look the devil was giving him kinda made him nervous. To summarized the look in a simple sentence...

She looked as if she wanted his autograph... and her eyes made it damn well clear that it wouldn't be on anything else but _on_ her.

He had a mild flashback to the woman in crowd upon his entry to the crucible and their open comments about his physical appearance and masculine beauty – two words that have never been put together ever – and then his mind jumped to the time he chanced upon the crowds comments on his action in the match with Valeria on live devil TV... that memory wasn't going anywhere, and _Fulgur_ was making dame sure of that.

Serafall wasn't unbuttoning her coat to reveal her rather healthy bust nor was she spreading her legs vulgarly; she was obviously tamed by her natural noble poise and training well enough to keep the 'low-born' actions at bay. However her eyes damn well screamed something unnerving, he deeply hoped it was the natural female reaction to power that had masked over the petty devils natural control of herself... he had his doubt though.

He wasn't alone in this interrogation as everyone that had been with him during the silent siege on _Lucifaad_ was in the room as well _._ Nyx and Abigail sat to his far left, their eyes locked and trained onto their superiors with militaristic discipline – a deep contrast as to the bickering couple they were – while he himself was framed by both Rosalina – on his left – and Rivia Abaddon on his right; and during the debriefing the two for some reason decided that it was perfectly fine to slightly close the distance between themselves and him... key word being _slightly._

To make matters more awkward – for him at least – both blondes at his side seemed to emit a kind of 'back off' vibe or aura that was combined and focused only onto the petty general, leaving everyone else in the dark as to the small war displayed before them. while Sirzechs and Ajuka thought and mulled over the subjects discussed the others merely stood at attention, Saladin obviously wasn't open to speak among his superiors about such a 'trivial' confrontation and Eris was standing frozen at attention behind her commanding general, silently shaking as the aura that was emitted from the two ultimate-class devils at his side, actually bled off onto her as well in slight collateral damage.

He wanted to show some kind of apology to the unfortunate Praetorian but his eyes needed to remain poised on the generals and their questions, the slight glare he was getting from Praxis was clear enough that _he_ knew what was happening, but didn't word it for some reason.

The only one finding amusement so far was Zekram Bael, who was quietly snickering to himself at the battle of female dominance before him. All in all, it was a subtle aspect within the room, not really noticed by all but Ryden and by a slight olive branch – Praxis Bael and Zekram, but otherwise the generals pressed their questions – minus Serafall of course...

Ajuka piped in for the first time in a while "This is regarded to Rivia Abaddon..." he began; garnering the attention of the eldest devil among Ryden's miry band of badasses. "From what Ryden has revealed, you were incapacitated severely from harsh wounds; how did you manage to regain enough strength to assist them in their endeavor?" he asked calmly, ignoring the annoyed expression subtly adopted on the elder devils brow.

Her answer was easy "Tiamat assisted me in my recovery as per our agreement in a deal I made with her as well" she replied evenly.

The devils slightly shifted in surprise at that, having not expected the other devil to manage making a deal with the dragon. This was so off the beaten path of their understanding that Ajuka quickly added a second question.

"What deal did you make?"

Rivia didn't even stutter or falter in her reply and even developed a confrontational edge to her retort

"To ensure the survival of the Arbiter... by any means necessary"

It was clear the word _Arbiter_ had a lasting effect on all present – minus Ryden's crew of course – and among the numbering officers before them, only one showed a slight glow in his eyes – mirthfulness bred from a fond memory.

Zekram piped up "Ah! That's the word I was looking for..." he spoke, uncaring of the breach in protocol. His eyes trailed over to Sirzechs and Serafall – the latter having snapped from her heated gaze on Ryden. "When you spoke of him possessing an _Infernum Armis_ I couldn't help but remember something important in regards to a certain legend associated with them..." he informed cryptically, his eyes returning to the former Lordess of the Abaddon house.

Rivia didn't even skip a beat "He who wields the ancient guardians of hell shall become... hell itself" upon the reveal in legend, Rivia slowly looked to Ryden who had adopted a slightly paled expression, evident by the widened eyes and thinned lips dotted upon his face. "The one to gather the scattered calamities is the one to govern the very nature of Hell and the denizens within"

Ryden's eyes nearly rolled into the back of his head at the info drop while the others slowly grew odd expressions of apprehension and even fear at the legends fully disclosed meaning. At first most of them only knew scattered bits of the legendary weapons of hells very nature and only drew some idea's of the weapons origins – which apparently date back well before _Satan_ dominated hell – but to hear it spoken so clearly and with such resolution defused all forms of arguments against its truth.

 _Because the truth was right before them_...

Ryden felt the connection with _Fulgur_ strengthen – an after effect to it opening communication with him – while the blade sheathed on his back slightly shimmered crimson, small arcs coursing off his form in calm and positive droves... a moment later, and he had his answer.

"Rivia speaks the truth it seems... _Fulgur_ praises your knowledge" spoke Ryden as he glanced to a slightly surprised Rivia. It was obvious the devil didn't expect an open mention of appreciation from the ancient sword, as revealed by her shock, yet the devil quickly composed herself and bowed to him lightly – not to him of course – but to the blade on his back.

The blade shimmered in gratitude at the gesture before it died down

It was now Ajuka's turn to cough into his arm, clearly at a loss of choice reactions towards what was before him so instead the green devil chose to change the subject – much to the incredible annoyance of Rivia.

"With that aside, I have a small question for you Ryden" he started before gently rubbing his chin "On the subject of Tiamat; do you have anything else regarding your interaction with her?" he asked, a slight hopeful gaze noted the devil deeply wished this was the extent of the interaction... he was wrong.

"Well..." Ryden hesitated, clearly not seeing any good way of rationalizing his pressed interaction with Tiamat and by his hesitance, the devils before him slightly shuddered at his clear sign of there being yet more shock in store for them.

Biting the bullet, Ryden caved and just dropped it on them "I decided I had the best opportunity in acquiring a small sum of Dragonite so I tossed that into the deal... see what would come of it..." he slowed his response down when he noticed the very visible twitch in Sirzechs' brow while the heated expression on Serafall returned with the vengeance. Hell even Ajuka suddenly adopted a look – a strange one at that – that seemed to emit a kind of scolding and reprehending glint within. Soon enough, Ryden felt like the biggest idiot in the room – off to his side – Nyx was currently giving him the biggest 'I told you so' look he'd ever received, and it was at that point Ryden knew that Nyx was probably the most 'sane' of the group... because he was the only one doing it...

After a moment, Ryden merely brushed that off. Because of his ballsy move, Tiamat had seen him as a perfect asset or even ally (big 'maybe' that was) and had invested in her interest by gifting him a small token of 'friendship' to solidify it... or just to use that to guilt trip his ass if he failed in their deal.

Seeing that as a good response to the silent treatment he was getting he pressed on just to prove them that being a dumbass sometimes gets you shit.

"In the end – she agreed, but under the condition that I retrieve a treasure of hers"

Sirzechs spoke suddenly, having finally snapped under the weight of Ryden's craziness "Did you – at all – think this through thoroughly?"

Ryden easily nodded at his comment "I had no choice but to engage in conversation, running or simply remaining silent would have only aggravated her" he then scratched his chin awkwardly "Plus she seemed like a nice person – get past the fear of the dragon part and she's actually decent"

Rivia actually add in her two cents at that, her head bobbing slightly in a casual nod "I concur..." she said, garnering the glances of the three generals and one commander "While at first she appeared aggressive, she however showed a glimpse of cooperation when she realized that we we're not from the capital city"

Her words suddenly sparked a small glint in Sirzechs' eyes – and glint that was mirrored by two other people in the room – one being Ajuka and the other being Zekram; there was an opportunity present and they had noticed it very quickly. Rivia's words suggested that the dragon was much more violent towards the Old-Satan faction then theirs, It was slightly unnerving in a good way that such an unmoving force of nature actually considered the benefit of the doubt for their side rather than Rizevim's, which in the end, spoke of a possible ally.

This was noticed by Ryden however, who smirked knowingly at the three while the others simply took notice of his sudden change in expression.

"I can see you've noticed the opportunity..." spoke Ryden as the three devils previously mentioned eyed him suddenly. The edge in his tone suggested that he already knew something that they didn't.

Ajuka tried to play it off "what opportunity?"

Ryden rolled his eyes at that, clearly spotting the political underhand tactics – making Tiamat an ally was gonna be an 'off the record' task; judging by the dismissive nature the three exhibited made Ryden fully aware that he was correct in his observation. He sighed deeply and loudly "Tiamat is considerate of allying, but there's catch... do you wanna know what that catch is?" he spoke forcefully, his question all but forcing everyone listening to find an answer for it.

Ajuka had found his but withheld it "And what catch would that be?"

Ryden glanced around the room – his eyes focusing in and responding to his desire and for the first time they became like unseen lasers that carried a deep weight that everyone felt. His naturally blue eyes shown faintly and his gaze possessed a judging edge within them that all fell into submission to... _subconsciously_.

He blinked momentarily after looking everyone in the eye and then pinched the bridge of his nose tightly – staunching a small headache that swelled up upon using his unspoken ability. All present had felt the weight and then its subsequent banishment when Ryden's gaze had left them, leaving everyone to look at the devil with a slightly newer light – even the formerly fuming Praxis Bael seemed interested.

Ryden's hand then pointed to Sirzechs and then to Serafall and Ajuka before he regarded them calmly with slightly tired eyes "The three of you are the most powerful present, Sirzechs being the strongest of everyone by miles while general's Astaroth and Sitri possess tremendous power in their own field" he paused and glanced at everyone present – ignoring the intrigued look he got from Zekram Bael – and downloaded their individual expressions; some possessed blank interest, others rapt attention. He filed them away before continuing "You may ask why I'm pointing this out; all I have to respond with is this... what does a dragon respect the most?"

His eyes shifted to everyone until his eyes fell onto Ajuka – having seen the devils realization dawning upon him

"Power... dragons have always respected power above anything else" the emerald haired devil answered plainly

Ryden nodded "Exactly..." he agreed before looking all three generals in the eye "If you have power... then why is Tiamat not allied to us yet?" his subtle question spurred a series of expressions from all devils present, however before some of the obvious excuses could come flying out at him, Ryden pressed his issue more clearly "I do not mean to undermine your power and authority... I just wanted to make sure that everyone is on the same page"

For the second time in this debriefing Zekram opened up, his eyes layered with hidden interest.

"And what page _are_ we on?" he asked

"The page in which no one severely overestimates the legendary dragon's hospitality and decides to make it an ally with sweet honeyed words – democracy isn't the way of a dragon, and forcing yourself on them only makes them your enemy..." his eyes returned to Ajuka and Sirzechs "... to make a dragon an ally, means you have to have the hardest skin and the strongest of wills... and who has the strength to face what could possibly be their end"

"you think we lack the will?" asked ajuka, his eyes slightly narrowed at the persevered insult, it was marginal but ajuka seemed like he was aware of what Ryden was meaning

the aforementioned human shook his head quickly "I'm merely stating, that if you did possess those qualities; then Tiamat would already be an ally" he reasoned, surprisingly getting a small look of understanding from ajuka and sirzechs. his reasoning was correct, should they have possessed harder skin and a stronger will then they would have already challenged Tiamat. sure they did possess strong abilities, they didn't however posses the durability of a dragon which was key in facing a dragon - getting taken out in one hit was a deep insult to bother parties, the loser would become the least respected and the winner would have full authority on the former's fate, which usually led to death... the lack of will to face the dragon was merely a step towards preserving strong fighters, should they have prioritized the dragon before, then they would have possibly lost a good chunk of potential soldiers to a means that didn't justify the end result.

still, the information provided did prove to show an opportunity was present and they wanted to see to it

Sirzechs questioned him this time "So you suggest we ignore this opportunity?"

Suddenly, Sirzechs deadpanned when Ryden gave him the smuggest expression he had and fought tooth and nail with himself to not glare at the snarky brat; obviously the human knew something very prominent. Over the course of the week training a small bond had been created between Ryden and Sirzechs, and while it wasn't a solid and palpable brotherhood it did create a small series of banter between the two – most of it having to do with Ryden's smug nature at times in which Sirzechs dearly wished never happened.

His trusty sword skills never failed him... nope, won't even admit to that loss... not even to himself.

"What?" he all but breathed out, barely containing his annoyance.

Ryden's expression of supreme smugness lasted for a second longer before the devil released a chuckle under his breath "how can I pass up this opportunity... _when I've already taken the chance at it?_ "

Everyone and that literally means _everyone_ in the room developed a shocked expression, even Zekram looked baffled and the meaning behind Ryden's counter question shook everyone present. While the devils simply stared at him, that also included Nyx, Abigail and Rosalina, Ryden found Rivia merely shaking her head at him; he titled his head at her in confusion to which she merely responded off handily.

"I told you it would have been wise to tell them before-hand" she said plainly, sounding like a slightly miffed mother of all things.

He blinked softly before smirking at the older devil "And miss out on this reaction? Yeah right" he replied, garnering a small smirk from Rivia

"I guess it is amusing..." she added in agreement

Sirzechs coughed into his hand and then pinched the bridge of his nose in order to fight away his incoming head ache. No matter the situation – no matter the stakes – Ryden always seemed to find his way out of it with smooth ease and possible luck unlike anything the crimson devil had ever seen. It was so unnervingly smooth that Sirzechs felt his reactions to certain problems as a waste of brain power

Why waste time fretting over a _Ruina Imperium_ threat when he could just throw Ryden at it and destroy a territory as a bonus?

He rubbed harder as that memory passed through his head.

While Sirzechs was fighting away a potential migraine, Serafall looked to Ryden with a surprisingly cool headed expression – something he'd not seen on her since their initial meeting. She looked at him for a moment, seemingly fumbling around with a set of words before she sighed.

"By the fact that Tiamat is not with us means that you lost, right?" she asked plainly, sounding slightly deflated by her own words.

This time Rivia shook her head "No, The Arbiter only established the challenge; Tiamat had actually been the one to postpone the fight until he became stronger" she informed dismissively

At the woman's words Serafall looked to Ryden who in the end, nodded in agreement to Rivia's statement. The room grew mildly silent – the generals and the lone commander Bael mulled over the subject for a moment before opening up again.

"We will discuss this matter at a later date..." spoke Sirzechs before his eyes shifted over to Rosalina "can you tell us what happened afterwards?" he asked.

The formerly silent and shell shocked devil of the Phenex family was taken by surprise by the change of subject mildly but quickly filled in the gaps from Ryden's and Rivia's return, to their planning phase and then towards the execution segment. While this started up – most of the attention having been directed to Nyx, Rosalina's and Abigail's side of the operation – Ryden simply tuned out the questions and answers and mulled over his own train of thought. Most of it centering on the slab of dragonite he had gotten from his ballsy move in _Lucifaad_ , all he needed now was an idea as to what he was going to make from it.

The slab was roughly the size of a kids-sized volley ball – easily gripped in ones palm – which severely limited his creative freedom down to small weapons; like a knife or rapier, however he wasn't the kind of person to favor small arms weaponry though, and while he did appreciate a good blade, it was the size of the stick that one carried that mattered most.

 _Talk softly, but carry a big stick..._

Motto to live by

Now that Ryden thought on the mathematics, he soon realized the slab was a little too big to create a dagger – more like a Bowie knife if he used all of it in one creation – which wasn't going to happen. Considering the enemy type he was facing meant the idea of small arms was more stupid then his initial conduct towards the legendary dragon. Talking softly and causally to a dragon _was_ idiotic but Ryden had a thing for idiotic acts of sheer stupidity at times, which was a good source of amusement for his sister; but facing said dragon with a small weapon seemed insulting to the large being.

If he sacrificed a rare – nearly indestructible – metal ore to someone who could get his blood pumping, then seeing that sacrifice turned into a literal butter knife would surely annoy him to great lengths... he knew for a fact the dragon desired something with incredible 'humph!' and not something it would use to pick its teeth with later on.

Then came in the other side of the topic;

 _What is a viable weapon to use against a powerful dragon?_

CQC against a threat twenty times your size was a fantasy and not at all a viable way to harm a dragon as it moved much faster and hit much harder than anything he could dish out– perhaps for him it was possible, but he knew it wouldn't be his main source of damage output. _Infernum Fulgur_ had that covered well enough so he needed something with range and stopping power, he needed a...

He paused momentarily when a thought crossed his mind – a very tempting thought. His hand reached up to rub his mouth in contemplation while the others continued their conversation on their stealthy insertion into the castle city; Serafall listening with extreme intensity.

His mind continued in wonder. The devils didn't seem like they lacked in technology – as considering they had a whole network of television sigils and graphs built for entertainment services and news outlets. It was clear that they would probably jump in technological innovation well before the human race reached the industrial age. This was both good and also unnerving fact for him but it did help him consolidate his idea well enough to plan on it further.

All he needed to do was drop the idea on Ajuka's lap; see if the devil of invention would be interested.

With that thought in mind Ryden slowly returned to listening in on the conversation; conveniently snapping back to reality early enough to hear the new question directed onto him – all eyes being on him again for what felt like the 16th time that hour.

Sirzechs eyed him closely, the previous number of expression's the crimson devil held had folded down into a calm and serene professional gaze, most likely due to the fact the others had done a relatively exceptional job in a means close to reality, unlike Ryden's constant tests of insanity and sheer acts of impossible feats... Sirzechs would need to get used to that soon.

Sirzechs held his gaze calmly but it was clear the older being was apprehensive in hearing his story. Ryden simply made sure his smugness remained dormant – a small mercy towards the crimson Devil.

"You were the only one to infiltrate the castle, what did you learn while you were within?" he asked clearly

Ryden huffed in amusement when a small memory passed by his thoughts "well I learned that Rizevim is a very fast runner... if that counts" he spoke simply

Praxis Bael stepped forward suddenly, eyes lit with interest upon the mention of the Old-Satan's head honcho "You spotted Lucifer's son? Did you pursue him?" inquired the black haired devil urgently. Ryden merely shook his head, causing the devils eyes to narrow "He got away..." he muttered out, not at all pleased by his response. The others seemed to be in agreement until Ryden retorted

"I told this to lady Rosalina before – not sure if she mentioned it – but simply killing an easily replaceable enemy only creates more heads to deal with" he blinked once while keeping his eyes on Praxis "I learned that a small chunk of the population over in the city of _Lilith_ believe that we're terrorists; so killing someone they most likely see as their _hero_ would only make him a martyr and it would solidify the people's opinions on us, which in the end, guarantees the continuation of the civil war as a whole" he explained calmly

Everyone simply listened while Praxis seemed miffed at being told off, but considering the truth behind the devils words only made him remain silent, lest he make himself a fool.

Ryden continued "Take away the riches, the fame and the publicity and you have victory... no kingdom survives without a foundation"

"Indeed" spoke Zekram in agreement, smiling subtly at his words

Sirzechs pressed on... "What else happened besides that?" asked Sirzechs, eyes subtly glancing to see the older devil silently staring at him – a small message was relayed between the two that no one noticed before they broke off.

Ryden didn't notice the small exchange.

"After Rizevim escaped I remained behind in his little meeting room and engaged a small squad of ten _Death knights_ " the three generals eyes slightly rose at the mention of the elite faction of knights but remained silent "I took them out and then planted the bomb, however the bomb was in an unstable state so it nearly went off prematurely; I had to contain the energy and reroute its core back into a stable state and _then_ I activated it" he paused to take a breath before continuing

"Once it activated I had to evacuate as soon as I was able, once I was clear of the main castle I encountered a small hiccup down the road but Rivia showed up and got me out of it easily enough... then I found myself in Tiamat's enclosure, with all the POW's, and we stood and watched the bomb literally destroy the _sky_... and the territory _Lucifaad_ sat in, of course."

He stopped and took in the expressions of all the devils in charge of this debriefing. Sirzechs, Serafall and Ajuka looked pleased, Zekram himself looked pleased – for reason's he was unaware of – and commander Bael looked well enough pleased to withdraw his sharp gaze from him. What surprised Ryden were the looks of awe he was getting from Saladin and Eris; while he had not really known the two very much he did identify 'reverence' when it was shown before him.

To them, he had done something impossible – something he was never gonna get tired of hearing – and because of his actions, he had saved hundreds of lives in the process. Saladin and Eris were praetorian's – the most elite fighting force the devils of the anti-Satan forces had among the ranks of mid-class devils – and naturally, they possessed immense skill in multiple forms of combat and ranked among the most daring within the military force. But even with all that, they didn't possess the power to topple a legendary city with only _FIVE_ combatants... something like that demanded the attention of talented devils with extraordinary gifts from their ancestors.

Currently five of them stood before them...

Sirzechs nodded to himself after a moment before looking to Ryden "I assume from that point you all returned here?" he asked

Ryden shook his head "It was at this point in which I dropped the offer of allying with Tiamat, in which she responded by giving me this..." upon finishing his comment he summon the small slab of dragonite and presented it to the Generals, only one of them took in the sight of the metal slab with interest; That being a certain jade General. "Initially I thought I wouldn't receive this until I returned her treasure but surprisingly the detonation of the modified _Ruina Imperium_ was so strong that it shattered the eternal spell within the territory... Tiamat rather appreciated that side effect"

Ajuka lit up upon this being mentioned "The eternal night sky of _Lucifaad..._ " he muttered before grunting _"_ so this whole time it's been nothing but a fake..."

"Yes, once the explosion reached the higher points in the sky, the darkness above began to melt away – I didn't get a full chance to see the process but once it was gone all was saw was a massive purple sun in the sky... Tiamat told me that it had been created by _Ignis_ himself many years before our time" added Ryden

Ajuka took the slab from his hand and inspected the slab with interest, for some reason the devil took notice of a few oddities and decided further inspection was needed. Ryden didn't react to the metal being taken but decided to fill them in on its presence.

"Tiamat had given me that in order to forge it into a weapon for our fight" he commented while Ajuka inspected the metal with clear confusion

The devil glanced to him

"This is dragonite? It's weaker then I remember..." he commented before he started lifting and lower the slab to test its weight "... and lighter too" as he inspected the slab further, Ryden nodded at the devils observation.

"It is... Tiamat simply weakened the molecular bonds in order to speed up the time it'll take to forge it into a weapon" he then showed the devil the small gem "This is what I'll use to temper the weapon back into its former glory – she said doing this will actually strengthen it better then normally forged dragonite"

Ajuka hummed in interest at Ryden's scientific explanation while the devils around the two look on in confusion. Nyx, Abigail and Rosalina – even Rivia – were taken slightly off guard at Ryden's show of intellect. While Serafall merely continued to re-forge her opinion on the young lord of the Gremory house, both Sirzechs and Zekram simply discussed matters off hand and silently from everyone else, making a slight reprieve in the meeting that let the others slightly loosen up.

Nyx looked at Rosalina and Rivia, a small look of surprise held on his lips "I didn't realize he had a brain" he jested.

Ryden, without even looking, leaned over Rosalina and gently bonked the smirking devil over the head with a closed fist.

"Oi..." barked Nyx as he recoiled at the sudden hit which caused Abigail to chuckled at Nyx

Rosalina shook her head at the small moment before returning back to listen to Ryden's small conversation with Ajuka – Rivia having already followed her example.

"... So she used the gem to 'unlock' the minerals molecular bonds... interesting" muttered Ajuka with interest

Ryden shook his head "No, the gem is what I'll use to _lock_ the ore back into its prime density; what she did was super charge the ore with her own draconic element; apparently only a dragon that matches the element can do this" Ryden corrected as he patiently sat by while Ajuka scanned the slab from inch to inch.

Ajuka took one last once over of the slab before handing it back to Ryden, his eyes then locking with his with clear signs of even more interest "What idea do you have?... for the weapon I mean" he asked, curious as to what the human had planned.

Ryden smirked before disposing the slab into his pocket dimension along with the gem "I was actually wondering if I could talk to you about a curtain project – you might be interest in what I have planned"

At Ryden's words Ajuka blinked before he smirked slightly and nodded "Meet me after this... it would be wise to make the weapon as soon as possible, before your deployment" instructed the green haired devil

The five devils other then the higher ranking ones suddenly developed surprised expressions at the news of a deployment; most of them didn't expect it to be so soon after their return but all of them saw the looks in the eyes of the devils outside... they were pumped

"Then when will our deployment be General?" asked Abigail, her eyes curious as to the intended date of the invasion

Ajuka regarded Abigail calmly and with a blank look – the devils naturally resting expression – and glanced over to the conversing Sirzechs and Zekram, watching as the two spoke about private matters. Since he wasn't involved meant it was more of a personal conversation then militaristic, perhaps it was both – the odd few glances the two sent towards Ryden was a slight give away but Ajuka had his mind open, albeit slightly... he never knew what the older devil of the Bael family was thinking and so far it was positive but there had been the few negatives – his eyes just for the briefest of moments crossed over to glance at Rivia Abaddon.

He shook his head briefly before relocking his gaze on Abigail

"Tomorrow most likely..." he said simply

Ryden nodded in understanding while Rivia fixed her dress slightly before nodding as well

"Good time as ever to do it" spoke Ryden as he gently stroked his beard "the quicker we take advantage of the morale, the faster and more powerful the advancing force..." he paused before looking to Ajuka again "is it just the Red legion invading?" he asked

Ajuka shook his head "One legion isn't enough to push into a major territory, the red legion will be assisted by the jade and blue legion's so to make sure we establish a foothold – it's imperative we establish as much before we plan any other offensives inland"

"What out the attack on the eastern border?" asked Nyx

"It's been handled, the majority of the forces have withdrawn while a small pocket of resistance remains; General Glasya-Labolas should be able to hold the line there until we make our break through here" replied Ajuka calmly

Nyx blinked in surprise while Rosalina slightly swallowed at the previous information provided. Powerful as she was, she never actually participated in open combat before, much less trench warfare but it seemed she had a small period of time to get her head in the game; a small glance to a calmly expressed Ryden slightly made her rapidly beating heart a moment of reprieve. It was a small thought in the back of her mind but it corrupted her none the less. Both Ryden and Rivia had already experienced their own forms of hell so the thought of combat was most likely nothing to them – while she found herself suddenly nervous.

Perhaps it was the 'wyverns in her stomach' that was getting this rise out of her, the sudden swell of anticipation, nervousness and anxiety culminated within her a sudden shiver that didn't seem like it wanted to go away and no matter how annoyed she became it didn't do anything to relieve her of the sudden nuisance. She wanted to growl at her own show of weakness and fought tooth and nail with her own nerves just to make sure Rivia Abaddon didn't see her weakness, her fear. Too little too late for that it seemed as the woman was already regarding her blankly, her gaze held with the older devil before the woman merely gestured for her to breath.

Great, now she was being treated like a child...

Rosalina suddenly found herself fuming at her own weakness, a new drive to do away with it as soon as she could...

While the Phenex devil growled lowly at her nervousness – a new profound hatred at fear – Ryden found himself suddenly flanked by a deadpanned Serafall, eyes locked on him and holding a very peculiar expression – an expression of interest and intrigue, a look one had when they believed one could understand something that no one else had.

Very descriptive observation if Ryden had to believe but her face practically screamed it.

"Hi..." Ryden said awkwardly after a moment while both Rosalina and Rivia felt a pang of shame in their pride at having their defenses breached so easily by the threat.

Serafall didn't budge from her proximity and simply held a blank expression on Ryden "I wish to speak with you after this, I have a few questions of my own that I believe you'll come to agree with" she all but demanded. Her words sounded persuasive but the tone left no room for disagreement. So much so that Ajuka piped up.

"I guess if this matter is so important then I can wait for you in my lab, no need to ignore a general upon a request" he said with such an uncaring expression Ryden believed the devil must have been heartbroken at the prospect of waiting

For a blank and arguably boring devil, he did express himself a good bit. As unorthodox as it was, he seemed to express emotions in a manner unnatural to Ryden, yet he understood the look easily – maybe he could tally the feeling to the disappointed aura that clouded Ajuka. That might be the reason.

Ryden simply nodded along, seeing no benefit in turning down a general and a woman so quickly in the time they've met, first impressions matter at this point so he really needed to sell himself to the General if he wanted to remain on the good side of her spectrum.

Ryden nearly blanked when the woman's previously deadpanned and serious expression sprouted into a smile. It wasn't beaming but it did create one hell of a contrast to the scrutinizing expression the devil had on before.

They had to be Bipolar... had to be...

"Great!" beam Serafall; positively thrilled in having the chance to converse with the devil "once this is done, I'll have you join me in my quarters so we can converse in private" once those words left her mouth Ryden swore he heard two intakes of breath – sharp and sudden – coming from both Rosalina and Rivia but when he glanced over all he saw was nothing coming from the two, no sign of issue or problem to be seen. He looked at them in confusion for a moment before turning back to Serafall – barely missing the smug expression on the petty devil – and nodded again towards her.

"I would be honored to join you General Sitri" he said, feeling slightly off at having used a formal tone for what felt like weeks. While Ryden immersed himself in the odd feeling, Serafall yet again smiled before walking casually back to her seat beside Ajuka, shooting the inventor a triumphant look, and plopped down into the seat – barely caring about the murderous looks coming from the two blondes framing Ryden.

For the second time that day, Ryden was unaware of the second declaration of war...

A couple moments passed by with an awkward feeling permeating the area, leaving Ryden to stew in the moment with not a clue as to the source of the feeling; oddly enough though, Ryden felt like the butt end of a joke – or ridicule. It reminded him of his sisters comments on his rare occasional obliviousness to the obvious that which sat before him. Turns out she was right in her observations as he really couldn't find the main source of the odd feeling and immediately tallied the reason to his sisters specialize. Considering there were five woman in the room there was the possibility of a shadow war going on, but he couldn't really know for sure.

 _Oh If he only knew..._

Whatever the feeling was, it vanished quickly when Sirzechs and Zekram broke their small conversation and returned to the main subject.

"This marks the end of the debriefing..." started Sirzechs – his eyes looking towards the analyst before he regarded the five devils before him with a small smile, eyes holding a professional degree of pride along with the other two generals "...I cannot speak of the degree of Valor that which you have all shown – all of you..." his eyes briefly met Rivia's who locked gazes with him momentarily before she slowly lowered her head in a slight bow. Sirzechs smiled gently at the action, his eyes shown with concealed guilt before he looked everyone else in the eye, the guilt having vanished within his "You honor our cause with your actions, integrity and strength and because of it... you have given all of us the opportunity to strike a decisive blow to the Old-Satan's, you have all been marked for the commendation; _The platinum Pentagram"_

"Unfortunately, we cannot hold a ceremony at this time, so we will postpone it until after the deployment" added Ajuka as he regarded everyone with a serious expression.

"For now I recommend you all get some rest, the deployment tomorrow will happen directly when the sky is darkest..." expressed Serafall as she smiled to everyone "good luck to you all... You'll need it" she added with a bit more morbid expression.

That warning fell over everyone's heads besides Ryden's...

For a brief moment, Sirzechs' expressed slight mirth when everyone but Ryden and Rivia widened their eyes at the praise and given award. Ryden wasn't at all aware of the degree of the medal, but considering the looks of awe within the eyes of the three other devils besides Rivia, spoke volumes of its meaning and value. It took him a moment but his eyes soon rose slightly in content at the feeling but it dwindled down when he considered the uncaring look in Rivia.

He glanced to her slightly but she refused to look into his eyes.

Something was wrong with the picture before him. Before it was a sharp tone directed towards Serafall and her caring nature and then it became more noticeable by the lack of respect she displayed towards the three generals and their lack of looking the devil in the eye after it. The guilt Sirzechs had within his gaze was telling enough to him that there was obviously shit under the rug and if Rivia displayed such disrespect towards the Generals of the anti-Satan forces – literally a _capital offence_ – then it was clear there was some serious beef going on.

Ryden had to deal with it before the deployment tomorrow or he'd be running around with someone with emotional baggage and possibly an agenda of some kind. It's not totally unheard of for assassination during conflict to happen among allies, nor was it strange when the person beside you suddenly snaps under the emotional stress and jumps you with a knife.

It wasn't like Rivia was that kind of person; out of all the things she's been through she still displayed a considerate heart and a passionate desire to be loyal. The target of that loyalty was now being mostly directed to him and Tiamat. Sirzechs only got a small nod at the end due to some unspoken message but it was clear that Rivia Abaddon didn't see the general as her superior and for some reason or another; was responded with understanding by all three generals present. Though Praxis Bael showed disdain for the lack of respect, he dared not confront the former Abaddon Lordess and simply regarded the devil with ZERO respect.

Praxis was not good at getting into the good books was he?

A small tinge of annoyance sprouted within Ryden when he actually noticed the Bael devil still regarding Rivia with disdain – even disgust – while Rivia didn't even register the devils existence, which honestly increased the devils negative expression to an immense degree. Ryden didn't like it; Rivia had been through enough and didn't deserve the treatment, not when it was clear to him that someone was responsible for her suffering. His eyes glanced over to Sirzechs who – after a moment – noticed his gaze and locked eyes with him, the devil sent a small smile towards Ryden at first but it vanished when Ryden merely shifted his eyes onto Praxis, his eyes being the gesture sirzechs needed, which led the high ranking devil to notice the look his commander was holding towards Rivia.

Ryden watched Sirzechs sigh at the expression on Praxis and the intended target that which it was directed to and shook his head lightly at the image before him and then relocked his gaze onto Ryden before shaking his head again in order to say 'don't worry about it'. The devils exasperated and oddly enough, disappointed expression, spoke a loud enough message to Ryden that Praxis must've been notorious for being an inconsiderate ass hat and a stickler for the rules to such a degree that it hurt to look at.

Slowly – like a blob of molten lava – Ryden felt his opinion of his commander drop below the acceptable range or even the tolerance range for that matter. It was either the devils ignorance towards what Rivia had been through or he was really just an ass beyond what Ryden could fathom.

He knew then that he'd be butting heads with this character very soon and the reason he knew this was because of the looks Praxis had sent _him_ occasionally during the debriefing. Whether it was his tone of voice or his lax mannerisms he didn't really know but he could almost feel the devils disgust directed towards him only for it to be cut down to size after a moment.

Occasional emotional flips were becoming normal for Ryden but sheer opinion flips was well into the legitimate medical issue and Praxis was diving head first into that category.

Whether he knew it or not...

Ryden got the message just fine and knew Sirzechs would do something about it, but he made sure that was the case when in response to Sirzechs' message, he directed a dead serious expression that basically said 'are you sure about that?'

Sirzechs got the message...

"This will be all for now... dismissed" called out Sirzechs after a moment

The command tent was soon rife with action upon those words. From outside came in analyst's – even the one that spewed his drink – and other officers of military importance dropped through the tents entrance, even a hand full of advisers stepped in. Ryden had gotten up by then and walked out with the others in a controlled pace – being escorted by the two praetorian leaders – and spotting a few nods and courtesy glances from the men and woman he walked passed.

It was odd to see all the devils viewing him with such degrees of respect and awe, considering the ones giving him such praise was higher in military rank then he was. He had a hard time adjusting to the praise. The others however held their own expressions as they shuffled out of the command tent. Nyx and Abigail were sporting small smiles that seemed ready to burst into full blown shit eating grins while Rosalina stone walled her emotions and merely retained her noble facade like a highly trained poker player – focused solely on making sure her image among the nobles stayed as pristine as possible.

Ryden knew full well that the harder she tried to do that, the dirtier it'll get when her image crumbles and he knew it would... it was only a matter a time, so why lie about who you are?

Ryden shook his head as he followed the devils out, closely flanked by Rivia Abaddon all the way

"Lady Abaddon... can I have a word with you please?"

Before he could fully step out of the command tent, Sirzechs' following words gave him pause, making him give a slight glance over his shoulder to see Rivia looking back to a hopeful Sirzechs, an expression of annoyance worn plainly over her face. Ryden didn't leave immediately, only stopped in the tent's entrance way and stood there, much to the relief of Rivia who turned back to Sirzechs with her annoyed expression still held strong.

They stood there momentarily until all the analysts and Advisers that had funneled into the tent grabbed what they needed before funneling back out – off to do their jobs and completely unaware of the Mexican standoff they had just been in.

Once the last adviser stepped out, Rivia opened up...

"What words will you trade with me?" she asked sharply, eyes holding nothing but an uncaring edge.

Sirzechs didn't skip a beat "The kind that pertains to your estate, your servants and your sister... they are alive" was all he said, shocking the devil mildly – indicated by the slight hitch in her throat.

Ryden didn't look at anyone else in the room but Rivia, who stood frozen before him after Sirzechs delivered the news. Ryden was glad of it, honestly speaking on his part actually he was elated to know that Rivia's sister – he didn't know she had one at first – was still around and even confirmed to be alive. It was the first bit of good news that Rivia _needed_ to hear, as it was one thing to be saved by an ancient prophetical legend of great renown but another thing entirely to learn of a family member's survival during a gut wrenching loss.

"Their alive?" muttered Rivia as she glanced down to her hand, namely to a small etching upon the woman's right wrist – its design wasn't view able by Ryden's angle but it seemed to glow a pale white. "All this time I believed my sacrifice was in vain..." she muttered while gently running her finger down her wrist – directly over the etching in her skin.

Sirzechs sat forward on his small throne like chair "They are alive because of you... what you did was beyond anything we believed possible"

Rivia's head shot up to glare at Sirzechs "No thanks on your part..." she sneered, garnering a look of surprise from Ryden and a look of guilt from the three generals.

Praxis sneered at the woman "Watch your tone _Abaddon_... were it not for the mercy of General Gremory, your sister and servants would have perished"

Rivia blinked, her eyes locking onto Praxis like a predator tasting blood in the water and from the corner of Ryden's eye... he saw Zekram wince and curse to himself at the realization in Rivia's eyes.

"From what I understand _imp,_ is that General Gremory wasn't even near my territory when it was attacked, yet your words speak of his presence?" by the end of her sentence, her words were but a violent sneer that carried such degrees of venom that Ryden wondered why Praxis still existed, he'd seen what Rivia used during the _Lucifaad_ escape, the power of... whatever it was, had completely erased the existences of all the devils before him, with the simple command of a swiped wrist. Rivia's tone and expression of anger was so prominent that it seemed like it was possible for the woman to just _will_ the destruction of anyone by glance alone and to be fair... it kinda unnerved Ryden.

Praxis hesitated at the words spoken in retort, a fumble that was noticed by the blonde woman who crinkled her nose in disgust when her suspicion was answered.

"Disgusting... are my secrets so important that you would go so far as..." she froze and immediately looked to Ryden – suddenly remembering the devil had been there the whole time.

Ryden's eyes had closed when Rivia's previous words had sunken in to him, the picture had been painted and the deep and dark political schemes of devils had been painted before him. He took in a deep breath and released it before opening his eyes to see the whole room regarding him. Serafall, Ajuka and Sirzechs looked at him with apprehension, Zekram with... was that _hope?_

His eyes glanced down from them – completely disregarded Praxis – and soon found the luxurious rug floor of the command tent his next gaze. His mind was moving so faced it nearly hurt him, leaving his normal mental speed in the dust. The first thing that came to mind was anger, not really inescapable considered that Rivia had basically been left for dead by the devils before him – or even sacrificed – for whatever secrets Rivia possessed.

Rage was the most understandable reaction he could feel at first. He wasn't exactly capable of feeling hesitance or considering the benefit of the doubt for devils, especially one that made himself the good guy; Sirzechs at first seemed like an understandable individual but with the news before him... he wasn't impressed.

And _Fulgur_ wasn't either...

However, before the others witnessed the most powerful devil present suddenly upholster the soft furnishings with his guts... Ryden's rational mind slammed into his quickly growing anger and diluted it, leaving him with a memory

 _A Geass scroll... an official note of authority that cannot be ignored and or disobeyed._

 _And recently... one had been forged... at least Ryden hoped so..._

That was an opportunity, and Ryden dearly wished that opportunity was the answer to this situation before him.

He looked up, noticing the expressions on apprehension on the devils before him – all of them sitting frozen stiff in wonder. Ryden locked eyes on Zekram Bael, the devil in question held the gaze immediately... that hopeful expression suddenly dawning brighter, albeit only to him at least.

"Are you familiar with a Geass scroll?" he asked suddenly, no honorifics; no title... just a flat question and his tone left ZERO room for lies.

Zekram nodded "yes..." he said simply

Ryden then locked onto Sirzechs, his eyes briefly conveying a _very_ clear message similar to Zekram's "On the day of lady Abaddon's attack, did you receive a Geass scroll?"

Sirzechs' eyes widened considerably at that question and for a moment Ryden noticed _relief_ in his eyes... very strange.

"Yes I did... we _all_ did" he said, Ajuka and Serafall nodded in unison upon Sirzechs elaboration

"The details..." he started before taking a deep breath and releasing it "... what were they?"

The others glanced to the other, their eyes holding a degree of understanding before all three of them summoned a small scroll into the hands. Ryden nodded at that while the three generals placed the scrolls on a suddenly summoned magic crest that floated before them – acting as a table; Ryden went to inspect one of the scrolls but froze when a fourth one was place on the table by _Zekram_ himself.

He paused before looking Zekram dead on, the devil in question merely stood before Ryden calmly, smiling knowingly

"Where did you acquire this?" asked Ryden

"I got it from Indris Phenex, he approached me on it after the medical teams released him" replied the Bael lord before regarding Ryden with a small impressed gaze "I didn't think you'd be able to make the connection boy, yet here we are..."

There was a moment of silence; the generals regarded the transition of words between Zekram and Ryden with a breath held tightly to their chests while Rivia stood before the scene in confusion, her eyes regarding Ryden with yet another change in opinion... a deeper one. Zekram noticed the confusion on Rivia before looking back at Ryden "Perhaps you should elaborate your findings... it might shed light on Lady Abaddon's poor understanding of the true culprits and the ones that caused her isolation" spoke the eldest devil, his eyes more serious then mirthful.

Ryden chewed on it for a moment before looking Rivia dead on, the woman's response to his gaze stiffened briefly at the seriousness within but she stood fast in keeping her eyes locked on his.

"They didn't wish for your fall Lady Abaddon... it was all a forgery; a lie orchestrated by traitors within the Anti-Satan forces" he revealed plainly, sighing after his message was conveyed

Rivia felt a small – yet cold – feeling over take her senses; euphoria created upon realizing that she wasn't surrounded by traitors; she blinked at the realization – the anger within them vanishing within seconds – before her eyes glanced down to the etching on her wrist, a hope being reignited at the sight. However the feeling only lasted so long before doubt crept into her mind, a habit born from her time in captivity and the long hours she'd spend thinking about the traitorous generals that had forsaken her to a hell left unexplained.

She had her questions and her doubts... and Ryden was the source in which she'd get them

"Why didn't they tell me?" she asked, her tone slightly cracking

Ryden glanced to Sirzechs, enticing him to answer instead. The man in question didn't hesitate, the answer having always been there in the first place yet only now did he have the opportunity to convey the answer. He took a deep breath in relief upon realizing that, before looking Rivia directly in the eye – far longer than he had before.

"By the time we learned of this forgery, you had already fallen into the hands of the Old-Satan's" he said solemnly

Rivia looked to him "But you –"

"—had come anyway, yes" interrupted Sirzechs, catching Rivia off guard – slightly shocking her. He smiled gently at that before looking down at the scroll on the table, his eyes holding a dangerous edge no one saw "When I had gotten the scroll I had already been on route towards the Abaddon territory when news of the attack reached me, but I..." he paused slightly, clenching his fist in shame before continuing "...Hesitated... upon receiving my orders directly from the scroll" he revealed with disgust "the orders given to me, ordered me to stay my position and forsake the Abaddon territory – saying that it had already fallen... however I ignored those orders and pressed on anyway, in order to make sure I could rescue any survivors... when I arrived I was too late, but had managed to rescue most of not all of the servants – including your sister" once his message was received, he stopped, having conveyed his side of the story perfectly. Ryden crossed his arms, a slight look of understanding dawned on him the more the canvas before him was painted.

Rivia was frozen in silent confusion and shock, her mind rolling about the many things she had once believed that now seemed to only be a fantasy built up by her unfortunate capture and subsequent torture. Ryden wouldn't deny that her torturers had a hand in forging her despair – dropping venomous and smug comments on how she had been 'left to die' by those she considered allies. It was a wound – a wound they most likely constantly forced open.

He could understand her fury... hell hath no fury after all.

Rivia glanced around the room, eyes meeting all the others briefly; drinking in their own looks of seriousness and guilt, before looking back to Ryden – the arbiter – and the one to have seen through the machinations and manipulation of the Old-Satan's ploy. Ryden could see hope within her eyes as well as confusion and doubt, he merely nodded to her in understanding of her desire of him to elaborate further – it was clear to him that Sirzechs' words weren't fully able in providing the information to the Abaddon devil.

"Before we 'jumped' to the _Lucifaad_ territory Rivia; Nyx, Abigail and I were tasked with defusing a _Ruina Imperium_ within the crucible _"_ he shrugged when the woman's eyes briefly flashed with understanding, having heard his part on that in the debriefing. He then smirked at her for no reason before continuing "long story short, we wiped out the insurgence..." then his eyes rolled " _However..._ during this time I was unaware of the fact that the Phenex family and The Stolas family had been in a... shall we say... 'Falling out'" he paused, watching the woman's eyes slightly droop into disappointment

"Let me guess..." she started, voice dripping with sheer annoyance "the foolish council saw it fit to force an arranged marriage between them?" she asked, by that time having basically drowned the devils present in her sheer disdain towards the topic. Ryden noticed the others in the room – surprisingly silent – merely took the venomous comment with a grain of salt, yet only Zekram looked mildly insulted... if even a slight wince could be branded as such.

It seemed now to Ryden, that the more she spoke, the more he was beginning to _really_ like her... ten points for her.

"Yes" was all he said in response

She face palmed at that, clearly annoyed, before glaring at the ground in a heated battle of frustration. Before she went off on a tangent however, Ryden cut in quickly to fully paint the picture – again – for the woman on the verge of rubbing her eyes out in sheer annoyance.

"While I do agree on the stupidity of the tradition, I must inform you that it wasn't an official one... rather a ploy on part of the old-Satan's" he spoke clearly, ignoring the slightly annoyed expression from Zekram Bael.

Rivia's eyes lit up at that, her posture bearing interest in his follow up "How?"

Ryden merely quirked a brow and glanced down – bent over – and picked up the Geass scroll Zekram had placed on the magic table. He unraveled it and read through it briefly – smirked when he found his target – and then read it out loud for all to hear.

" _By order of the Great king Bael, and by authority of the Council of the 72, I hereby place the grand command of_ _ **union**_ _onto the families of_ _ **Phenex**_ _and_ _ **Stolas**_ _... by my command, and by my ultimate authority, I hereby command silence onto Indris Phenex regarding this command and I bless full authority onto Lady Stolas; the marriage between Brinyalf Stolas and Rosalina Phenex is at hand, rejoice in this honor"_ Ryden paused before skipping a few lines.

" _By authority of Lady Stolas, an ultimatum has been granted. Should Lord Brinyalf claim Victory over Lord Ryden Vale Gremory during the recruitment tournament, then the marriage is sealed. However, should defeat claim the Stolas Heir, then freedom is granted to Rosalina Phenex..._ " Ryden paused before looking further down the scroll and then flipped it so Rivia could see the full signature of _Lord Zekram Bael_ on the bottom right of the scroll.

Ryden noticed the swell of anger on the devils face well before a slight swell of demonic energy filled the room. He smirked slightly when the others grew on edge by the reaction but merely shook his head towards them, defusing their nerves slightly, before his hand fell onto the woman's shoulder – catching her by surprise. Ryden smirked after meeting Rivia's annoyed golden orbs before placing the scroll into the woman's hands "It's a forgery" was all he said

Her eyes narrowed briefly at his words while her hands gripped the scroll before scrutinizing it with the harshest of glares. After a moment of intensely glaring at the scroll in her hands, her eyes locked back onto Ryden, doubt swelling clearly in her eyes. "How can you tell?"

Ryden hummed visibly and audibly, his eyes meeting the roof of the tent before they slowing glanced over to the man that had supposedly signed the forged document; Rivia followed his gaze until her eyes met a calm Zekram Bael, once she got the message her nose slightly crinkled at the sheer obviousness before her but she still clung to the doubt within her.

"How are you so sure _he_ is actually here? For all we know he could be an illusion" she suggested but Ryden merely shook his head before gesturing to the scroll in her hands

"That was on his person..." he said before shrugging when her unconvinced eyes returned to look into his. He knew she needed more valid proof, so all he did was – first sigh in slight annoyance – before reaching out towards the devil... and then pinched the air before him.

Zekram's reaction was immediate.

"Ow..." he said suddenly, his hand gripping his neck while his eyes glanced over to Ryden, annoyance being very prevalent in his eyes.

Ryden ignored that before smirking to Rivia "See?"

Rivia however kept her eyes on Ryden, her expression not even changing for a moment before she looked down to the scroll and then to Zekram. The devil in question saw the look and immediately fell into a serious expression, ignoring the sharp tick on his neck that had suddenly sprouted up when Lord Ryden pinched the air... as interested as he was in how he did that, he knew it wasn't the time.

"The Young Lord speaks the truth Lady Abaddon, we've only recently come to the realization that my signature has been replicated somehow by lady Stolas; she had been the one that had kick started the siege on the crucible and we suspect that she was the one to have forged the Geass scroll that had forsaken you" he revealed, showing a slightly angered expression at reasons relating mostly to the traitorous devil.

Ryden then lit up after his words, remembering a small point he wanted to make sure stood out for everyone "Lady Stolas was part of the council right?" he asked, Zekram nodded which caused Ryden to click his tongue "I neglected in mentioning that both Lord and lady Lucifuge had been present during the siege... the latter having been the one to take down Rosalina and indris" he suddenly revealed, garnering looks of shock from all present, even Zekram.

Serafall slightly winced "That would have been good to mention earlier..." she muttered in a slight reprehending tone... Ryden winced as well when Sirzechs and Ajuka gave him a small frown at the neglected information.

"Would it help that I current have a mild headache? One that kinda makes me forget things?" he asked, hoping his _actual_ mental fatigue was a good enough excuse

Sirzechs hummed in understanding before giving the others a small pained smile "I should also mention that his powers do often affect his mental awareness, should he use too much then it's possible he may suffer from mild memory loss"

Ajuka nodded simply at that, having already branded Ryden's mysterious power as a mental ability while Serafall simply shook off the issue – not really caring at the moment.

Zekram however grunted in slight annoyance at the slip up "Just so long as he doesn't bloody forget again" be barked before gripping his chin "It would have been nice to know that that Euclid brat had been the center of the operation, wherever that blasted child goes, something seems to sprout up" he added with a growl while Ryden merely smiled apologetically towards the political powerhouse.

Rivia then opened up, annoyed at the deviation on the subject. "Aside from that, what makes Euclid Lucifuge so important? What connection does he have with this forgery?" she asked in confusion, obviously not fully in the know of the Old-Satan's most intelligent asset.

Ryden scratched his head "Most likely the whole thing..." was all he muttered

Ajuka nodded in agreement before he snapped his finger – causing the scroll involved in the marriage proposal to suddenly appear in the devils hand. "I concur with Lord Ryden, after the events of your fall lady Abaddon; I did a bit of investigation into the making of Geass scrolls and found a few anomalies within the archives at the council" he paused before looking the scroll over, his nose crinkled for a brief second before he glanced back to the Abaddon devil "even now I still can't see the difference on the Scrolls themselves but when I investigated the source I found the system had been hacked or at least tampered with"

"At a distant location..." added Serafall, the petty devil shuffled in her throne seat before elaborating when Rivia locked eyes with her "we collaborated our resources to try and triangulate the location of the hack but its location was erratic; changing locations every second to flash freezing our systems the next... we just couldn't find the culprit" she explained

"However..." she added in, a small smirk of pride welling up onto her lips "my analysts did some digging into intelligence specialist's within the Dantalion nexus and learned that only two beings could create such electorate formulas and counter offenses at such speed and range, given the resources of course. The two beings listed within the nexus were Ajuka Astaroth... and one _Euclid Lucifuge_ ; a prodigy in self replicating magic formulas and revolutionizing warfare to a terrifying degree. We knew then that it was him when we found out that he logged in multiple magic crests into the Dantalion Nexus pertaining to invention and creative foundation spells prior to the rise if the Civil war" her words garnered a small expression of understanding on Rivia but her doubt was still there.

"If you knew this... then how come no one knew of the arranged marriage?" asked Rivia, her eyebrow quirked in wonder at the _second_ slip up on their end. If they had known this before the crucible match then the attack wouldn't have happened.

"We didn't..." replied Sirzechs "We had no idea the marriage between the Stolas family and the Phenex family was forged by command of Geass scroll; as the scroll itself implies, Indris had been silenced – meaning he couldn't tell anyone about the full specifics on the marriage and discuss the matter with anyone. He'd been silenced completely and because lady Stolas was the traitor within our ranks, all she had to do was play the tune Euclid had written up and that had been easy... until the match of course" once he finished, Sirzechs tossed a small smirk to Ryden

Ryden smirked to himself at that. It was a good thing he had been present during this time or else many things wouldn't have happened or _would_ have happened, had he not been present. Sure Nyx and Abigail would have been capable of reaching the _Ruina imperium_ but he'd been the only one to defuse it – without him the Bael territory would be in ruins. Rosalina and indris would have been annexed by the Old-Satan's, suffering a fate he didn't want to think about and Rivia... well... he didn't want to think on that either.

He slightly bristled at the mental topic but dropped it in order to try and keep him from thinking about the 'what ifs' and what could have been. At the end of the day, Rivia was alive and well, the Anti-Satan's weren't the political assholes he thought they were, Rosalina was free of any arrange marriages and all five of them were getting medals of some esteem after giving the Old-Satan's the most brutal retaliatory strike ever recorded in military history.

Whatever that was in the end... it was damn good day in his book.

Ryden sighed to himself while Rivia stood before him, eyeing the three generals and Zekram with a slightly unreadable expression, her eyes then glanced down towards the many scrolls on the table – the faked orders forged by the manipulative Old-Satan's sat there – for the most part the flimsy scrolls of slightly high grade match paper seemed harmless to her now but previously they had been the very items that had been her downfall – or in this case 'would' have been her downfall. The whole time of her capture she had believed herself to be totally alone in the world – left for dead by her allies to a fate worse than death itself. She had moments when her mind kept telling her that her sister was killed at the hands of Old-Satan's and that her valiant defense of her retreating servants – while an heroic deed – only served to deepen her despair the more she thought on the possibilities that maybe, they didn't make it.

Her secrets... her family... and her legacy

Gone...

But now... now she stood strong. After three months of wallowing in despair and pain, she now stood before the ones she had assumed her enemies; now learning that they had all been innocent this whole time. The weight that started to lie on her shoulders grew stronger when she remembered the words of Sirzechs, and her sister's survival by his hands – her servants as well had survived. She didn't know it then but her eyes burned with raw emotion; it was one thing to survive a grueling period but another to know that the pain and despair... weren't in vain.

"I..." she croaked out, voice failing "I..." she tried again but still her voice failed her

A small source of warmth fell onto her shoulder, stopping her words and garnering her to turn and see a kind smile on Ryden, his eyes carrying a degree of understanding that Rivia clung to like a life line and small spark that she felt she desperately needed. He had been the one to open her door to freedom, had saved her on the brink of her ultimate despair and had been a small source of comfort in her silent moments of weakness. She barely knew the devil before her, but it felt almost like she knew more about him then she would ever realize. His understanding was familiar – like a kindred spirit – and his passion in seeing to her health was... saint like...

She couldn't stand to be seen by him in this state of hers, she refused to shame herself before him by expressing such fragile emotions... never again.

"Forgive me... but I..." her words only got half way out before she froze. A mad blush sprouted upon her due to the sheer weakness in her own voice and upon realizing this she summon a portal and vanished within the black mass unceremoniously, leaving the room silent for a moment.

A shocked Ryden blinked at the space in which the main subject of the conversation had been standing, he blinked again and then glanced to the devils before him in confusion... all of them blinking in similar confusion at the rather speedy retreat by the Abaddon devil.

Ryden clicked his tongue "well... safe to say we fixed that issue, huh?" he asked plainly

Serafall nodded along with Sirzechs "Seems that way..." muttered the petty devil

Ajuka however took the moment in stride and easily disregarded the emotional retreat by Rivia like it was a normal occurrence and regarded Ryden with clear interest "aside from our friend's departure, I would like to ask you how you came up with your realization – how did you figure the orders were fake?" he asked, easily the most interested in Ryden's deduction skills

Quiet honestly Ryden was surprised it had been such a sticking point for Ajuka, he honestly believed the answer was more obvious then what the subject before him was. On two separate occasions, fake Geass scrolls were distributed and while the first distribution succeeded – for the most part – the second one was more behind the scenes then openly noticed. The Anti-Satan forces had been aware of the forgery of Zekram's signature but they couldn't follow up on who it was until later on, but by that point the damage had already been done.

The Old-Satan's took a risk by trying the same trick twice and it didn't pay off, maybe it would have, had Ryden not been a part of the Gauntlet, but he was. It was clear the Old-Satan's and lady Stolas didn't do their homework on him, or maybe they had but didn't consider the possibility of him possessing far greater power then Brinyalf... not really a big accomplishment but then again, Ryden had been the one to garner the presence of the high-class devils within the gauntlet – had he not been their then Rosalina might not have gotten her Ultimatum.

Ryden wanted to snicker at that bit. It was funny to him how easily he had used the devil's own pride against them – unintentionally no less – and foiled the decade long plans of a woman with more ambition then brains. And now that he thought on that, it was no wonder Abigail's 'headshot' was so clean... there was nothing there to begin with.

Oof

He mulled over Ajuka's question for a moment, his hand scratching his chin momentarily before he nodded at a collected answer "It was more obvious to me..." he started, squinting slight at the ground and then looking up to Zekram "same reason I gave Rivia; The main culprit – if he actually was the culprit – would be Zekram himself, but considering he's present only suggests forgery, which is confirmed by the presences of his signature on all four scrolls"

Ajuka nodded at that, slightly miffed with himself for no reason that could be classified as 'rightful'. It was the intelligent devils habit of competing when it took someone else – other than himself – to figure out an issue faster than he could. His only excuse for himself right now was that while Ryden had figured out the issue on the forgery's, it was mainly due to the fact that he had more evidence provided before him then Ajuka – who had to dig around in order to come up with the evidence Ryden had used to forge his answer... simple, and he was the one to have provided that information along with the assistance of Serafall's analysts.

Ajuka mentally patted himself on the back, trying to ignore the slight disappointment within himself...

"Now all we need to do is figure out who or what had managed to get into the system within the archives and access the signature records" commented Sirzechs, his eyes skimming over the scroll indris had received.

Ryden didn't skip a beat "it was an internal hack from within by lady Stolas" he provided casually. The others merely paused and glanced to Ryden, slightly taken off track by the sheer confidence Ryden exuded from his theory – Ryden noticed the stares and merely blinked "what?"

Serafall deadpanned "how would you know for sure?"

Ryden shrugged "I don't, but I do know that it's the easiest way to acquire classified information with the smallest risks; why risk the possibility of hacking into what I can only assume to be top grade protection Sigils from general Astaroth at long range?" he asked before shrugging again at his own comment "Only an idiot would try that. I'm pretty sure the archives is swamped with defenses and contingencies on all fronts so the best chance someone has is actually the easiest"

Ajuka's eyes rose to meet Ryden's slightly knowing smirk, an understanding dawning on his face at where Ryden's point was leading to. "Lady Stolas..." he muttered, making Ryden's smirk grow just a tad bit larger "... she had access to the archives data from the get go" his hand reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose why Sirzechs hummed at the answer before him.

"That seems more plausible then some kind of advanced hacking sigil" muttered the crimson general

Ryden shrugged again "could've been both..."

Sirzechs glanced to him in wonder again, a deadpanned expression laden on his face as he regarded the human flatly "I'd ask again for you to explain but I fear it would be something obvious... and I fear that it may affect general Astaroth's confidence" for a moment Ryden watched Ajuka shoot a slight glare at the suddenly smirking Sirzechs before sighing out loud... exasperated.

"Well... Lady Stolas didn't strike me as the kind who knew what to look for" Ryden commented, garnering a slight snicker from the silent Zekram Bael. He regarded the devil for a second before continuing "so... maybe she simply brought in an item specifically tasked with hacking; seems much better than relying on a magic sigil as there are too many liabilities in using that. She could have been compromised by magic signatures and possible detection the second a breach is noticed; considering the stakes and the years of preparation for this plan to take fold, they needed to make sure there was no possible way of detection" for the fourth time Ryden shrugged at his words "seems smarter to use a less noticeable item of some kind then risk a sigil"

Once his reasoning was complete a moment of silence descended upon the occupants within the room, Zekram was merely looking at Ryden before shifting his eyes onto Sirzechs for some reason before clicking his tongue while Serafall kept muttering something under her breath; something along the lines of: 'want him' 'need him'... Whatever the petty devil was saying, it slightly unnerved Ryden when the words matched eerily close to the gaze the woman was driving his way and for some reason he felt oddly... 'Unprotected' at the moment; a slight feeling that he was missing something or _someone_ – preferably two people – at his side.

In a rare moment of denseness he couldn't figure out the feeling and merely chocked that up to some innocuous reason he could simply ignore.

Ajuka on the other hand was looking at him with a slightly narrowed gaze, a _knowing_ gaze to be more precise and with every second his eyes remained on him, he felt like he was being put through a CAT scanner set to maximum... it was deeply uncomfortable.

Sirzechs as well... same gaze...

"What?"

The two devils remained silent before the glanced to each other and nodded

Sirzechs locked eyes with Ryden "General Astaroth and I wish to have a conversation with you... privately" was all he said before the two stood up and filed out the tent entrance.

Ryden blinked, Serafall blinked... Zekram Blinked...

Ryden pinched the bridge of his nose "It's like Rivia all over again..." he said before standing up – arms tossed into the air in exasperation "... everyone is just leaving at random" he said with mild annoyance.

He sighed, bowed to the three remaining devils within the room – mildly taking noticed of Praxis still being present – tossed a small apologetic smile to a pouting Serafall and then filed out the tent in order to follow the two strangely silent devils.

Once he was gone though, Zekram released a loud bellowing laugh, shocking both Serafall and Praxis to the core at the sheer genuine nature of it. They both knew the devil was a serious player and a very dangerous enemy in the political field, so dangerous that it even scared the four Generals to a moderate degree. However, to see the normally stoic or often sarcastic devil openly shed humored tears for no reason to their understanding, easily made grasping reality a priority... a laughing Zekram didn't exist in their world, it wasn't normal.

The aforementioned devil released a calming breath when his bought of humor ceased enough for his words to finally escape him "Not once have I witnessed such a devil in my long years..." he breathed out, a content smile adoring his lips as he merely stared at the exit of the tent "... not only does that devil possess great power – like his brother – he also has the smarts to make Ajuka Astaroth feel the need to get competitive, HA!... I never thought I'd see that devil think so much in one time!"

As the older devil laminated, Serafall sat slightly wide eyed at the sheer praise radiating off of Zekram. In her own thoughts she expected to be victim of a long winded bitch fit from the elder devil – she didn't know much about Zekram but he gave off the classic 'old man vibe' and seemed a few choice words away from whining about the old days and respect... this was completely different.

He wasn't like the older nobleman she had been surrounded by... he sounded like an ancient Devil

And they respected power like no other...

Praxis however didn't understand his ancestor's words; quite frankly he disagreed with them completely. He was not willing to admit the disrespectful brat that was Ryden Vale Gremory fully understood who he was talking to and throughout the whole debriefing and the event after, it took all his energy to not give the devil a verbal thrashing... but Sirzechs was present... and considering what happened the last time he opened his mouth about the devil in question, he got the biggest verbal thrashing he'd ever gotten.

General Gremory wasn't well known in giving lessons about respect, but he practically ordered the devil to give Ryden the respect he had suffered for and for the most part, Praxis did. To be the one among five devils to destroy an ancient city like _Lucifaad_ was beyond what he could expect out of his soldiers... But character always changes opinion, and the younger Gremory wasn't a good character in Praxis' book, good soldier? Yes, no doubt but he feared the attitude the Gremory had towards his superiors would most likely be a problem...

...And he _hated_ problems

"With all due respect Ancestor, lord Ryden displayed nothing but disrespect towards you and the other Generals; can he truly be as prodigal as you think?" reasoned Praxis

Zekram actually sneered momentarily before clicking his tongue "Respect had no part in his actions... they didn't need to be" he replied simply

Serafall perked a brow "how so?"

Zekram merely shrugged "respect is only earned, not given just because you got a fancy family name..." he answered, flooring the two devils by his clear disdain toward the most noticeable devil tradition – they didn't expect that opinion from him at all.

"A-ancestor!" stuttered Praxis, his eyes wide at the words spoken by his ancestor "do you not care for his negligence towards your authority? You are the Great King, by law it is required by all to respect the authority of –"

"Political power means nothing towards someone that has absolute power..." interrupted Zekram, coldly shooting down the words from his descendant; he clicked his tongue again before grunting under his breath "harshly spoken words and lethal threats only paint targets for the ones with power... you don't threaten someone's life without taking a few hits in response, that's been the way of hell since its creation eons ago"

Praxis swallowed a lump that had found its place in his throat "you don't mean...?"

Zekram only smirked darkly towards the two devils "You felt it didn't you...?"

The suddenly darker tone coming from Zekram quickly caused Praxis and Serafall to halt their raging thoughts, a cold sweat slowly taking them over when the older devil actually _shivered_ when a fond memory passed him by. The slightly fearful yet nostalgic smile that took Zekram over only sparked confusion within the two devils while the devil in question merely hummed in content.

"I remember the day we allied with the angels and the fallen... the day the _dragons_ made our battlefield their own battle ground for their own squabble. It was such a magnificent sight to behold – terrifying to be sure – but the devils of old always respected power over silver laced words" he paused in his reminiscing and shot Praxis a casual glance "contrary to common belief, we didn't follow Lucifer because of his words alone... no... He was the best of us because he had the power _and_ the intelligence to make the factors of a born leader... truly the finest work of god, tsk... failure as he was" he gently chuckled morbidly at his casual shot at God before falling back into his memory.

"On that day I was only a lowly commander, a peon among the demons, but I got my fair share of combat, however nothing prepared me for the day I had to bath in _that_ powerful aura... it dwarfed Lucifer's by miles, and caked the battlefield in this commanding aura that order submission... Ddraig was his name – the heavenly dragon of domination – _power_ incarnate..." for the first time in a hundred years, Zekram's eyes shown purple in delight – again shocking the two visibly. "Ryden Vale Gremory feels _very_ familiar to that dragon... the whole time I felt like I was sitting before _Bael_ again – a commanding figure – a true being worthy of _my_ respect" he revealed, eyes slowly dwindling down to normal.

The others didn't really know what to say, this feeling Zekram spoke of never reached them as the only thing they saw in Ryden was a kindness unprecedented among devils, yet for some reason the older devil had noticed an undertone that they hadn't? Serafall was exceptional in demonic energy detection – same as Praxis – yet they felt nothing and it was clear to the older devil that they had failed to notice what he had felt...

He chuckled to himself mirthlessly, more frustrated than pleased by the younger generation.

"I didn't expect you to understand, you both never lived under the weight and shadow of the old demons, nor did you fight beside them – experience the beauty in annihilation with them beside you – and because of that you never developed the instinct to detect and recognize power when it stands before you" he said before scoffing "whether it be a mask of kindness or a shroud of malevolence – it matters not in the end"

Serafall swallowed – standing from her throne "Lord Ryden couldn't be what you think he is – he is Sirzechs' kid brother, not a demon of old" she tried to reason but immediately knew her words garnered no change in Zekram's opinion, the devil merely shrugging in response to her words – it was a dodging shrug, not one linked to confusion but rather indifference.

"Believe what you wish General Sitri but be warned..." he said, smirking slightly "... always be aware of the details... it is where the devil is after all"

His word of warning was heard by both devils present, both of them understanding the words clearly, but for Serafall she found herself not agreeing with the apprehension coming from the oldest devil, With both that and the seemingly endless words of praise towards Ryden, created a very ominous image surrounding the hero of the crucible. While she was the youngest general among the others, she was still vastly competent then the rest, so in the end she refused to believe that her earlier assessment on Ryden was misinterpreted – that she had neglected to see the devil within the details.

This was the crux of her frustration, so much so that she excused herself from the command tent in order to clear her mind and gather everything she could on Ryden Vale Gremory.

She just hoped that the devil wasn't what Zekram was painting him to be...

* * *

Ryden sighed – loudly – while leaning on the back of a brick wall closest to where Sirzechs and Ajuka had disappeared to. He remembered where they vanished but had to stop his tailing in order to staunch the literal automatic fire coming from his nose.

Eight times... he sneezed eight times in a row...

He crinkled his brow, annoyed at the sudden development of what he assumed to be allergies before sniffling and continuing on his trek towards where the two generals vanished. He never sneezed this much in his life and he damn well doubted the cause was because someone was talking about him extensively. Word about him and his – what he now considered 'friends' – accomplishment hadn't gotten around as of yet as it had only been a couple hours since they dipped back into the Bael territory, so it wasn't possible for everyone to know about it yet. He was confirmed in his mental reasoning when he passed a small collection of female lancers and Knights – all of them giving him very open looks of interest – before they carried on about their business when he didn't dive in to mingle with them. Sure he was known, by looks and face right now, but he hadn't been bum rushed by the literal hundreds of other lancers, knights and initiate's scattered around the large fielding area that had been set up a few blocks from the crucible.

That and no one was proclaiming him as a hero while tossing him up in the air followed by a chorus of 'hip-hip hooray'... was that too cliche?

Whatever the case, he wasn't inconvenience on his trip to where Sirzechs and Ajuka disappeared to and by that he actually meant that it wasn't hard to find out _where_ they went. Among the several tents of varies sizes stood something that really wasn't a tent at all. It bared the markings of the Astaroth sigil – an 'A' within intricate markings of some satanic meaning – and was black in color, surprisingly. No green was dominating the building before him, only slight decals of emerald green and jaded glows of some kind of energy shone within a few creases within the outer walls; considering the general that it was owned to, Ryden expected the damn thing to look like a green lunch box.

It was like an F.O.B – Forward operating base. Small, roughly the size of a medium sized condo apartment and a couple stories tall, maybe two and possessed only one window which was tinted enough to look more like a slightly shinier portion of the dark black coating outside and faced towards the large majority of tents and buildings. Ryden stood rooted momentarily; drinking in the sight of the rather futuristic designed building before suddenly shaking his head and approached the side door – which _slide_ open upon his proximity – a small green sigil having lit up just above the door upon his approach.

He quirked a brow at the feature, did the system within possess a selective targeting system?

...or was he over-analyzing things?

Once Ryden stepped inside he made sure the two devils he was searching for were there – they were – before suddenly feeling like he stepped through a time warp. He couldn't really word it, the interior of the building, or whatever it was, was almost exactly like a prop from a _star wars_ movie – arguably more modern then the older ones – and was dominated in a white polished color, accented in varies spots by softly glowing green sigils and light sources – a complete change from what was outside. Directly in the center of the room stood a massive rectangular table that sported varies sigils and holographic formula's that took multiple shapes and features, some even possessing small oddities within them, which ranged from plant life to inorganic matter. Small vial's and scientific items scattered the table in an organised clutter and once Ryden approached the two silently conversing devils he noticed the table surface itself was more like a giant TV screen laid flat like a massive OPSAT station – 'Operational satellite up link' – and was fixed with hundreds of complicated formula and mathematics equations.

"Well shit..." he found himself muttering while making absolutely sure he didn't touch anything. Once his words left his lips he heard the two devils slightly chuckle at his choice of words.

"You're not familiar with this are you?" asked Ajuka with an amused glint in his eye

Ryden nodded his head "No, I'm not familiar with seeing – what I had assumed to be – a technologically underdeveloped species _actually_ possessing advanced technology" he countered, garnering Ajuka's amused glint to slightly plummet. Ryden ignored the look before glancing off to varying items and images displayed before him – nodding as he did so. "You got holographic displays on multiple mathematic formulas regarding what I assume to be _relativity_... that's pretty neat. You have perfectly designed 3 dimensional displays on geometric maps that span a few thousand miles in all direction on – Again, what I assume to be – your OPSAT computer... or whatever term you guys created" after his list was done he crossed his arms and nodded contently to himself before turning back to the two now stunned devils.

He sighed at their confusion "...What?" he drawled out, annoyed by their continued shock at his show of intelligence.

Ajuka went to say something but caught himself. Sirzechs wanted to say something but seemed more likely to drool out his brain then ask what Ryden knew was his question. He wanted to answer them but fought the desire, it was pointless to divulge his knowledge on his observational skills and knowledge on mathematic equations – it wasn't really hard for him to spot a Seismic Tomography scanner either.

His dad was an engineer of sorts after all.

Sirzechs shook his head in order to rid himself of his confusion while Ajuka merely pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance with himself.

"I take it back..." started Ajuka before he locked eyes with Ryden "...You are very much familiar with this"

Ryden shook his head though "In a sense I am; but I'm sure my knowledge on some things is more limited in the more advanced criteria's because of the lack of _magic_ in my time... I'm sure if my people had a grasp on magic's existence then we would have already colonized a few planets by now" he replied before scoffing, he really wanted that to happen but it seemed like a distant dream with how his species was feeling.

Ajuka's eyes bulged "Colonize... planets..." he repeated in shock.

Sirzechs shook his head at the topic, clearly not believing "That's not possible; the lack of demonic energy on those derelict rocks can't support devil life" he shot down with a shake of his head.

Ryden merely snickered at that, knowing full well the history before dropping the subject "Right... anyways, you guys wanted to talk to me about something?"

Both Ajuka and Sirzechs nodded at his question, following Ryden's train of thought quickly before they fell into action. Sirzechs didn't do anything but gesture to the table before Ryden which lit up when Ajuka tapped the screen – suddenly revealing the display of _something_ of great importance.

"What's this?" he asked with a simple gesture of his hand.

Before him floated the image of a 'T' shaped item of some kind of importance, its make was simplistic in design but arguably supernatural in its entirety. The center portion of the item shown with a green energy with the holographic display showing the item itself was also shrouded in some kind of energy – once his eyes locked onto the shroud, a readout popped up which listed the shield as [immune to conventional means: further investigation required] before vanishing when his eyes turned to look at the two general's now standing to his right.

Sirzechs grunted in response to the question, his eyes locking onto the displayed image "A key – derived from the Dantalion nexus – it's called the 'Omni-key' due to its supposed ability to unlock all locked sigils by a mere touch" he revealed plainly

Ryden quirked a brow "That's kinda foreboding to think about but what's this gotta do with me?"

Ajuka tapped his chin in contemplation "You mentioned the concept of using a physical item in order to access highly classified information without triggering fail safes. We happened to have come across this topic in one of the few classified documents we acquired in our siege on _Leviathia_ "

Hearing that Ryden quickly pinched the bridge of his nose in sudden annoyance, garnering apprehensive looks from the two generals

Sirzechs leaned forward "You've heard of it?" he asked quickly

Ryden tittered his head "I have, yet I haven't – I'm not sure, but I bloody hate myself for forgetting this... _again_ " he replied before pulling the manila folder he acquired from the prisoner carriage back in _Lucifaad_. "Found this in a carriage that had been escorting Rivia Abaddon to the capital city, it's got contents regarding HVT targets... _"_ he paused before regarding the two devils with a deadpanned expression "All female targets, take a guess as to what those lonely virgins are planning?" he asked with an annoyed glint in his eye.

Ajuka grunted audibly "Nothing I'd repeat in good company..."

Sirzechs nodded, eyes shimmering with clear disgust "I can only imagine..."

Ryden smirked at their knowing gazes before placing the folder on the table and sliding it over to Sirzechs "not sure what you guys were thinking but I thought they were planning a panty raid party... "He shrugged "sounds funnier, less creepy – well... you get the idea"

Sirzechs grunted in slight amusement to Ryden's comedic outlook before handing the pages to Ajuka, already seeing that reading it now was pointless considering the degree of black ink.

"I also came across a project or operation further deeper in the folder, it spoke in regards to an **_operation: Revenant_**... ring any bells?"

Sirzechs nodded "Somewhat, but we need to be sure we have all the chips placed in the right area or we'll only ruin our chances in disrupting whatever they are planning" replied the crimson devil who simply glanced over to Ajuka.

Ajuka said nothing in regards to the look Sirzechs gave him; merely taking the folder and stepped off towards a device that resembled a microscope in the far right corner of the room. He placed it on the glass pedestal at the base of the microscope before an array of formulas sprouted from the microscopes 'muzzle', soon after that a beam shot down onto the pages, slight shows of smoke rising from the pages signified something intricate was at play.

"You seem tired..." called out Sirzechs, catching Ryden off guard slightly when the crimson devil was spotted standing beside him

Ryden nodded slowly, eyes feeling slightly heavier by words spoken which actually forced a yawn from him "Seems that way..." he said after his yawn, eyes blinking the blurs away while he regarded the table before him distantly "I didn't expect my first day playing with your team to be this... _hectic_. But I guess the pay off was worth it" he replied with a small smirk, eyes meeting Sirzechs'.

The devil simply chuckled before turning and leaning slightly on the large computer table beside Ryden "Still gives me slight chills when I remember what you said over the Comm sigil" commented Sirzechs

"What was that?"

"' _Give the old Satan's back their bomb'_..." he said before smirking at the quote, Ryden gave a small 'ah' in understanding. Sirzechs hummed to himself contently, suddenly showing a side of reflection rather than his usual stoic professionalism "never would have thought those words would have led us to this moment" he paused before locking eyes with the wall ahead of him "...Only time will tell how far we'll make it in this war..."

"You should enjoy it..." replied Ryden, making Sirzechs glance to him in slight shock.

"What do you mean enjoy it? Enjoying the bloodshed of my people isn't something I relish" shot back Sirzechs, clearly not liking Ryden's comment.

Ryden merely raised his hands in surrender "fair enough... I guess opinions differ from grunt to General; while all I got to do is follow orders and kill my enemies, you guys got more on your shoulders then I can fathom... but still..."

"Why would I enjoy it?" Sirzechs suddenly asked, clearly not understanding Ryden's previous words

Ryden nodded before he locked gazes with the wall before himself, but this time his eyes glanced out the window before him – catching sight of the many devils moving about outside. Many of them appeared content, even resolute at the sudden distribution of orders regarding tomorrow's deployment. Ryden studied them closely and from his observation they all appeared, sheltered in a way... untouched by the ungrateful and merciless hand of despair.

 _Unaware of how much they could loss with a snap of a finger..._

Life had a way of creating periods of peaceful solace, even before times of great loss and death there would always be a period of peace, tranquility and acceptance and it was clear to him that the devils before him were experiencing that very feeling. Morale was a double edged sword, he knew that, but it was hard to recognize when it was your time to feel it and it blinded you to the reality of what was to come.

...many called it _'the calm before the storm'_

"I saw her you know..." started Ryden suddenly before he looked the devil in the eye "I say Rivia Abaddon at her weakest; the wounds, the blood and the despair in her eyes... I hated it" Ryden suddenly looked down to his hand, clenched tightly and arcing with red sparks – customary reaction when his anger spiked.

"The look in her eyes shown with acceptance... Sirzechs her entire _being_ was already accepting of the fate those bastards orchestrated" very briefly his eyes flashed crimson upon remembering the expression on Rivia – The image causing him to grow cold.

"What happened to her was monstrous; unacceptable and the fate that would have awaited her would have only destined the fates of her killers" spoke Sirzechs

"It shouldn't have come to that in the first place..." replied Ryden, a small frown etched on his brow

Sirzechs only nodded "We are aware of that... the four of us – including Zekram – have come to the conclusion that the Geass scrolls have been compromised, so we have implemented the idea to the council... won't be long before they announce the disposal of the act"

"Regardless of your action's and contingencies and whether you agree or not; I will enjoy taking from them..." he said before looking Sirzechs in the eye again, the blue orbs slightly overshadowed by a crimson hue "the damage they've done is irredeemable, not just to me, but to everyone that has actually lost their lives to them, their despair and anguish snuffed out silently – gone without anyone to hear them but the ones that laugh at their pain" Ryden flexed his hand, hearing the few cracks from his knuckles before stifling a shuttering breath – the memories coming back to him slightly "I'll start one by one... the Lucifuge family, the four descendants, the history they own and the foundations on which they sit upon... everything. The only problem however, is that I only get to do it once"

Sirzechs simply sat there, leaning against the table while listening to the human before him repeat his vows. His mind played on repeat the same thought and feeling he had when Ryden had taken the bomb to _Lucifaad_ ; 'pity' being the central aspect of that very thought and now it had come to him again, the feeling that he had unleashed something terrible upon the denizens of the Old-Satan forces; That feeling now however, caused the same reaction when it first appeared, _pleasure –_ a sense of Euphoria – a small feeling that made him believe that whatever Ryden did, somehow extended to him in return. Sirzechs understood the words now, _to enjoy it._ It may have been because he was a leader and great leader's factor in everything; morale and reputation being the key two aspects in leadership. Happy soldiers that faught under the command of a strong and compassionate leader always led to victory and never to self orchestrated defeat – no general that is hated lives long enough to see the end of a conflict and no one sheds blood for a tyrant willingly. With leadership however, comes a price and that price is personal pleasures – pleasures of the flesh was out of the question, he wasn't like the Generals of old – but he was similar to them. Back before his rise into leadership, he had been something of a 'war hero', but that term was loose when it came to devils. Angels regarded their hero's as 'The blessed honored' while the fallen regarded theirs with great praise and bountiful prizes. Devils however, regarded theirs the same way one would address an apex predator, arch-demon... or primeval.

He didn't possess the title of ' _Ruina Nex'_ for nothing...

That title... bared a steep price.

During this time and era, Sirzechs wasn't raised to be compassionate and caring of others but rather to be brutal, violent, and bloodthirsty and to show zero mercy towards his enemies, be it angel or fallen; nothing would or _should_ have stood before him. His mother had berated him when he sold his freedom to the demon Gremory but she had known that running from the demons would only ended horribly, both for him and for her. Thankfully though, his father had been the pillar his mother had needed; Zeoticus having bared the title of prince among the Gremory family had been the boon for both him and his mother which had set him up quite nicely when he had been drafted into Gremory's legion... all that time after, built up his view on power and hate, it was a darker period in his life but it had been the experience that which had forged him, into the devil he was today... It just seemed now that some old habits still remained.

That bloodlust was still there... having only been tempered down into a calm fury.

Soon after his little trip down memory lane, Sirzechs only nodded before placing a hand on Ryden's shoulder, a small smirk playing on his lips when the human regarded him plainly "I guess we are not so different after all..." commented the devil

Ryden blinked – offhandedly glancing to the hand on his shoulder – before regarding the devil with confusion "How so?"

"We both possess a form of darkness within us..."

.

.

.

Ryden's eyes rose slightly in befuddlement before he coughed into his hand, the slight looks of disgust plainly worn on his features "imma keep it real with you chief, but _that..._ that was cheesy" he said bluntly, flooring Sirzechs with his reply "Take a little of that edge off next time"

Sirzechs stood there momentarily, eyes blinking at Ryden's change in tone before he started mulling over his comment. Slowly, Sirzechs started to nod, his hand meeting the bridge of his nose with a clear sign of resigned annoyance "Aye... I guess it was a bit cheesy"

"Could have just said that we both have issues"

"Pff, you're the one with issues..."

"Ha! Whatever you say you demonic sociopath"

"At least I wasn't the one openly mouthing my deepest desires"

Ryden shrugged "Seemed to fit the moment, sounded cool"

Sirzechs scoffed "It sounded cheesy..."

"Not as cheesy as yours... that's some next level shit right there" Ryden countered with a small chuckle

"Are you both done?" very quickly both Ryden and Sirzechs nearly jumped from their skin when Ajuka seemingly appeared between them, regarding them both with a peculiar deadpan, conveying a unique mix of interest and disinterest so perfectly balanced he looked emotionless. Ryden had to get this devil a piece of pie or something, anything to get a measure on the emotional range the devil was capable of because what he saw only spoke of one love... and that was of invention; everything else matter little else.

So many messages... so little an expression

Sirzechs coughed into his hand before taking the presented document folder from Ajuka, a small nod of thanks in appreciation before he dropped the conversation of banter match against Ryden all together. With no words Sirzechs dived straight into the documents and its contents with gusto.

After a moment of reading – both Ajuka and Ryden simply standing by and waiting awkwardly – before the crimson devil dropped the document down on the holographic table

"Well..." he started with a small sigh "...this answers more than I expected" he muttered.

Ajuka and Ryden met glances, Ryden sporting a much larger degree of confusion then the latter before Sirzechs elaborated on his findings

"The document mentions troop movements towards the cities of _Ashfeld_ and the _necropolis_ as well as increases on border security from both the major capitals like _Lucifaad._ However we both know what happened to that" his words garnered a small smirk from Ryden before he continued on "It also mentions this operation called ' _R_ _evenant'_ multiple times but the crux of the topic is actually led to the territory of Malphes which honestly makes no sense to me"

"Malphes is where I landed upon my initial arrival here in hell; you said afterwards that it was caked with an energy you don't fully understand – maybe it's actually useful" reasoned Ryden but Sirzechs shook his head

"Not possible, the energy there is toxic beyond the term; I lost two knights to the mist within the second they touched it and they both wore protective suits – whatever it is doesn't like _life_ very much" replied Sirzechs shortly, not at all liking the memory.

Ryden's brow rose at the mention of life being lost while Ajuka hummed at the reply before regarding the image of the Omni-key with an idea folding open in his head "I skimmed over the documents a little and I noticed it mention the Omni-key so I think they will try and use it to _lock_ away the mist's natural toxicity; dilute this toxic effect to a more stable and less volatile state" he said, Ryden found himself considering the idea himself.

Sirzechs simply shook his head, his eyes wielding doubt. "That's a big 'what if' on their part. Even the protective gear my knights wore was corroded down into simmering embers and that was _Dragonite_ metal plating. Why would they think some simple stick made out of black iron and terranite metal could beat what dragonite couldn't?"

Ajuka rose his hands in surrender at Sirzechs' words "Just a guess, the Omni-key is capable of diluting magic energy to near uselessness for as long as the key is present, I was only hypothesizing the idea"

By the sounds of it, Ryden figured this key could do some pretty impressive things if a genius like Ajuka was considering it to be a useful item to dilute a killing mist – that just kinda seemed unrealistic but then again... a key that can unlock anything was unrealistic as well... guess he had to start considering everything when it came to the supernatural. His eyes blinked away his skepticism before they glanced up to Sirzechs and Ajuka "By listening to you guys, I'm assuming we don't possess this Omni-key?" asked Ryden and immediately upon asking a slight deadpan over took his eyes when Sirzechs shook his head at his question.

"You are correct... they managed to destroy the original one many years ago and created a perfect copy from its stolen blueprints during a riot some couple decades age" he informed

Ryden's brow quirked at that "That seems impossible to accomplish, considering its ownership is to the Dantalion family; I highly doubt creating something like an Omni-key would be easy – if I'm factoring in its capability right then mimicking the concept should be near impossible" Sirzechs lightly smirked at his reasoning but it was clear Ryden didn't know the full picture.

"That may be so, but if one controlled the mines and refineries within the _territory of thorns,_ they would control the rare resources within. Remaking something such as an Omni-key is relatively easy in that case; they have the blue print and the resources to make them and I believe _Euclid Lucifuge_ had a hand in its creation" replied Sirzechs.

Ryden rubbed his chin "if that's the case, is it possible there could be multiple Omni-key's running around? This Omni-key you speak of would've been the perfect item to use for an infiltration job – or an inside job really"

Ajuka's brow flinched upon hearing the words from Ryden before glancing to Sirzechs "Ryden has a point. For all we know there could be hundreds of these keys in creation" Ajuka paused before he snapped his figures when a further theory reached him "speaking of which, you didn't happen to find any sigils on Lady Stolas' person did you?"

Sirzechs mulled over the question before he shook his head "No, the autopsy team scanned everything; they didn't find any sigils or even scars on her body" he replied

Ajuka didn't seem fully convinced so he pressed his reasoning – though he seemed more anxious in his words "The Old-Satan's have proven to resort to... 'Questionable' methods in order to make sure information is not divulge..." Ajuka paused, appearing to be slightly sickened at an idea in his head but with a deep sigh he pressed on "...did you check the three orifices?"

Ryden blanched as did Sirzechs upon Ajuka's question; the both of them suddenly becoming greener then Ajuka's hair. Ryden shook his head and cleared his throat, stanching a very awkward image from invading his mind before regarding Ajuka with a troubled gaze "I really hope what you just said was a hallucination... I just – no, that was a joke right?" Ajuka crinkled his nose at Ryden's words, feeling the same amount of disgust at the idea but didn't relent – much to his own pressed disgust.

"It's a possibility the Old-Satan's used a _life link sigil_ – a door way spell that allows one to summon an item of importance from a collective nexus space – upon death the door closes and access to the space is canceled but the sigil on the individuals body remains" Ajuka's voice surprisingly wavered, his eyes closing in annoyance before he pressed on with a continued nausea "its location is custom, it can be placed anywhere on the individual's body, even... _there"_

Ryden's eyes bulged from his sockets before he immediately turned from the table and the two devils "Aw hell naw!" he wailed before he began pacing around the room

Sirzechs however, remained much more calm and merely rubbed his face harshly, his eyes becoming more resigned then appalled before he pursed his lips and took a deep breath in "This has gotten out of hand – surely you can't truly believe lady Stolas would resort to such lengths as this?" he tried to reason but Ajuka simply shook his head, his eyes shone with understanding but it was clear he was resolute in his theory.

"The Old-Satan's resort to dirty tricks and use our moral's against us – if it means underhanded principles then I'm sure they would use it; if anything, I'm surprised I haven't realized this sooner" he replied with an equally troubled look as Ryden's, the only thing missing was the hand that covered the latter's mouth and the energy to pace around the room in extreme disgust.

"Old-Satan's are sick as fuck!" he wailed

Sirzechs cursed to himself "by Satan's balls, I didn't think this day would reach this level of depravity" he said while rubbing his face even harder. The crimson Satan merely stood rooted in his spot for maybe a few moments before sighing loudly, his resigned eyes locking onto Ajuka's "promise me this old friend..." he started, garnering Ajuka's attention fully.

"Yes?"

"...Should the day come when I find a wife, promise me this conversation never reaches her ears... under no circumstance should this conversation ever be repeated"

"I understand Sirzechs... lips are sealed"

Sirzechs then looked to Ryden, the human looking every bit as awestruck that he was actually following through with the task at hand – he didn't even get picked to do it! All Sirzechs was doing was grabbing it by the short and curlies and going the distance... Ryden was impressed... and disgusted...

"Did you hear me _brother?_ " asked Sirzechs, snapping Ryden from his mind

He blinked at the sarcastic tone before tittering on the idea, soon enough a look of pain over took his expression "aye... I don't think I'll remember this after a good night sleep so you're good to go _brother..."_ he assured before adopting a small smirk" _..._ just don't make eye contact"

The words from the human only caused the devil to groan at the morbid joke "Please... don't make this harder than it already is"

"Good thing she won't be..."

Sirzechs' eyes shot wide open – much the same as Ajuka's – when the comeback was fully registered by the two generals. Ajuka shook his head in a shudder while Sirzechs reached up slowly and rubbed his face for the third time, both devils completely floored by Ryden's morbid joke while Ryden himself actually developed a massive grin – pained and disturbed as it was, it still showed clear amusement at the comment.

"Scratch my earlier comment, I didn't think this day would reach _this_ level of depravity... by the Satan's" commented Sirzechs with such high levels of exasperation, he looked more akin to a ghost then a devil.

"I second that..." agreed Ajuka, appearing more gray then green

"Oh come on! I don't care who you are but that was funny" laminated Ryden as the two devils regarded him hesitantly

Sirzechs sighed "Whatever you say Ryden..." he said before nodding to Ajuka "I'll be back with news if I find anything..." he informed before sighing again "I bloody hope I do"

Ajuka nodded before waving to the slowly retreating devil "I'll be here if you do find anything"

Without another word Sirzechs disappeared through the door, resigned to the task at hand but resolute enough to get it done.

With the soft hiss of the slide doors closing followed by a small click signified the two were alone. An aura of silence dropped over the room. Ryden softly chuckled to himself – a progressive show of amusement – before staunching it with a small comment "Is he always this heroic?"

Ajuka had no exact answer but he did have an accurate one for this specific moment. He coughed to himself mildly before answering "For _this_ I highly doubt... but he has his moments – for one I'm surprised he did, considering it related to a woman's dignity. He's not one to shame a woman... dead or alive"

Ryden's expression shifted to disgust again when the full meaning of the green general's words reached him before he violently shook it off "Change of subject, please... my limit is two morbid jokes a day, any more and I think I may become a memer"

"That makes two of us... though I do not know what this 'memer' is"

"Don't worry about it"

Without another word Ajuka turned and stepped over to the left side corner of the room and tap a small data pad that sat pressed to the wall. He installed a code before a large sigil sprouted from the ground; as the green sigil began constructing something, Ryden stepped to Ajuka's right – eyes watching as a table of some kind began its materialization. Its resembled a normal science table usually found in a lab, however this one didn't contain an array of beakers and vials but rather sigils and 3D imaging displays that merely floated weightlessly in the air above it. Once the table appeared so did a single chair which was placed at the foot of the long lab table. The chair itself resembled the table's futuristic design – tall and sleek white with comfortable padding and adorned with a series of sigils located around the area where the head would rest.

Ajuka clicked his tongue; the materialization could have been faster which meant he could try and increase the speed later during his free time but for now he had a small task at hand. His eyes glanced to a confused Ryden before adopting a small and rare smirk of interest.

"So... about that weapon..." he inquired

Ryden's eyes lit up "Ooohohoho" he chuckled before rubbing his hands together "this'll be fun..."

Ajuka rolled his eyes at the human's sudden enthusiasm but found he could not disagree with the notion. Unlike what his eyes said, he was genuinely interested in what weapon Ryden had chosen to forge and while his interest in weapon forging was abysmal, he found he could pass up the opportunity to see what the advanced human had in mind... key word being the final two words.

"Take a seat in the chair and relax into the sigil scanners..." he instructed

Surprisingly though Ryden didn't immediately jump into the chair but rather regarded him inquisitively – eyes shown with interest in the procedure. The look was surprising to him; while he was best friends with Sirzechs, the bond they shared was forged in combat and not by a shared interest, Sirzechs was bold and brash and often times seemed far to reckless for a General. He on the other hand didn't pick battles at random and chose to approach conflict with a sort of strategy rather than sheer will power and brute force... Sirzechs would always disagree with him on this which only enforced the idea that if they hadn't met on the battlefield then they would be complete enemies – share the same goal yes but there would be a tension present... a very noticeable one at that.

War forges the strangest bonds it seemed

Aside from that however, Ryden appeared differently and seemed more different then Sirzechs to a few degrees that Ajuka could fully appreciate. One was the human's clear intelligence and extremely potent common sense and observational skill as well as charisma – Sirzechs did possess these traits but seemed more interested in blowing stuff up rather then consider the options. His observations were so good that he actually sent himself for a loop during the debriefing and the following event regarding Rivia Abaddon's tragedy. The second was the human's interest in his inventions and skills as a prodigal magic caster – which was visible now. Rather than jump head long into a process he hardly knew, the human merely stopped and listened, clearly showing signs of interest in the process. It was beyond Ajuka's ability to describe it but having no one to express his inventions and magic formula to at length and detail was extremely exhausting. Serafall was a patient woman but didn't posses his level of intellect so she couldn't really follow no matter how long she held that smile of hers... he could tell someone was confused just by their silence alone.

Ryden however inquired on subjects, sought knowledge on those subjects and challenge it with counter arguments and observations, EXACTLY what Ajuka sought for himself... someone who could listen and learn and benefit from his lessons. Sure the human didn't possess his level of intellect but it was there... the potential was limitless with what the human was made of... his brain had a lot more going for it then even his and he knew some time in the future Ryden would push to a mantle far beyond his.

The only question Ajuka had was 'what the hell did he care so much!?'

His brow creased before he shook of his own annoyance, his excitement was beginning to bother him so he staunched it with a small sigh, his eyes regarding the inquisitive human with an almost bored gaze – countered by a small barely noticed smirk.

He grunted in question to the humans stare

"What's the sigils do?" was all he asked, showing signs of apprehension towards the aforementioned spell constructs

He blinked before easily replying "I wish to get the mental image for the design of the weapon you wish to forge, the sigils help in clearing one's mind of the usual clutter so I can get an exact image to use as a blueprint" he explained, leaving Ryden nodding along with clear interest.

"T-that makes this a lot easier..." replied Ryden, eyes blinking in surprise "does it allow for demonstration? Or is it just imagery?" he pressed.

Ajuka blinked before gathering his memory on the chair and its sigil's. Truthfully the jade devil hadn't a clue; he had tried it a few times a few decades ago but it was mostly in forging the other commodities within his large mobile lab. The only thing needed was a mental image, nothing for demonstration but he sometimes outdid himself on curtain inventions so it was worth a shot.

"We shall see; I've have a small time with this invention so it's a possibility that it may only be imagery... why do you ask for it to demonstrate?"

Ryden shrugged at the question before sitting in the tall chair "The weapon I want forged is a common weapon used in my time but it's incredibly complex in its creation. I can't say I'll know the full means to its construction so I was hoping by demonstrating its function and what it does would spark understanding in you... magic might help – hell I think magic might make this normally under powered weapon a bit overkill, which is _exactly_ what I want" he said clearly, head slowly resting into the gentle head rest – sigils glowing as he did so.

Ajuka nodded at the explanation and slightly grew more restless at the weapon this human would construct. He nodded to Ryden who returned the gesture before taping a small sigil by the end of the table in front of Ryden. While Ajuka tapped some more on the table, Ryden drew up the image of the weapon he wanted forged and slightly smirked at its design when it popped up clearly in his head. It was like a picture was placed perfectly in his mind, completely alone and unblemished by mental fog and rapid thought drifts which allowed him freedom to create details designs and symbols that normal would appear fuzzy in the mind. Ryden nodded contently at his already established design but the image didn't display itself before him as Ajuka hadn't connected the link to his thoughts yet... he worked fast.

Seconds later, Ajuka caught up...

The jade devils eyes lit up slightly while Ryden smirked along with the devils show of surprise at the weapon displayed. By Ryden's own mental description the weapon was in fact the most common and modern weapon in the 21st century

A gun...

With the amount of dragonite he had at his disposal, he only had enough to forge small arms weapons and his three major options where a short sword, a rapier, or he could shoot for the skies and build a freaking hand cannon...

Obviously, Ryden chose the latter almost immediately...

"Keep hold of the image, fine tune it and make sure you have every detail you want in the weapon, everything from engravings to an insignia or even a name" instructed Ajuka as he hovered over a small sigil and waited for Ryden.

the fake Gremory nodded before thinking more freely on the weapons engravings and identification before smirking and adding details along the barrel, cross hair, and handle before adding in a small demonstration on how he believed would be the most efficient way in using it constantly... every man or woman dreamed of infinite ammo and only nerds liked reloading, so Ryden did away with the idea and decide to show the weapon absorbing energy from the wielder before discharging the shot off screen. Ajuka nodded at the display – showing more signs of intrigue – before looking to Ryden.

"Is that every detail?"

Ryden nodded, Ajuka tapped the sigil an instant later, freezing the image in place before standing back to drink in the image of the weapon. He was impressed by the mental craftsmanship; everything looked sleek and nothing stood out like a sore thumb. Ryden smirked as well at his creation before standing up and looking the image over completely.

The weapon was close to a western revolver before it was dipped into both the anime pool and the edgy pool of awesomeness. The design was heavily detailed by base design of _Vincent Valentine's_ _**Cerberus handgun**_... mental imaging technology sure did help in making small dreams come true and Ryden had wanted to hold that beauty in his hands ever since stumbling upon it some years ago, and when Ajuka said he'd be using mental imaging technology to capture the full image let Ryden get carried away with the design.

It was a double action, triple barreled, triple cylinder revolver and triple hammered revolver ornamented with scroll work patterns that led up to a triplet set of small dog head's in place of the iron sights on each barrel, the additions Ryden had added were slight tweak's to the bulkiness of the weapon itself, so to allow for quicker handling. The cartridges were narrowed down and stood out less and the barrel was slightly extended by an inch to accommodate the drop in caliber which turned the previously humongous weapon into a slightly smaller brand of 'big'. The break action reload function was done away with as he intended to use the weapon without need of reloading, while the rest of his additions only seemed to be slight inscribing's and personal decals. On the right side of the handle was an symbol he had made on the spot; it was a standard 'ace of spades' card design with a Gothic 'V' in the center which stood in reference to the Vale family name. On the left side of the handle was the Gremory family crest – a small token towards the hospitable devil family.

The original Vincent Valentine revolver possessed a Cerberus chain that dangled from the handle but Ryden had dropped the idea and simply added in a small inscribing on both the left and right of the barrel which read _'Facta, Non Verba'_ meaning 'actions, not words' in Latin.

He smirked almost darkly as he drank in the image of the fully detailed revolver "I never thought I'd get to see this thing up close and so perfectly designed – even the small additions I made only sprinkle a little splendor to it" he said contently

Ajuka glanced to Ryden "Why do you say that? Isn't this a common weapon in your time?"

"In most people's dreams yes, it is, but its practicality for use is absurd and the design is well beyond the term 'overkill'. The size of the weapon is relatively close to a larger Caliber magnum – my times description of a cannon in one hand, commonly known as a 'hand cannon' in simplistic terms" replied Ryden as he glanced from his creation to Ajuka "The weapon discharges a payload measured in _Calibers_ ; the largest being .500 caliber rounds for small arms weaponry which creates 3000 foot-pounds of energy and moves at 2000 feet per second... that's 2x the speed of sound"

Ajuka's eyes bulged, shocked at the speed in which these weapons could achieve "That's the maximum speed these can achieve?"

Ryden smirked again "For a hand cannon sure, but we usually use these weapons for 'show and tell'; only idiots and flashy warlords carry magnums around because they are probably lacking something below the belt"

Ajuka sprouted a rare and teasing smirk "Are _you_ lacking something?"

Ryden's head bobbed to the side while his eyes regarded the devil lazily, sparking a slightly larger glint to appear in the devils eyes "Ha. Ha. Very funny, but no" he drawled before collecting himself and defending his dignity "The reason I say that is because using a .500 caliber weapon is literally the dumbest thing to use against a human target. First reason being the obvious; humans are generally weaker in the physical department, so a .500 caliber round is so far beyond overkill it kills the word to describe it! The only valid use I can see it being used for is when you have a burning hatred for the person your shooting _and_ your wrist; the recoil will rip the shit out of it!" shot back Ryden with gusto

Ajuka merely nodded at that before ushering the human to settle down which he did with no further bout of loud words. Ajuka would make sure he didn't insult the human's masculinity again – he was oddly tender on that subject

Moving on

"Anyways... aside from its conventional uses in my time, I was wondering if you can magic the shit out of it so it can be used indefinitely; the weapons in my time use a finite ammo supply which is one of the biggest issues it has... ammo shortages is never a good thing to have" explained Ryden, gently coughing into his hand.

Ajuka didn't say anything, rather he turned to the image of the gun and mulled over the options he had. Frankly, it wasn't as if the options were limited but so vast in number that Ajuka had a hard time coming up with an optimal outcome. He clicked his tongue "Perhaps if I... that may work" he muttered to himself. Ajuka was at this for more than a minute until he snapped his fingers five minutes after dwelling in deep thought, his eyes locking with Ryden with clear pride in his outcome like a hawk spotting prey.

Slightly unnerved the human...

"Did you figure out an option?" he asked

Ajuka nodded "I've come up with a large variety of concoctions that would be best suited for this weapon" he revealed, Ajuka cleared his throat before continuing "since you desire it to be used indefinitely, I can add in a few demonic sigils into the metal frame work and create a vacuum function; this will automatically absorb energy from whoever wields it"

Ryden nodded "What about adding a biometric security feature?"

Suddenly Ajuka smirked, almost darkly at the idea before nodding "This will prove to be a _slight_ challenge but I can see what I can do – I've always enjoyed a challenge after all..." the tone coming from the jade devil was in short very _spooky_ but very quickly the odd aura around Ajuka faded with the shaking of his head. The devil apologized under his breath before gesturing towards the three hammers at the back of the revolver "I noticed the placement of these... what where they?"

" _Hammers_... originally they were used to prime the chemical in the ammo which is the magic behind the modern firearm" informed Ryden

"Right... then these 'hammers' prove no use for you, _but_ I did find an alternative function..." Ajuka tapped the screen on the table before grabbing the holographic image and holding the weapon by the barrel, his finger gesturing to the spot in which the hammer should strike "... what if I added a different type of 'shot' with each different hammer?" he asked

Ryden's eyes nearly bulged from his sockets at the brilliant idea before he smiled darkly at the prospect, his hands rubbing together diabolically "what 'flavors' you got in mind?"

Ajuka shrugged "that depends... what's this weapon gonna be used against? Against devils I have a few in mind but they only share slight difference in effect"

Ryden had an easy answer "The dragonite was gifted to me by Tiamat in order for me to forge a weapon to fight her with..."

"Oh right, you told me that already" replied Ajuka before eyeing with hologram in his hand "I can see the uses of this weapon to be more appreciative towards a variety style of use; bottom left hammer could absorb elemental energies – like the _Infernum Armis_ on your back. Bottom right hammer could absorb anti infantry..."

Ryden's eyes shot up "Anti-infantry?"

Ajuka smirked before answering "Explosive spells, armor piercing spells, incendiary spells, hellbite spells... the list is endless"

Ryden's eyes lit up again for the hundredth time that day "The heck is hellbite?" he had to ask

"A spell that sends a small fire based projectile that burrows into the skin and ignites when the energy enters the targets demonic energy stream, turning the individuals own power source into a bomb, the bigger energy source, the bigger the explosion... it's a fan favorite" drawled Ajuka before his nose crinkled "a very messy one..."

Ryden blinked rapidly, his eyes wide in shock and horror before his head slowly slide back – his look of horror morphing into a grin, that is until that very grin grew further into a very disturbing smile. His hands slide down his face in a sensual manner, while his eyes closed gently... a shudder escaping his lips. "~Oooooh _baby_ yes...~" he moaned

Ajuka took one step back "stop that..." he said curtly, awkwardly looking anywhere but Ryden's direction

"Stop what?" replied Ryden, his little _moment_ vanishing the second Ajuka spoke

Ajuka merely shook his head with a small disturbed frown "Nothing..."

Ryden hummed at the reply before gesturing with a nod towards the top hammer "so what's the top hammer gonna do?" he asked before waving his hands suddenly "Just so we're clear, I'm not trying to kill the dragon – the whole point of the fight is to get her to fight _with_ us"

The jade General nodded "I'm aware... I think the top hammer should be a _Zenith_ spell – a spell that absorbs an absurd amount of archaic energy from the caster and the area around him into a finalized state before releasing it. It's completely controllable in its measurement, but its cost is nothing to scoff at" he explained clearly

Ryden nodded before tapping a finger to his chin "so by doing this feature means I can only shoot when the hammer is pulled back?"

Ajuka shook his head "I know that in combat, the less choices present leads to fewer fatalities afterwards, so the hammer feature is strictly optional. All it'll do is open fast options in more controlled areas for situational responses, otherwise the weapon fires regular spell bullets – higher caliber then normal of course and can be modified on the fly when needed just as you would when casting a spell"

"Perfect... so how do we start the building process?" inquired Ryden, eyes brimming with excitement

Ajuka merely stepped back from his spot by the table and tapped a lower function below the surface; Ryden heard a small hiss from the act before the devil held out his hand towards him. The devil didn't really need to word the obvious question because Ryden already had the slab ready, which Ajuka took and placed within what Ryden assumed to be a compartment.

Soon enough Ajuka rolled his shoulders before rubbing the bridge of his nose "This should take a while to complete the forging process. It should be done before the deployment hour tomorrow; just come by when you can and pick up the weapon... I think I can even whip up a holster for you"

Ryden flinched back in surprise at the bonus "how did you know I needed a holster?"

The devil merely shrugged "because swords need scabbards, this may not be a sword but its best to have a weapon at the ready whenever possible; popping weapons from rifts in space takes too much time and concentration" reasoned Ajuka, a small smirk developing when his point hit home

Ryden deadpanned before releasing a small sigh "...Sirzechs tell you?" he asked, obviously knowing the crimson Satan had told someone that little mistake he made with Brinyalf... always the minor mistakes.

"Mhmm..." hummed Ajuka as he plopped down into a chair by the forgery table "He told me everything about all three of your battles, and then Brinyalf's... impressive skill by the way"

Ryden coughed into his hand, embarrassed by the call out "eer...right, thanks" he muttered awkwardly before piping back up "...make it a thigh holster?"

"Left leg or right leg?"

"Right leg... if it's not enough trouble that is..." added Ryden with a slightly troubled expression

Ajuka shrugged "Not really; most of the briefings and meetings are complete, every soldier from here to the end of the Bael territory knows the objective we will be doing tomorrow so I have nothing to do... for once I actually have time to do what I want. Fortunately for you, I find forging this weapon to be quite the task" he said before eyeing the holographic image of Ryden's revolver "I'm normally running around trying to gather materials for my future project but right now I seem to have time to myself"

Ryden nodded with a small smile before giving the General a slight bow in appreciation "this is all the more reason for me to voice my appreciation... thank you, general, for doing this for me"

Ajuka nodded back "your very welcome Lord Ryden" he replied before tapping his chin in wonder "by the way...What shall I name this?" he asked while gesturing towards the Holographic weapon "I like to keep files on all inventions and creations I create, it makes remaking them or duplicating them easier... perhaps I could even upgrade the weapon sometime in the future"

Ryden stood there for a second, frozen in place while processing what was happening before him. His eyes looked slightly wide and his lips where slightly parted in a state of silent shock. Aside from feeling like James bond, the idea that Ajuka was going to file away the weapons blueprint unnerved Ryden to an extent, but he easily dropped that notion. Even if this was the point in devil history when they gathered the know-how on creating simplistic firearms, IE; guns; the damage they could already deal was higher than humans. With everything they possessed already – spells that make nukes look like fire crackers, personal inherited powers that can level continents – a simple desert eagle in the hands of a common devil would only make them more acceptable in modern times... and it may even give the lower ranking devils a way to defend themselves from the more 'morally challenged' nobles.

All he had to do was wait for the royalty check in the mail...

However, even with this knowledge, Ryden knew he had to make sure history was not overwritten by his actions. Should the devils begin mass production of firearms, then when the devils travel to earth – and they have already – then they are susceptible to sharing with their human contractors. Humans are naturally curious in nature, especially towards technology and knowledge in advancement for science, all a devil would need to do is play a small game of 'show and tell' – demonstrate the devastating power of a revolver – and then make a trade when the ambitious human drops to the floor in awe and begs for any kind of deal... that was not acceptable. If the human race developed firearms now, then he had no idea what state humanity would be in, in the future. With his knowledge on the existence of devils, angels, fallen angels, dragons, monsters and – god forbid – _aliens_ , then the outcome of the advancement in technology may make humanity a even bigger target then it is already... well... it's really not considered a _threat_ at this point but rather an easily manipulated and tempted child.

God only knew what would happen they experienced a singularity at this point in history. The humans would either become the strongest species to ever walk the earth or fall into extinction when the angels or devils finally snap and go 'fuck it' and jump the child with a big red gun... Ryden didn't want that outcome and he had to make sure that that path was never explored... so he had to make sure it never opened up in the first place.

Ryden cleared his throat, his eyes locking onto Ajuka's with clear resolve "Before I give you a name, I need you to promise me that this information is never made public... no replication is to be made, no information on the weapons construction is to be distributed and above all else... this conversation and the product that was developed never existed" Ryden informed seriously, causing Ajuka's eyes to widen slightly in surprise.

The devil mulled over the words for a second before nodding slowly "You wish to safe guard the continuity of human history, make sure the advanced technology of your time never intertwines with this time period..." Ajuka sighed before nodding again.

Ryden nodded resolutely "yes, humanity is to evolve on its own... not by the hand of a species that could manipulate it"

Ajuka nodded a third time before commenting "Then this conversation never existed, lord Ryden... I will keep the file of the creation and its name but its details and recipe for construction will be destroyed upon the finalization of its creation, I will even make you be the one to destroy the information, in order to make sure there were no backups made before completion"

Ryden bowed again, slightly deeper than before "thank you for your understanding, General"

Ajuka stood up calmly "think nothing of this Lord Ryden..." he said before resting a hand on Ryden's shoulder "we both have our species' best interest in our minds and hearts; mine is the devil race, yours is humanity. Sacrifices will be made and blood will be split to safe guard our own and the survival of our own species..." he said before locking eyes with Ryden's. "I'm glad you are aware of the responsibility you bare... at first I didn't think you knew"

Ryden blinked "responsibility?" he asked in confusion, mind not at all grasping the burden he had born on his back the moment he arrived in hell.

Ajuka gave Ryden a small look of pity, before replying – words solemn in their execution "he who knows the future, bears the burden on its fruition; take heed lord Ryden... while others believe knowledge of the future is a gift, there are those that know of its price... from here on out, the changes that befalls history... are on you" warned Ajuka, hand dropping from Ryden's shoulder.

Ryden wasn't aware of it before but now he was. The words that came from Ajuka caused a wave of Goosebumps to line his skin and the air in the room grew heavier than it had before. He couldn't explain this feeling and he doubted he ever would; to sit in hell of all places and realize that your history – as well as the history of your species – rested on your shoulders alone... kinda made you feel relevant for once.

"Clutch or kick..." muttered Ryden, a small morbid grin gripping his features before he nodded to Ajuka, a resolute breath escaping him "I'll keep that in mind General... one step at a time, right?"

The devil smirked lightly at the reply, having expected apprehension and fear within Ryden's eyes yet strangely he noticed the smirk the human picked up after a moment of taking in his words... the follow up words only sparked a light etching smirk on the corner of Ajuka's lips.

"Indeed..." he muttered, silently in awe at the human's resolution and strength of will. Ajuka clicked his tongue at the thought before walking back to the table "So... what shall the name of this weapon be?" he asked after a moment of tinkering with the control panel before him, the tab for the file name induction primed and waiting.

" _Cerberus_..." was all Ryden said, not even giving a moment of thought on the matter.

Ajuka blinked at the odd choice before noticing the weapons biggest feature... the jade devil smirked soon after realizing the brilliance with the choice; completely unaware that Ryden merely chose to keep the original name of the weapons design in homage to its origin and original creator.

"Three heads, born in blackened steel, wielding flames that none shall feel" quoted Ajuka, garnering an oddly intrigued look from Ryden. The aforementioned human blinked into nod, his lips turning into an appreciative frown. The quote or poem spoke in perfect tune to what he had been thinking... no one in front of a gun – a loaded and ready one – usually lives to _feel_ the bullet... Ajuka was directly on point with that idea.

Ryden smirked "Add that to the left side of the barrel... it fits the description of the weapon perfectly"

"You think so?"

He nodded "Damn right, I'm slightly bummed out that I didn't come up with that first"

Ajuka nodded, tapped a few panels before nodding to himself and then to Ryden "The file is up for only today... when you come here tomorrow, the weapon will be finished and waiting" he then placed a small piece of paper in Ryden's hand "This sigil will destroy the details of the file and everything regarding the creation, just place it on the table when you arrive, the system will do the rest"

Ryden nodded once before looking the paper over and then nodded again towards Ajuka, paper sigil disappearing into his coat pocket. "I would say thanks again but I think you're getting tired of the formalities"

A small chuckle ripple through Ajuka before he nodded "And I'd ask how you knew that but I think you're getting tired of all questions"

Ryden laughed, mirthful at being called out. He didn't think anyone had noticed his annoyance during the debriefing but now he knew at least one had noticed... thank god Praxis hadn't... or had he? Ryden shook his head to rid himself of the thought before standing up and stretching – unknowingly having sat back down in the chair behind him some few minutes ago.

"Guess I'm off to rest..." he muttered before chuckling to himself again "wonder what legendary city I'll get to destroy tomorrow?" he asked himself, garnering a slightly sheepish glance from Ajuka.

"I'd take a break of breaking the impossible lord Ryden, Sirzechs nearly had a heart attack when you told him about _Lucifaad"_ he commented

"I know... damn near saw his heart spring from his chest" replied Ryden with a shit eating grin. "Anyways, I'm off... eer..." he paused before looking to Ajuka, a slightly hopeless expression laid on his face "you wouldn't happen to know where I'm sleeping right?"

"Do I look like your mother?" asked the slightly miffed General

"No... Nowhere near actually, but you do look like someone with information" retorted Ryden with a clear expression, no sarcasm or anything... literally a genuine response.

Ajuka grunted at that; Serafall said he was bad at teasing but he didn't really know how bad he was. He shook his head to rid himself of the shameful title the petty General had branded him with before replying "whenever you're close to base camp, always keep an eye out for your family sigil... basically just go and look for a massive tent with the Gremory sigil on it, the field maids and butlers are in charge of making sure your belongings are always within your tent so don't be afraid of leaving personal items within"

Ryden nodded at the information before giving the devil a thumbs up gesture "ten-four chief, thanks a million" thanked Ryden before he stepped out the sliding doors, clearly intent on find his personal quarters.

Ajuka blinked "Ten-four? What the hell did that mean?"

He didn't get a response to his question but he didn't really care, he had a weapon to forge after all...

-X-

Sirzechs was unnerved, understandably so with what kind of task he had before him. The conversation he had with Ryden and Ajuka was quick but its contents left much to the imagination. For Sirzechs his task clear but rift with a disturbing end... a more disturbing 'dignified' end, mind you.

He found himself frowning deeply when his thoughts rolled back to his – rather disgusting – task at hand. In regards to finding out how the Old-Satan's had managed to acquire classified data on high ranking signatures and the process in which they had kept it secret. The theory was simple to understand; Lady Stolas was most likely the one to have assisted in acquiring the classified data by use of an Omni-key, this in turn was theorized to be a mass produced key – by actions of the Old-Satan's – that had drastically assisted Lady Stolas in her theft.

However, the means in keeping the object secret was the main culprit in his nervousness. A _Nexus sigil_ was a self explanatory spell that linked multiple items to a gate way vault in demonic space – a pocket dimension that which multiple people can access, should they have the sigil imprinted on them. It was a common sigil used in military operations and used in the Dantalion library, but now it seemed the Old-Satan's found a use for it as well... they just had to spice up the placement of the sigil.

Bloody perverts...

Sirzechs lightly growled to himself as he walked at a brisk pace through the halls of the medical building within the Bael territory. It was located a few blocks from the central military camp and had been turned into a quick medical response building when the attack had started. All around Sirzechs were windows facing in towards rooms with a large collection of wounded men and woman – most of them servants – while some other rooms were filled to every inch with body bags of the hundreds of deceased devils that had lost their lives to the attack. The once normally calm and peaceful hospital had been turned into a hectic and Chaotic nightmare filled with blood, tears, crying and the silent dead within a manner of hours.

This proved only to sour Sirzechs' mood further, evident by the small frown permanently etched on his brow.

Thankfully the morgue was upon him in a manner of minutes, thankfully taking him into a room much more silent then the last. It was a cold room – obviously needing to be refrigerated – and only had one other person within the room; she was a simple nurse or medical specialist working on the final processes of marking the dead maid before her. He didn't look need to look further into it because with his entrance the woman regarded him instantly; she slide the cadaver into the sarcophagus and tapped the sigil close by her hand which shut the sarcophagus lid down on, a small hiss and it was vacuum shut.

"May I be of assists, High lord?" asked the nurse, face covered by a medical mask.

Sirzechs nodded gently "I need to see the body of Lady Stolas; I have an investigation I need to see through" he informed

"I see... I should inform you lord, that another one of yours came through here a few minutes before your arrival; she said the same thing" replied the morgue attendant

Sirzechs' eyes slightly opened in surprise " _She_?" he asked

The woman nodded "Lady Abaddon was her name, she requested access to _subject: D-36_ the same as you have... she is still inside the inspection chamber right now"

Sirzechs stood there momentarily; eyes slightly held wide open before he blinked away his surprise "I wish to join her" was all he said in reply

The morgue attendant nodded before pointing to a selection of masks and rubber cloves by the utensil tray to her left "Please take those with you, sanitation is our most crucial of policies, high Lord"

Sirzechs nodded in thanks, took a pair of rubber cloves and medical mask and approached the chamber provided. Wordlessly, he placed on the rubber gloves and mask and entered the room with a slight hiss from the door, slightly garnering the surprised look from Rivia Abaddon within.

Sirzechs gave the woman a small lopsided grin which was hidden beneath his mask, before stepping further into the room. The room itself was as standard as it could be; white walls, white tiled flooring, isolation sigils and ambient sound cancellation along with a single one person body table in the center – and it practically _smelt_ sterile. To his surprise Rivia was indeed within the room – as much as he believed his imagination had been tricking him – she was indeed present. Her previously shocked eyes had dropped into her usual deadpan and her posture remained the same as it had since he had first met the devil.

Rigid and poised like steel, a gaze that pierced any manner of mental fortitude and an aura that spoke of years of experience. Sirzechs wondered why the devil was here but disregarded the idea the minute it came to his mind. Rivia Abaddon was a smart one and he had no issue with downplaying his own smarts when it had come to the devil before him... she was twice his age after all.

"General..." mouthed Rivia, tone as cold as it normally was

"Lady Abaddon..." replied Sirzechs evenly, his position stopping directly across from Rivia's

The woman was staring at the body of lady Stolas before her, most of it being undisturbed in its entirety. The only portions of the body that were exposed were the abdomen and the majority of her legs, the navel and below, as well as her breasts and face was covered under a thick white blanket.

Sirzechs didn't regard Rivia for a moment, his mind doing rounds about what he had to do while his eyes were slowly taking on a look of horror towards the daunting task at hand. His gaze however, was so intense that Rivia took notice and matched his, her eyes landing directly on the loan cloth protecting the deceased devils modesty.

Rivia deadpanned deeper, her eyes taking on such a display of disappointment that she had a hard time keeping herself from snarling towards the devil in front of her. Her poise was on point however and her words easily slid out in reprehend but they were laced with clear venom.

"Staring at a corpse won't get you anywhere with woman, General" she muttered clearly

Sirzechs visibly recoiled, his mind reminding him on what he had just been doing during his hesitance which caused him to shake his head rapidly at his actions.

"T-That's not... I wasn't... Gah! Curse this deplorable task!" he wailed, garnering a mild look of curiosity from the Abaddon devil.

"What task do you speak of?"

Sirzechs shook the last of his annoyance away before pinching the bridge of his nose and regarded the woman with a slight look of shame "I came here to inspect lady Stolas"

The woman quirked a brow, a brisk nod following close by "that much is obvious"

Sirzechs deadpanned before filling in the full picture "Right... I came to see if Lady Stolas possessed a _nexus sigil_ on her body; Ajuka believed the Old-Satan placed it in a compromising location, one that we would never look at"

Rivia glanced down after that, her eyes looking the body before her over before she remembered what kind of person Lady Stolas was. Riva's eyes narrowed slightly in memory when she remembered a few banquets she held when she had been the Lordess of the Abaddon family; the woman in question was no strange to mingling with the male populace and when compromised by the alcoholic spirits, the woman would usually give the devils she found interesting a 'tour' around the manor... such a refined devil in the day but give the woman liquor and she'd be the topic of a few tales the couple days later.

Long story short... she was no stranger to pleasures of the flesh

It seemed the Old-Satan's had taken a likening towards lady Stolas' kinks. Rivia swallowed deeply, reached forward and removed the blanking covering the devils modesty. Sirzechs' eyes bugged out when the woman literally jumped at the task at hand before he suddenly twirled around in embarrassment at what he saw afterwards.

That would be in his head for a while...

Rivia simply paid no heed to the act, and merely pressed on with a slightly disgruntled glaze in her eyes. She checked every nook before her – even stopped before checking the entirety of the woman's breasts – before returning to the woman's navel, and scanned every inch before pausing.

"Found something general; inner thigh, looks like a sigil... take a look" she said before looking up towards the General before her

Sirzechs glanced over his shoulder, his eyes looking surprised "Huh?" he squeaked

Rivia rolled her eyes at the general's show of innocence before she slightly spread the woman's legs and pointed to a small sigil located on the devils upper inner thigh, mere inches from...

Sirzechs' eyes shimmered before his head shook away the image and his body pivoted to look directly at the wall behind him, his right hand slamming into his face in a rough manner "By the Satan's... I hate this job"

Rivia frowned at the actions of the blood soaked demon of the Old war before shaking her head in exasperation, as dark as the devil before him was... he still was an innocent mamma's boy

"Have you not seen anything like this before?" she asked "surely you have had some experience in this field" she added before closing the deceased woman's legs and covering her up.

Sirzechs snarled "If you must know I have seen this before... just not on a corpse!" he wailed in reply, his professional walls crumbling

"Your mother doesn't count" teased the older devil, a very small playful smirk developing on her lips

Sirzechs froze, his hand slowly rising up to point at Rivia heatedly; however the innocent look in Sirzechs' eyes... diluted the scolding retort.

"That was uncalled for..." he muttered

Rivia shrugged "Seemed appropriate... Venelana did enjoy telling me all those times she caught you in the bath"

Sirzechs' head slowly rolled around, not at all being aware that his mother of all people had told others of her odd habits of bathing with him. All the contingencies he had placed to make sure that mother of his didn't ambush him were always foiled by that woman and now he was reaping them... in a morgue, with a naked corpse between him and his old commander.

Such moments likes these reminded Sirzechs why he kept a spare bottle of _hell water_ in his personal safe...

He shook his head, intently focused on changing the subject before he went to battle tomorrow with a massive hang over "Aside from my lack of interest in gazing at the naked body of a dead female, what reason do you have on being here?" he asked

Rivia merely shrugged again "I wished to see the woman that doomed me lay dead before me... I have gotten my wish and am most satisfied with it... I think I should compliment Lady Abigail on her a skill with a bow" the woman nodded to herself before regarding Sirzechs "Did _you_ get what you wanted?"

Sirzechs nodded begrudgingly, memory rolling _that_ image around in his head multiple times "I have..." he replied

"Then explain to me what the sigil means?"

Sirzechs sighed "It means the Old-Satan's used mass produced Omni-keys and distributed them among key allies for their cause, this means it could be anyone on the enemy forces to allies in our midst"

Rivia nodded, eyes shimmering in thanks at the information "What action will we take in response to this information?"

"I think my choice in action will be to conduct a large scale inspection, we'll front it with a medical examination and test it on all high ranking officials within the council... we'll move on down the ranks and squeeze out any traitors into the light" explained Sirzechs

Rivia nodded again, a small smirk playing on her lips before she stepped towards the door "As expected of you General..." she said before looking back to Sirzechs, her eyes then holding a slightly apologetic look within "Give my regards to Ajuka when you can, my earlier display was unbecoming of me"

Sirzechs shook his head "It was only natural; you have always been the stickler for prime image" he replied jokingly, Rivia slightly smirked in response. Sirzechs then blinked in curiosity when he noted the woman's motion to leave "what will you do now, Rivia?" he asked suddenly, using the devils first name

Rivia paused before looking Sirzechs in the eye again "I wish to apologize to the Arbiter for my earlier conduct" she informed, her hand clenching at the memory of her sudden disappearance.

Sirzechs chuckled "I don't think he was insulted as much as you think" he said, garnering Rivia's attention "Sure he was surprised by your retreat, but he seemed more relieved that the 'situation' was done with than anything else"

Rivia hummed at the news "he is a kind man..." she muttered gently

"Indeed he is..." he said in agreement before nodding to the devil before him "Go to him if you wish; he should be done with Ajuka by now, if so then he should be in his personal quarters... go and give him company, yeah?" Sirzechs smirked but it quickly dropped when the woman regarded him playfully

"Are you so eager to fall behind your younger brother?" she teased, her eyes holding a mirthful glint when Sirzechs slowly swallowed at the second meaning behind his words... he really didn't think on that.

Sirzechs said nothing, only shrugged at his continued show of innocence before shooting a comment back "If you wish to give yourself to him so easily then I have no argument... you held _that_ title longer then I have, after all" Sirzechs suddenly smirked when Rivia regarded him with a glare.

"At least I'll have lost it, unlike you..." she countered

"Not like I won't in the future..."

"Keep working this much and you'll have to ease your _hunger_ with woman like Lady Stolas..."

.

.

.

"Now that's cold..."

"Well you seemed interested in her before..."

Sirzechs coughed loudly, his hand reaching his lips to staunch the sudden ripple from his throat while Rivia smirked victoriously at a horrified Sirzechs.

"By the Satan's... are you related to Ryden at all? You both got some dark jokes rolling around in your minds" commented Sirzechs

Rivia chuckled "Dark minds correlate with intelligence..."

"Ok stop, you won this round Rivia" Sirzechs shook his head at the savage devil before shaking his head at the constant bombardment of shots to his person.

Rivia smirked slightly wider "As I have won all the others; past, present and future"

Sirzechs sighed "Right..." he muttered before giving the devil a small wave of farewell "Tell Ryden lady Stolas wasn't as hard as I thought" he informed casually

Rivia nodded plainly at it before opening the door, her eyes suddenly regarding the roof with an inquisitive gaze, she clicked her tongue before muttering a small comment... one that Sirzechs heard perfectly.

"She really wasn't that hard actually..." Rivia quickly disappeared into a black portal, leaving Sirzechs standing frozen in the empty room with the lone cadaver. His hand reached up and gripped his face harshly when the woman's words reached his ears, dark meaning and all.

"for Satan's sake..." he groaned out "There's two of them..." he added in a mellowed drawl

Sirzechs eyes glanced to the body in the room, his eyes barely lingered before they averted, his head shaking rapidly before he made his own exit, the rubber gloves and mask disposed of in the trash bin before he made a B-line to the exit

"I need a damn drink..." he muttered aloud, leaving a confused nurse to stand in confusion at the lack of context before her.

-X-

 _A/N:_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _FUCK!_

 _I swear to all that is holy I deeply wanted this chapter out a_ _ **long time ago**_ _but my dumbass has the attention span of a moth in a fireworks convention._

 _And that was_ _ **Destiny 2: forsaken**_ _... that's right, my writing time was forsaken to destiny 2... Please, someone hit me! The grind for Exotics is hella dumb in this expansion, so much so I think Xbox will get an exclusive game before I so much as get a damn drop... yay_

 _Anyways_

 _I have to give a small shout out to the two royal badass readers of mine – you know who you are. They were the ones that check in everyday for an update and the ones that find my story to be a small light in their day... seriously boys, it feels_ _ **really**_ _good to know I'm making someone's day just a tad bit better and honestly, those two reviews alone had been the biggest sources that got me of my ass and back to writing. It took a shit ton of time but you can't rush marginal effort; I'd say perfection but I still seem find mistakes in every chapter I do... regardless in how fiercely I edit._

 _Soon I will understand the difference between 'shone' and 'shown', 'curtain' and 'certain'... probably have a few of those scattered throughout the damn chapter now that I think about it... whatever! I need this out now._

 _Anyways... this chapter was a fun/nightmarish journey from start to finish, no action was present but drama (if you can call this drama) was mostly in the picture, that and a sweet scene regarding Ryden's now revealed responsibilities and how he alone holds the knowledge on humanities history and future... the jokes that followed?... well, I'm just that fucked up._

 _Next chapter will be out – Hopefully – soon, which will start the first invasion in this story... seriously; we're 12 chapters in and were not even racking up the body count. Some may say_ Lucifaad _was a big deal but if you knew what I have in store... that city barely registers on the importance meter._

 _Soon... you will all see what I have in store_

 _AH! I can't wait... see you all soon boys/girls._ _ **Review**_ _at your leisure;_ _ **follow**_ _for updates or favorite if you really liked the story... stay frosty out there._

 _Peace!_


	13. Into the Rose Garden

**-Into the Rose Garden-**

 _So today was the day... the day in which I would deploy with the Red-legion into the territory of thorns and get my first taste as to what devils define as 'war' while at the same time being a part of the second largest invasion force in hell itself._

 _Outwardly I was fine. Calm, cool and collected; aside from the mass of lower ranking devils I seemed like the coolest cucumber to walk among them. While most devils seemed nervous I was merely going through the motions._

 _Some probably thought I was some next level 'alpha male' with how uncaring I was to the impending deployment, while others simply chalked up my 'coolness' to me being a noble. Apparently to them, inherited power promises some kind of 'safe guard' in the field._

 _It really didn't..._

 _I_ _ **was**_ _nervous, not really in_ _ **fear**_ _of the possibility of death – I don't think death liked me very much – but rather the_ _ **unknown**_ _of what I would see in the battlefield. I wasn't very thrilled to know that I was – most likely – going to be surrounded by those in despair and those of the deceased. The lower ranking devils didn't exactly have high life expectancy; especially in a massive deployment like this._

 _We would be breaking through a major border zone and then breaking through heavily fortified defensive perimeters that would be extremely well guarded all the while. All we had on our side was sheer will, a high dose of morale... and good bit of grit._

 _It won't be easy, but I would be damned if I didn't at least try and alleviate some of that burden. I – as well as a few of those with me – knew that, and with just enough pressure... any castle can fall._

 _Just ask those in Lucifaad..._

* * *

The first thing that Ryden took notice of when he woke, was the red lining fabric that dotted the majority of the massive quarters he had found himself in. Red and black with golden trim filled his blurry vision with the vengeance – suddenly becoming a source of confusion for the human. He blinked, multiple times, before simply staring up at the ceiling with a slightly confused expression. In Ryden's defense for his lack of memory in understanding his location, he had been extremely exhausted the day prior – or hour... Hours?

Ryden shook his head slightly when the lack of time assessment rolled through his mind, even if he'd been in hell for six and a half months, he still lacked an understanding on the time but he digressed. _Whatever_ amount of time prior to this moment, Ryden had grown incredibly groggy when the thought of sleep had come to him – and it hit _Hard –_ and because of that, he only slightly remembered crawling into a bed within a crimson tent. Now that he got a good look at it from the inside, he noted that it was a _canvas_ tent, octagonal is shape and measured nearly thirteen feet tall... the evident signs of a small loft to his far right gave him that much; the loft obviously containing a second bed up there – if he had to guess – and the literal presence of book shelves and other random accommodations normally found in cheap hotels were scattered along the main floor... though they were luxurious, the numbers of items were severely limited.

To Ryden's sudden relief, he noted a small Gremory sigil by the entrance to the tent, which was perfectly shut tight and secured by a slowly rotating Gremory sigil... a sort of lock of some kind, however its presence told him that he had made it to his bed and not someone else'... much to his great relief. His brow quirked at the random sources of information and good news, his brain still slowly waking from his undisclosed period of sleep which was reminded to him by a small, yet overpowering, yawn that ripped itself through his mouth, forcing him to pull his gaze away from the entrance.

His yawn stopped shortly and he wiped away the tears in the corner of his eyes before he returned his gaze to the roof of the tent; He sighed contently at that. "Thank Satan I didn't crawl into someone else' bed last night..." he muttered gently before scratching his cheek "though I'm sure I would have remembered that ass kicking if I did...hmm, something tells me I would have experienced something else entirely... wonder what _that_ could be?" with his small – sarcastic – conversation with himself done away with, he calmly noted the lack of light coming from outside and even distinctly heard the eerie silence from outside the tent.

He felt slightly panicked at noticing that, the same feeling he felt when he would oversleep pass his alarm clock and quickly found himself wondering if he had been left behind in the invasion. It was a small moment of ignorance on his part – mostly being affected by his still present fatigue – but he managed to calm himself when he noted the small window like opening close by his bed side. It was an open flap, locked by two sigils on each bottom corner that worked similarly to buttons. A faint click and the flap were loose to show him a mildly calm and peaceful morning dawn. Just over the few tents in front of him was the faintly shining light of the morning star of the Bael clans fake sun; he noted the sight was close to one he'd experience in his time, and when he had been on earth for that matter.

His curiosity was sated and his nerves were eased when he realized he'd actually woken up earlier than anyone else. A small sigh of relief passed him over before he rolled back comfortably into bed...

...Only to come face to face with a naked Rivia Abaddon...

.

.

.

"Eh?" he silently question, his eyes almost bugging out completely.

To make matters worse for himself, when he had rolled back into his _really_ comfortable bed, he had unintentionally fallen into a small dip within it – were his body had been for the majority of the night – and exactly where the naked form of Rivia was situated. There forms met snuggly and Ryden found himself beat red when the extremely voluptuous woman's healthy bust smooched into his bare chest.

That wasn't the only thing to happen however. It was a slight relief to Ryden when he noted the woman's state of consciousness, but her sudden action in snuggling into him in her sleep made the poor human quietly yelp again when the rest of the woman's naked body pressed tightly to his; Rivia arms snaked around him in a dominate hug while her right leg came up and rested itself across his pelvis... almost possessively.

Safe to say at that point, he wasn't going anywhere...

It was a good wake up call though... Ryden was very much wide awake by then.

With sleep being out of the picture, now that he was the woman's literal body pillow, Ryden had nothing else to do then look around but considering everything around him was the same as what he noted previously, made for a very lackluster distraction.

And then the hormones had to kick in...Great

Ryden slowly rubbed his face with his only free arm – his left – and silently contemplated his great escape. Aside from the more 'tempting' thoughts coursing through his mind, Ryden didn't have any desires in waking the woman up like a normal couple would; that would only end up awkwardly and he didn't have any particular points to use to try and smack a _home-run_ with the drop dead gorgeous woman currently hugging him, he barely knew the woman... well... now he knew every _inch_ of her – much to his embarrassment but that was beside his point.

Forgoing his thoughts on escape for the moment, Ryden merely indulged himself for a minute. Contrary to common belief for those that believe him to be a straight 'A' student with a strict sleep schedule and a bible by his bed side, but Ryden had a small side to him that slightly yearned for these moments... his male biology demanded him to at least familiarize himself with the beautiful woman's presence; he couldn't really base his 'woman skills' off of a high school relationship and a clingy demonic mother... going around and tell those about his 'odd' encounters with Venelana might get him more odd stares then high-fives... and maybe a round house kick from Zeoticus.

Best to avoid that...

So in the end had to gather some kind of 'XP' for these moments, running away and bumbling like a super virgin from woman like in a few anime's he watched only damaged relationships and it would insult the woman's confidence. Clearly Rivia found him to be a source of comfort, judging by the extreme lack of clothing he must be a _very good_ source of comfort. His dad had told him before that if a woman finds you to be that source then suck up that male pride and become whatever they need.

So he did... mildly hesitant at first, but Ryden soon rolled onto his side facing towards Rivia which allowed her more room to envelope him closer into her body. Her leg slide up his left thigh while her hands slowly tighten around his back, however, what really got his chest pounding was when her head gently nuzzled into the nape of his neck, a small 'umu' sound escaping the gently sleeping woman's lips as she found the most comfortable spot and quickly froze there.

Ryden blinked – shocked at the woman's graceful actions even in the grip of sleep. For how tall the woman was she seemed to almost shrink into his form with every second passed, giving him the slight feeling of snuggling with a really big cat. He quirked his lips into a small lopsided grin before simply foregoing his hesitance and reached around the woman's body and embraced her gently... protectively.

For how peaceful this moment was, Ryden couldn't really forget the circumstances of his meeting with the woman in his arms. Near death and gripped tightly in despair; he didn't think the woman could recover so well, but he knew the woman's front was incredibly well kept for what she had been through. That moment in the carriage to _Lucifaad_ told him that she really wasn't 'fixed' at all... close maybe, but she had some remnant damage – damage he wanted to fix if he could.

His hand gently stroked her hair – basking in its silken touch and scentless fragrance – and simply embraced the moment... blocking out her nude state entirely for the sake of keep him from ' _waking up_ '.

Again... too bad for him

A small shudder rippled through Rivia – courtesy of a small breeze that he didn't notice – causing her form to press tighter against his for a small second... considering the fact they were both facing each other, and the fact her leg was resting on his left thigh... she got a small _'wake up call'_ courtesy of the ' _dagger'_ in his pocket.

Ryden didn't even think of moving in fear of repeating what had literally just happened. His eyes bore holes in the tent wall across from him and his entire body went rigid while at the same time he was cursing to whoever was listening to save him from this very moment... what he just felt... he had nearly hit third base.

His gaze grew disturbed at the thought of such a thing happening before he suddenly heard a small – barely noticeable – giggle from the nape of his neck.

If it were possible... his body would have gone twice as rigid as it already was and his eyes would have widened to saucers...

...Rivia had woken up

And she _didn't_ let go of him.

"~Ufufu... Good morning, _Arbiter_ ~" purred the muffled voice of Rivia Abaddon, her head firmly remaining in the nape of his neck.

A lump – cursed as it was in its sudden appearance – caused Ryden's reply to lag behind for just a second, clearly fueling more oil to the massive bond fire that was before him. "G-good morning, Rivia... enjoy your sleep?"

He could literally feel her smirk on his neck. "it was rather enjoyable... though I think I might have been _'stabbed'_ in my dream – you wouldn't happen to know about that..." Ryden stifled a groan – and a multitude of other emotions – when the woman pressed against him slightly before whispering in a husked tone of voice – directly into his ear this time "... _would you?_ "

Ryden swallowed the lump this time "No idea..." he answered before engaging in the verbal conflict before him. "You seem a lot better than yesterday... did you take a small walk or something? Maybe go destroy a small mountain?" he asked in a genuine – yet sarcastic – tone.

Rivia softly giggled at his words and gently pulled back to look into his eyes. Her hair was completely free and cascaded over the majority of her side of the bed while her eyes stared into his with a vixen type gaze – a very serious contrast to her usual uncaring expression... Ryden thought she was a different person entirely.

"Ufufu... I'm doing much better thank you..." she replied before a slight frown etched itself on her brow, her tone coming out to be deeply apologetic. "...I...I apologize for my earlier conduct – troubling you with those matters was abhorrent, it will never happen again"

Ryden frowned slightly in confusion, embracing the slight change in conversation harshly. "The guardian of an Arbiter sees to the problems of all of the Arbiters duties and personal issues and yet the Arbiter is to do nothing for the Guardian? Why can it not be both ways?" he asked, slightly forcing a small smirk onto Rivia.

"Sirzechs said you were kind... I suppose I should have known your response from the start"

Ryden mildly scoffed before shrugging "If your gonna pop up in my bed naked like this, then your gonna need to let me know what's up"

The woman mildly looked on in surprise before developing a small smile "you say you will reward me for opening up? I thought I was doing the rewarding" she replied

"You usually sleep naked as a form of rewarding others?"

Rivia smirked "Not normally – only those I deem worthy of such a thing"

Ryden blinked at the words – going more numb to the proximity by the second "That seems a bit extreme" he muttered

The smirk on Rivia grew slightly "perhaps... but I feel it is the best choice, your brother did tell me to do this so I went all out"

"That seems... wait, Sirzechs told you to do this?" asked Ryden, seemingly shell shocked that the stingy devil – one that openly appeared uncomfortable in the presence of a woman – had ordered the woman before him to get naked and sleep with him... the numbers just don't add up. However, Ryden shook his head slightly when a second meaning crossed his mind "hol up, you spoke to Sirzechs yesterday?" was his second question.

Rivia nodded "I did... to answer your earlier question on what I did after leaving; I merely made a small visit to the morgue, pay a visit to Lady Stolas" she answered, eyes holding a seemingly gentle glint that gave Ryden a different impression then what it truly meant.

"Were you two close?"

Rivia chuckled mirthlessly at that question "Far from it, I think she was closer to more men then woman actually... what I did was mere resolution; I wanted to gaze down onto the woman that engineered my fall – I rather enjoyed seeing her in her place" Ryden's eyes slightly widened at the dark undertone within Rivia, a small – very unnoticeable glint of sadistic glee etched itself into her eyes and smile, before vanishing back under the veil of serene mirth.

It was hard to forget that she was a devil, though he didn't know her exact age – damned if he asked a woman that question – but it was clear she was experienced, and rife with deep seeded anger which was evident by her sadistic enjoyment on seeing her enemies lying at her feet.

Understandable

 _He was the same..._

"Does that bother you Arbiter?" she asked suddenly, garnering his attention "Does my indulgence brood disgust in you?" by then it was clear she was nervous in his response by the tone of her voice but in his eyes it was unwarranted... more accurately, he liked it.

"No..." he said simply with a shake of his head, his eyes going from the casual sort to a more cynical shade "If someone doesn't have the spirit to face you head on, then they deserve no mercy; lady Stolas stabbed you in the back and condemned you without even looking you in the eyes" he stopped and tittered on that – not fully knowing the complete circumstances of Rivia's last stand "probably, I don't fully know the specifics, but when I faced her, she struck me as the kind that sought her own glory and fortune in the manner fitting a thief and coward" Ryden smirked before releasing a small huff of amusement "to bad she was too stupid to realize she doomed the Stolas name in the process, got killed fairly easily by Abigail when she realized it"

His gaze met Rivia's, taking notice of the woman's slight look of surprise before titling his head in confusion "What?"

Rivia's eyes shifted away from his "Nothing..." was all she replied with

Ryden knew then it was best to change the subject. Too much of him was visible and that was something he didn't want, especially for Rivia; a woman who seemed to be dedicated to him due to his possession of _Fulgur._ He sighed gently before piping back up "so what did Sirzechs learn from his inspection of Lady Stolas"

Rivia's eyes locked back onto Ryden, seeming to be confused to his change in subject but the woman easily ignored that feeling – sensing a tender subject when it was present.

"I think you mean _my_ inspection; Sirzechs didn't so much as touch Lady Stolas... such an innocent one he is" she replied, mirthfully smiling to herself.

"He does consider himself to be a gentleman" he agreed "so what did _you_ learn? Was there a sigil on her person?" Ryden asked before his eyes slightly widened at the path his question had gone to; judging by the look Rivia developed upon his question suggested she had caught onto his fears. "I don't need the specific location, just a confirmation is all" he said with a slight shake of his head.

Rivia seemed to smile like a Cheshire cat before giggling to herself "I thought you wanted to know... surely you were interested" she teased

" _In the sigil_... not the body; I've got enough of that before me right now as it is" he replied evenly, not at all aware of the can of worms he'd just opened

Here we go...

Since Rivia had backed away from him slightly upon waking up, his hands were free and at the mercy of Rivia who took his left hand and placed it down under; shocking the human deeply by the sudden act and by the completely smooth skin in his hand

Deep inner thigh... left leg... mere inches from...

Ryden laid their frozen, his eyes wide in shock at the situation before he looked a calmly smirking – and mildly blushing – Rivia Abaddon in the eye... his gaze holding a tinge of pleading within, as if begging the woman to 'calm down'

There was forward, there was aggressive and then there was _this..._

One day – not even a full one – and he was already mere inches from Rivia's forbidden zone

Somewhere done this point, Ryden had disregarded realities presence; things like this just didn't happen at the drop of a hat and he damn well knew that for a fact.

His pleading look held firm under the teasing and slightly _triumphant_ look of Rivia who locked his hand in place by placing her other thigh directly on it. He'd whimper if could, but he was afraid the slight motion or sound might familiarize himself with his hands new accommodation.

"The sigil was located directly where your hand is..." she informed with a teased tone of voice

Ryden merely kept his eyes on the woman – uncaring of the information – and dared not to try and pull his hand away – her grip was tight and it was clear she didn't want him to let her go; evident by the fact her right thigh gently caressed the upper part of his hand.

She chuckled again when he developed a deeper expressed emotion of horror at her action; she leaned in slightly at that "I had expected Venelana to have taught you a few things... I guess I was wrong"

"W-what few things?" he asked for no reason, he knew what she meant – partially – but for some reason the question just rolled out.

Rivia smirked a little before softly giggling to herself "It would appear that woman has lost some edge to her game – usually she teases Sirzechs relentlessly with her antics; always coddling him and ambushing him in the bath, I'm surprised you hadn't experienced this before"

"Don't tell me..." Ryden muttered in apprehension, memory slowly rising to the surface "You're just teasing me?"

Rivia again smirked triumphantly "I'm surprised you hadn't caught on already"

Ryden merely glanced down to his hand – the one that was free – and held an expression of realization before looking the diabolical woman in the eye "I thought you were –"

"If I truly wanted _that_ then we wouldn't be talking right now" she interrupted, closing her act with a crescendo-like punch to Ryden's understanding of the word 'teasing'... devil terms was damn near close to sexual harassment!

Brutal

About halfway through the week in his training Ryden had been ambushed by Venelana in the bath – right when he passed out from exhaustion. he was horrified to see Venelana straddling him naked and wet which nearly sent his skeleton to October cause he was hella spooked by that – even more so when the woman was damn near dry humping him; he was praising his own modest upbringing because the only thing keeping him from getting to know his adoptive mother _really_ well was a thick bathing towel he'd used to cover himself inside the large bathing house.

He should have known it at the time but he later learned that if Venelana really wanted a few inches of him then she would have removed the towel _before_ giving him the most awkward message of his life. Since then, he never bathed with a serious ounce of fatigue when he knew Venelana was on the prowl... almost felt like she was watching him.

Ryden shuddered

"Here I am talking about my mother's odd – nearly incestuous – habits of teasing for entertainment while having my own hand near a beautiful devils nether region..." his eyes glanced across the room, his gaze locking with a brightly shimmering Demonic sword – wailing hysterically at the sight before it. Ryden shook his head at the addition. "While also being laughed at by an ancient demonic sword of extreme perversion" he then gave a smirking Rivia a deadpanned look "You can't write this shit..." he exasperated

For some reason though, Ryden felt like he was wrong...

Rivia seemed interested it pushing that envelope further however and smiled again like a Cheshire cat; Ryden grumbled, immediately sensing a follow up tease and prepared himself accordingly.

"Incestuous you say? Wouldn't surprise me; she is surrounded by three powerful beings all the time... I'm surprised she's controlled herself for this long"

Ryden nodded at the woman's words, accepting just what Rivia meant with small grains of deep seeded horror. It was one thing to be in this situation – yet another when it leads to assuming his mother was interested in a forbidden foursome.

"Yup..." he said with a hopeless glint in his eye as he looked up to the roof of his tent "It really couldn't get more awkward then this..."

Suddenly, like a moment of sheer _bullshit_ , the fabric lining the entrance to the canvas tent parted, revealing someone Ryden deeply didn't want to see.

 _Rosalina Phenex_... wonderful

"Lord Ryden its time to..." she started – eyes locked on a set of files in her hand - before freezing when her eyes took in the image of before her... eyes wide in shock at what was displayed

A naked Rivia...

A half naked Ryden...

The display before her produced only a single concoction within her mind, one that forced heat like no other to reach her face – dousing her shell shocked expression a deep red.

Ryden's head hit the pillow, his patience gone by that second

"Ah for fuck–"

"Kyaaaaa!"

* * *

Ryden sat at a small coffee table within his canvas tent, his eyes giving the extremely agitated woman before him the laziest and most exhausted expression he could muster while at the same time, sporting a pippin hot cup of coffee with a Gremory sigil on it. At first Ryden was marveled at the existence of the beverage in this time – having come across it the first day in the getaway estate. He found himself wondering just how old the beverage was but it really didn't matter though, the brewer that made it was very good so he disregarded the possible breach in history, with what his morning had been, he deeply needed a cup... maybe a bailey's coffee?

He digressed

For whatever reason, Rosalina was pissed – why was that? He hadn't a clue – but she was slightly annoyed by something yet Ryden found himself uncaring as to what that was. Out of anyone he should be the one angry, what with Rivia's secret teasing/sexual harassing nature and Rosalina's lack of knocking he should be the one driving a hole through the two's skull, yet at the moment...he just wanted his coffee. So here he sat, silently brooding to himself and enjoying his coffee, while Rivia sat off to the side on the edge of his bed, thankfully having dressed herself appropriately – even if it was a simple night gown – and Rosalina sat across from him with her arms crossed under her bust and a slight twitch to her left eye.

Had he not had his coffee with him, then Ryden would have felt slightly apprehensive as to why the Phenex was so agitated, yet – again – his far larger care towards his morning routine dulled that feeling to a faint curiosity.

...So much so that he worded it

"Mind tell me what's got your panties in a bunch?" he drawled out questioningly

Rosalina barely reacted to his oddly worded question but replied none the less "it's nothing to be concerned of Lord Ryden..." she said before looking Rivia Abaddon in the eye "... I'm just surprised as to how brazen Lady Abaddon is; sleeping in the nude? And with a fellow noble? Scandalous..." she exclaimed with slight signs of disgust.

Ryden quirked a brow while Rivia softly giggled at the woman's words

"I sense jealously in you, lady Rosalina... did you wish to be the one in my place?" she insinuated, forcing a deep blush to sprout onto targeted woman. Her hand clenched tightly, a clear sign of her reeling in her temper before she set a very deadly stare towards Rivia "Unlike you, I at least have restraint"

Ryden felt a slight chill crawl up his spine at her words and immediately knew Rosalina was in the sights of Rivia Abaddon, he could practically _feel_ her grin; subtly Ryden gave a small bow of respect towards Rosalina who had just opened the floodgates.

Incoming...

"Something tells me that if your drapes were open and the full _act_ was in play... you'd have no restraint either"

Ryden nearly coughed out a small sip of coffee while Rosalina took in a very large amount of air to form the biggest gasp he'd ever heard and seen. By then though he knew it was time to step in or he'd have a cat fight at his hands and that was not something he could enjoy... perhaps a pillow fight – a _naked_ pillow fight – but he doubted they both knew restraint to make that look fun.

Ryden merely raised his hand and surprisingly both woman stopped before they could start whatever it was they were about to do; Rosalina had looked keen on jumping Rivia which wouldn't have been good because all she was wearing was a simple nightgown, nothing underneath. While Rosalina was wearing a cleaner version of her combat outfit from the other day; only difference being that this one looked more pristine and... He was gonna say 'skimpier' but that would be over analysing it – it was just that the majority of her legs were exposed to show off a garter belt and high heel thigh high boots.

If they did start wrestling then that would have been more of a _show_ then a _fight_ worth breaking up...

He was mildly disturbed with himself that he viewed it that way but with the morning being the way it was... he was slightly more 'awake' then what met the eye.

Guess he wasn't completely immune to female devils... shocker

Ryden shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts before speaking "no fighting..." he ordered, clear as day and damn near commanding; surprisingly both females slowly withdrew their agitated defenses, Rosalina leaned back into her chair and Rivia slightly hummed away to herself... content about something that only she took pleasure in.

Ryden shook his head again

His eyes locked onto Rosalina's "What are you doing here?" was his simple question before he took a sip from his coffee, blinking at the pure heavenly taste of the sweet nectar of the gods " _That's some good shit..."_ he muttered under his breath before waiting for Rosalina's reply

She replied by sliding a folder to him "Elder Shaxx distributed these orders to us this morning; he gave me yours as well because we will be serving together in the field"

Ryden blinked at the info "Ok" he muttered, taking another sip

"In an hour time, we will be requested to attend a meeting in regards to our regiment's incursion point in the command tent; once there we will get our orders and the rest of our squad, soon after that and our day begins..." she informed before looking over her notes "I would like to take this time to fine tune our combat style and sharpen our advance procedures"

Ryden slowly blinked at Rosalina's near robotic tone until he noticed the main issue. When Rosalina picked up the folder regarding her schedule, Ryden noted a prevalent shaking in the woman's hands and even noticed the slight anxious aura clouding her form. The table he was sitting at with Rosalina was small which allowed him freedom to take hold of her hand and merely rest his on hers – stifling the shake of nervousness all together.

"What are you –?" she questioned but was interrupted

"Your nervous..." was a he stated

The woman in question reeled back at his claim "I'm not –"

"Your hands are shaking, your aura is giving off anxiety and your eyes are bagged" he listed before squinting softly "Did you get any sleep last night?" he asked clearly, seeing nothing else but that outcome.

Rosalina said nothing, pride overriding her desire to word her true emotions but Ryden merely took note of it and pressed his words of comfort. "There's nothing wrong in being anxious, Rosalina..." he said before sighing mildly and sitting back into his seat "I'm nervous as well..." he added before sipping his coffee, slightly shocking the two.

"You are? How?" asked Rosalina "You shrug off lethal hits like nothing, took a sword to the chest and the sword shattered and your nervous?"

Ryden gave her a leveled look "and you are immortal... nothing short of holding you down can kill you and you have me at your side the whole way... even Rivia will be with us" he said before tossing a small glance to the woman who nodded at his words, showing full agreement.

He gave her the most casual look he knew before smirking lopsidedly. "Back in my day we didn't have no fancy-shmancy powers; we had two sticks, and rock! And we had to share the rock" he gave her a small slap on the shoulder "buck up Rosa, your one lucky devil"

It took a moment for the woman to collect herself from Ryden's words of confidence before huffing to herself in mild amusement "you never cease to show me your level of confidence lord Ryden" he drawled out in a slightly exasperated tone.

"Meh, I was born that way..." he replied while humbly brushing off the complement before suddenly realizing something. He smirked to himself before giving Rosalina another mild tap on the shoulder, snaring her attention immediately "lets forego the studying for now Rosa, I got something I need to grab and I'm sure a nice walk will relax your nerves..." he said before standing up.

Rosalina blinked "what is so important to forego militaristic practice?"

Ryden rolled his head to loosen his muscles before rolling her eyes at the woman's nerdy comment "Come along and find out" he countered before clamouring to the armory side of the canvas tent.

While Rosalina mildly grumbled to herself in annoyance and Rivia took time to fully dress herself in her previous set of clothes she worn yesterday, only this time adding in a few pieces of armor for herself. Ryden took stock of what he had for weapons in his armory; he'd been told by Zeoticus the small bits of information on officer tents – which was what he was currently standing in – and learned that it was personally stocked by _nexus sigils –_ of all things – that kept him fully stocked on weapons, personal clothing and food supplies and any other commodities he desired to possess.

Whoever stocked his supplies must be some kind of personal maid of his, one that had been assigned to him at some point during his stay at the Getaway estate. He never did get to meet this maid but she had managed to take note of his favored dishes and most nutritious meals while also noting his favored weapon style, clothing style – literally being dozens of duplicates of what he wore now – and bed sheets... like a mobile five star hotel suit.

Guess if a noble deployed for war, they made damn sure it was comfortable... wonder what the lower ranked devils got...

Ryden shrugged at the mental question before opening the large wardrobe that housed his weapons cache and promptly froze rock solid when he noticed what exactly stood before him.

It was a small period of rest during his training when Sirzechs had requested that he take an hour or two to just mellow out, relax and breath and allow his muscles and bones time to heal. It didn't take Ryden long to fully accept his words of advice and simply took time to nap but Venelana had actually come to him in regards to his weapon of choice. It was one of the rare moments when Venelana wasn't trying to get to know him more personally and instead she had actually opened up conversation regarding the swordspear.

Since he had super strength in regards to his powers, he was more open to previously 'impractical' weapon designs, such as _buster swords_ and massive _war hammers_. While he was no fan of either of those weapons, he did take heed of their uses now that he could wield them without placing himself in jeopardy. He had a certain design he wanted in a swordspear, the previous being a simple designed trainer's weapon of high noble standing; nothing really special and it seemed more useful to a normal human then one that could bunny hop with a carriage on his back. So in the end, Venelana had told him to draw a simple sketch of his desired weapon design and leave it for the Butlers to handle, Ryden had jumped at the opportunity and he got exactly what he wanted.

...at the cost of feeling like a damn Gary-sue... totally _werf_ it though

Its design was similar to a cross spear, yet the blade appeared more like a _long_ and large arrow head at the end of a moderately lengthened shaft with two openings at the neck for easy gripping. Its color wasn't his preferred choice but onyx black with silver shined edges always stuck out to him, so he accepted the compromise. Small etchings filled out the length of the 4' long shaft which were demonic sigils pertaining to the craftsman, and was more of a personal signature then anything; when it came to those... personal signatures were a sign of passion and pride, meaning the weapon was forged in skillful hands and treated with extreme care.

Its build was perfect – exactly like his sketch – and its balance... would make Thanos cream himself.

Ryden smirked widely to himself, not only did he manage to forge the _**Cerberus**_ hand cannon... but he managed to get the bloody _**Nameless Kings**_ swordspear forged out for him as well... the mild feeling of being a Gary-sue was trivial to him.

He sniffled to himself before taking the weapon from its vertical cradle. "Ooohohoho..." he sighed deeply when his joy reached no-no levels "keep it cool Ryden, you got company behind you" he muttered to himself before studying the weapon further – tearfully drinking in the beauty of the weapon – and then dismissed it into his pocket dimension.

He closed the cache door and turned to see the others waiting from him. He sighed again to calm himself before lifting up _Fulgur_ and strapping it to his back. Subtly, Ryden smirked when he felt the possessive energy of _Fulgur_ wrap itself around him in a hug. He chuckled before gently running his hand along the handle of the sword over his right shoulder "Don't worry girl, I still love you" he purred aloud, uncaring to the odd look he got from Rosalina and the smirk from Rivia. _Fulgur_ purred at the affection before dying down – happy that it wasn't being ignored.

He shook his head when he finally noticed their looks.

"Don't ask..."

Rivia purred out a small giggle "Do you two need a room, Arbiter?" she asked teasingly, garnering _Fulgur's_ humored shimmer in response.

He sighed, his arms dropping mildly at the woman's continued teases before replying "Let's go" he said in return, completely ignoring the question.

All he heard behind him was the faint chuckles of Rivia and the light footsteps of a mildly sullen Rosalina but he merely kept pace with himself and ignored almost everything else when his mind came back to the reason of their departure...

... He had a new _puppy_ to pick up.

* * *

The small trip to the _command lab_ – a name that Ryden had chosen – was short and sweet and was accompanied with only mild arguments and teases between Rosalina and Rivia. Ryden didn't fully know what was happening between the two but simply ignored it because whenever he put full attention to their mild arguments, they merely brushed off his concern and immediately walked hand in hand like two girl-friends on their way to the mall... only to start bantering again when he looked away. It was mildly disconcerting, but if they truly had an issue then they wouldn't disregard it the second he decided to step in; what it was it might only be a thing between girls so he left it at that.

Once they arrived at the Command lab the door slide open easily, revealing an empty room with active sigils working on tables and walls... the same kind of activity that was seen in the lab yesterday. Ryden simply walked in casually with a hesitant duo behind him.

"You really think General Astaroth will appreciate your invasion into his lab" asked a apprehensive Rosalina.

Ryden shook his head to disarm her worries "he told me himself it was fine... just don't touch anything" he replied before approaching the forging table.

"Like I would in the first place" retorted Rosalina sharply as she stood rooted in the middle of the room, making absolutely sure she was nowhere near something of importance. Ryden found her fear to be kinda cute in a sense before looking to a small note on the terminal at the center of the table; the note saying 'place hand on terminal'... very brief.

He blinked at the simple instruction before tearing the note off and placed his hand where he was told. A faint hiss escaped small cooling vents along the sides of the tables edges, mildly startling the two other devils behind him, before the center of the table slipped open to allow a small platform to raise up what he'd come to acquire.

Faint wisps of steam rolled out from the opening, shrouding the black hand cannon in a cloud of transparent residual energy, creating an ominous appearance.

Ryden smirked the whole time, eyes drinking in the clear image of the perfectly life-like design of _Cerberus._ The two others looked on in interest towards the odd weapon displayed on the table while Ryden summoned the last piece to the weapons forging.

The gem

"Let's see what becomes of this puppy..." muttered Ryden as he gently pressed the gem to the top of the weapon.

The effect was instant and theatrical; once the gem was pressed to the metal and given a slight 'wake up charge' it quickly dissolved into the gun – spreading evenly along the weapons length – and lighting up the previously invisible sigils of demonic origin before letting them fade without issue. Small arcs of blue electricity rolled along the barrel while a pulse of blue energy from inside the weapon temporarily lit up the internal portions and moved along the length of the weapon... before releasing a slightly violent thume of power that caused all three present to turn away.

"What did you do Ryden?" questioned Rosalina in fear

Ryden ignored her question and turned back to look the weapon over and immediately noticed differences... very good differences.

The details in the weapon had become more pronounced, as if the weapon had been 'fluffy' before the gems addition. Now though, the metal appeared more _glossy_ and smooth then its previously _matte_ and rough appearance. By glance alone the feeling of the metal practically screamed _powerful_... proclaimed its _adamantine_ strength with an aura of finalization, of completion.

 _Cerberus was ready to hunt..._

The handle of the weapon was custom and different then its majorly _Dragonite_ build; at first Ryden was confused on its presence, but guessed Ajuka had run out of _Dragonite_ metal to make a handle – Ryden digressed however; he knew what the replacement was and he wasn't complaining about it. On both sides of the weapons handle was a dark silver metal called _Terranite_ ; a rare – yet common – metal like substance, found in _Leviathia_. _Terranite_ takes the appearance of marble, yet feels like _Balsa wood_ – earth's softest and lightest wooden substance – However, _Terranite's_ name was derived from the word 'Terraform' for a very clear reason.

 _It could be bonded to other molecular compounds..._

With it being so close to _Dragonite_ and that it had literally bathed in the forging energy of pure _draconic_ energy from a _legendary dragon_ , the _Terranite_ metal had been terraformed into a softer form of _Dragonite_... perfectly fitting the desired role of a comfort grip while negating the weaknesses of anything other than _Dragonite... which had no weakness._

Both metals were expensive, one was rare and the other only worked as good as the metal it was partnered to... and it was also rare as well, exclusive to the territory of _Leviathia_

Ryden foregone his hesitance and picked up the weapon before moaning to himself at just how _light_ and _balanced_ it was... and it was _comfortable._ The grip felt like heaven, the weapon was not barrel heavy or grip heavy and its payload was nothing to scoff at... but most of all...

 _It knew when it was being held..._

It happened the moment he picked it up; the energy within the weapon came _alive_. Faint arcs of blue electricity ran along the barrel, while a faint blue flame overtook the weapon entirely before fading into a controlled simmer deep within the metal which in turn exposed the insignia's and etchings on both the handle and the barrel – the small quotes on both sides of the barrel glowed a light blue, perfectly showcasing the features to the two other devils – while the eyes of the three dog heads at the end of the barrel _glowed_ with tempered fury... angry azure eyes glaring forever forward.

Ryden's pants suddenly felt a tad bit tighter...

He groaned slightly when a sigil sprouted onto the back of his hand – the one holding the weapon – before feeling a connection with _Cerberus_ enter his senses, the sigil faded when Ryden's connection was perfectly linked with it. He knew at that moment that Ajuka had managed to add in the Biometric security _and_ emergency GPS functions... he wanted to give the devil a damn kiss for that.

Ryden spotted out of the corner of his eye, the familiar sight of a perfectly crafted thigh holster – right leg adjusted – and perfectly measure to fit Ryden's new toy. He didn't even want to place the weapon down when he grabbed the holster – treating the near indestructible gun like a fresh pair of Jordan's and merely placed the weapon back down on its pedestal. He was disgusted at the notion of dirtying the beauty in his hands with the possibility of dust; even though the lab was sanitary he didn't want a damn scratch on it.

Once the holster was snuggly fashioned to his leg – the straps being perfectly fitted under the metal greaves that he wore – his weapon now had a small home on his person to which he used instantly. It fit snuggly when he slide _Cerberus_ in, yet it was loose enough for quick use when needed; Ryden also noted the holster was even outfitted with a securing strap – used to make sure he didn't accidentally drop the weapon during highly stressful situations. Aside from feeling like a badass cowboy with a gat the size of a sawed off shot gun, Ryden knew he needed to give the weapon a good ol stress test... and that meant a trip to a firing range.

Ryden smirked almost darkly before eyeing the terminal and pressing the 'close' function on the forge, and then he summoned the paper slip Ajuka had given him and placed it on the glass surface of the table – immediately noting the sight of the files regarding _Cerberus_ were subsequently deleted by this action; just like Ajuka promised.

He nodded – smirk withholding – before turning on a dime and walking passed the two silent devils that had been standing behind him the whole time.

"Ryden... what is that thing?" asked Rosalina, her eyes trailing after an eager Ryden

Ryden paused and smirked towards the woman "its name is _Cerberus_ for your information... and if you want answers as to what it can do – then follow me, I wanna see just how much fire power this _pupper_ can dish out" he replied before walking out the slide door, a small smile of excitement dominating his features.

Rosalina looked to Rivia to question her of Ryden's odd behavior but the woman merely shrugged in response to her gaze, being just as confused as she was. Both devils sighed to themselves before following after the human, clearly curious as to what the weapon was.

* * *

Ryden knew they had a small period of time to gather their things before their meeting with Elder Shaxx, but he knew that taking an untested firearm into a live combat zone was beyond irresponsible as there may be a small skill gap required to using the weapon, the possibility of misfires and most plausible: it may not even fire at all.

He needed to stress test the weapon and get used to its firing process, but it wasn't like he was going to drop the damn thing in mud and try firing it; no, all he wanted was to make sure the weapon did its jobs which simply meant pulling the hammers back and giving the few etched spells within the cylinders a small morning jog before its use in the field.

That's all... mostly

His walk was done in silence, allowing him a calm jaunt through the city with the small cluttering sounds of active duty personnel as they prepared themselves for the day's events; the many devils he passed were mostly lower ranked devils giving him straight salutes in respect to his rank, while a few nobles simply tossed him a faint nod before carrying on with their morning routine. Both Rivia and Rosalina had thankfully foregone their slight bickering and merely kept pace with Ryden as they approached a small open field in a central plaza within the Bael clans smaller district city. Geographically, the large military camp had been placed up a block back down the roadway behind Ryden – which was a few blocks from the crucible – while the central plaza was a mere dirt field usually reserved for low rank super markets and traders that come through every once in a while; currently though, the plaza was baron and possessed a small mound of dirt at the left side of the plaza – perfect for target practice.

"Are you going to tell us what we're doing here or are you going to ignore us?" question Rosalina, having grown increasingly more annoyed by the walk. In her eyes the time they spent walking could have been used to formulate plans and strategy, yet to her it seemed Ryden could care less of such things.

It was a slight agitation mounted on her already present agitated mind... a certain Abaddon devil being the culprit of latter.

Ryden glanced to her with a set of wide eyes, blinked once, un-holstered _Cerberus,_ and pulled the trigger when his sights lined up with the mound of dirt.

 _ **BANG!**_

Ryden should have considered the possibility of the noise coming from _Cerberus_ might be slightly louder than a normal hand cannon, but his growing annoyance to Rosalina's negative words had become a sort of distraction in his consideration towards the denizens a couple blocks from them... some of them only being half asleep.

...well they weren't anymore

Rivia uncapped her ears, a slightly troubled expression dotting her eyes as she regarded the weapon in Ryden's hands with extreme trepidation while Rosalina merely kept her hands over her ears – mildly pained by the soft ringing within them.

"By the Satan's... what the hell is that!?" she bellowed questioningly

Ryden smirked when he regarded the mound of dirt and noted a small hole – cauterized by the extreme heat from the magic bullet – sat perfectly within his crosshairs; he even noted that he felt no recoil upon firing.

The positives... they just. Kept. Coming!

He chuckled to himself before holding the gun up close to his head, a large smile dominating his features as the slight scent of demonic energy residue over took his senses... it smelled like Gunpowder – somehow – dipped in... Lavender?... Odd mix of scents but it wasn't repulsive; perhaps it was the mix of Tiamat's magic energy – the dragon having smelt faintly of lavender – and the fact the weapon's projectiles were heat related... perhaps it was a mix of ash and lavender.

Pioneers level of fancy fragrance...

"This here is the weapon I forged from the _Dragonite_ given to me by Tiamat, its use is mainly for my fight with her, but it has multiple ranges of use in regards to anti-infantry and smacking the shit out of anyone in this puppies range" he dropped his smile into a darker grin "when it howls... you go night-night"

Both women nodded at its power and authority before Rosalina opened up "That's great and all Ryden but we _really_ need to prepare for this invasion" she pressed

Ryden holstered _Cerberus_ before giving Rosalina a mildly annoyed expression, his hands landing on his hips in a mildly disgruntled stance. "There is no preparing for what is to come Rosalina; nothing we do can take away the unpredictable nature of this invasion" he retorted harshly, standing in front of Rosalina after having closed the gap. With his point made he placed both his hands on the woman's shoulders and developed a pleading glint within his eyes as he locked eyes with a surprised Rosalina "so please, for the love of Satan, _relax..._ "

His eyes held with hers momentarily before she glanced away, a faint blush encompassing her cheeks due to his proximity and touch "Have it your way..." she relented, forcing a large smile onto Ryden

"Thank you" he said with a deep sigh of exasperation. He clicked his tongue after letting Rosalina go and drew _Cerberus_ excitedly "Now where was I...?" he asked himself with a maddened smirk.

 _Fulgur_ of all things, answered his rhetorical question with a mild shimmer

"Oh?" Ryden hummed – his eyes glancing up instinctively at the mental link opening – before glancing to the handle of the sword on his back "You wanna try it?" he asked in confusion, which was replied with another shimmer – mostly appearing casually to the eyes of the two female devils, but to Ryden...

 _Fulgur wanted to take Cerberus for a 'walk'..._

A very dark smile overtook Ryden as he pulled back the left hammer on _Cerberus_ , subsequently activating the sigil that opened elemental powers and then primed the weapon with _Fulgur's_ eager Arc energy. The effect was visible to all when the blue and red arcs mixed together to make a very angry dark purple energy display. The previously glowing azure eyes of the three dogs now possessed a deep amethyst glow that spoke of an ominous power contained only by the single finger of a darkly smiling lunatic.

Ryden liked the reaction to this and he wasn't alone in that regard. _Fulgur_ seemed most impressed by the new toy and made itself fully useable to its master whenever it would be called... now all _Fulgur_ wanted was to release its might.

" _Easy girl... I wouldn't want to destroy to much of the plaza"_ soothed Ryden as he took notice of _Fulgur's_ increased fury. The weapon cooled after a moment into a more stable and controlled edge before Ryden pulled the trigger.

 _ **BANG!**_

Same as before... no recoil, but the outcome was much different than the last shot. a massive bolt of purple arc energy tore itself violently from the barrel – the glowing eyes of _Cerberus_ briefly shone brighter – before it impacted with the mound of dirt, creating a moderately large explosion – nothing to terrifying – that came _after_ the bolt tore itself through the mound of hardened dirt, leaving a perfectly shaped and perfectly cut circle in it...

...roughly the size of a hula-hoop

Ryden stood motionless for a small period, his hand holding out the large hand cannon gently in the air while the soft ringing in his hear slowly numbed away. The residual energy from the shot rolled out of the barrel in slow swaths of vapor while the slight glow of heat from the tip of the barrel simmered angrily before rapidly cooling. He pursed his lips before smirking and twirled the weapon in a single rotation before holstering _Cerberus_ fluidly.

"NOW _THAT'S_ A LOT OF DAMAGE!" bellowed Ryden with clear joy within his wide eyes.

"By the Satan's... I think you woke up the whole territory with..." she paused when Ryden locked eyes with her, clearly knowing where her words were going.

"Say her name..." he nearly ordered

"..." she hesitated, oddly feeling a slight chink in her pride at the notion of naming an inanimate object a pet name, evident by the clear hesitant look she directed to the triple barreled beauty in Ryden's hand.

Ryden's eyes narrowed a few inches "Say it..." he pressed

She held on slightly for a moment before sighing loudly, an expression of surrender becoming dominant on her features. " _Cerberus..."_ she muttered in defeat.

Ryden beamed at her, hand cooing the gun with a few soft pets along its barrel "That wasn't so hard was it?" he asked calmly

Rosalina sighed a second time but more in exasperation to Ryden's degree of enthusiasm "I honestly can't answer that right now..." she replied

Ryden shrugged at that – seeing nothing else to comment on – however, before he could continue his fun in testing _Cerberus_ , a small magic sigil sprouted up by his and Rosalina's ears, shining a faint indigo, before a voice filled both of their minds – a broadcast message – and one that immediately got Rosalina's back straighter then before.

 _[Attention all sentinel's of the second Regiment, this is Elder Septimus Shaxx; please report to the second divisions command tent immediately for operational briefing]_

Ryden nodded before disposing his enthusiasm completely and holstered _Cerberus_ with a quiet 'thunk' and then glanced to Rosalina resolutely "Show time" was all he said

Rosalina sighed loudly, nerves springing up as she digested the sudden development "so it would seem"

Ryden walked by Rosalina and pat the woman's shoulder gently, giving her a small reassuring smile; he held it momentarily before looking over to Rivia "If you have anything you want to do, then I recommend you get it done now" he said

Rivia shook her head "I have nothing to do at the moment Arbiter, my slate is clear"

"What about your sisters?"

Rivia nodded with a small smirk adoring her face, appreciative towards the meaning behind his words "They are fine; I saw to their accommodations myself yesterday and said my goodbyes"

Ryden nodded "Good to hear" he replied before looking Rosalina over "what about you? Give your brother a goodbye kiss?" he asked with a cheeky smirk.

Rosalina rolled her eyes "As if I'd go as far as granting that twit a kiss..." she retorted before taking a small breath, eyes growing slightly more sullen "...but yes, I did give my farewells; to my mother at least" she informed, leaving Ryden in confusion as to why she never mentioned her father. Rosalina ignored Ryden's complicated expression and tapped her chin in remembrance "I never did get a chance to speak with Lord Bael regarding the Geass scroll incident"

Ryden shook his head – foregoing that topic for a better time – and regarded Rosalina with a small smirk "Already settled that yesterday with him; you're clear"

She frowned at the information "why did you approach him without my presences?"

"Because it was the best opportunity at the time" he retorted before shaking his head "...but never mind that right now Rosa, we got a briefing to join and an invasion to win – worry about the politics until _after_ the invasion, yeah?"

Rosalina shook her head briefly before agreeing, seeing no point in chasing an already settled matter.

Ryden nodded at her before pointing towards the military camp with a hap hazard bow "Lead the way, _sentinel_ "

Rosalina rolled her eyes at his sarcastic comment and action but otherwise did what a sentinel was supposed to do, lead the way.

[Time until invasion: 1 hour and 30 mins]

* * *

Things were picking up back at the Military camp site now that the hour of the invasion was upon the blue, red, and Jade legions. Knights scurried around the tents before lining up and forming their intended 'squads'; their uniformed black armor designs glimmering with a perfect polish and their weapons primed and sharp for battle; while this happened, the large majority of casters joined into large platoon sized formations – their roles being the _artillery_ for the main invasion force. Among the men and woman of the lower ranked devils were the few nobleman and noblewoman that which directed the larger majority of the military forces – these were the _elders._

Their roles were like _Regiment commanders_ , commanding a bolster of 1,000 men and woman that had been redeployed to the Bael territory near hours after the news of the first signs of the leviathan armies' appearance. Before the Bael territory housed a measly number of 1,000 – a single regiment – but now that order was re-established and the main fighting force of the _three_ legions was present... 30,000 stood at attention within the Bael territory.

All of them primed and ready for war.

Ryden hadn't truly been aware of just how many devils were present for the invasion, the sight of the once peaceful camp suddenly being turned into a busy bees nest slightly left Ryden reeling at the sheer fighting force the three legions possessed all together, it put things into a perfect perspective for him. The three of them were currently moving at a brisk and controlled pace, their posture taking a more serious and powerful gait then their previously relaxed state. They all knew – well, _Ryden_ knew – that image among superiors kept morale strong for the lower few, so he had no choice but to tighten up and move like a machine.

... he'd get used to it eventually

Since his rank was lower to Rosalina's he fell behind the woman and kept pace with hers while Rivia did the same for him. All along the way to the large command tent, Ryden noticed the few stares he was getting along the way – more so for Rivia then himself now that he looked into it. Word of his actions in the crucible had spread like wildfire and his popularity and respect had grown immensely in the eyes of most of the lower ranking devils; he was flattered by their looks of awe but kept his posture straight and his eyes forward. Rivia on the other hand was a well known hero of great renown and had immense combat experience – she knew what hell awaited all of them. She never knew it because she had 'fallen' on that day in the Abaddon territory and while she had been suffering, her memory and heroism in the face of insurmountable odds had been recorded in the history books and a medal of honor had been branded in her name... with her being alive and present...

... Morale couldn't get any higher.

"Were here..." spoke Rosalina

Ryden nodded, easily spotting the massive red command tent before him. It was octagonal – similar to all the others – but wider in all directions and taller by 10 more feet; the sheer size was mostly to accommodate the large number of knight sentinels and sentinels for use during briefings. He supposed the size really shouldn't have affected him based on that information alone but its placement and grandeur was hard to not notice. He shook his head slightly, ignoring his own mental ramblings and simply followed Rosalina inside the bustling briefing room.

The interior was massive and sparse, which ranged only to a decorative carpet and spangled fabric benches along with bleachers to the sides of the entrance that curved along the outside rim of the octagonal room. Directly within the center stood a massive geographic map – holographic, obviously – that illustrated the invasions plan. Those that stood within the large tent were noble devils and the large number of lower to mid ranked devils given the honor of being sentinels and Knight sentinels due to their deeds and skills...it should be clear that the majority of the fighting force within the anti-Satan forces was mostly lower class devils, obviously due to the lacking numbers of pure bloods on their side.

Nearly 100 men and woman stood and sat within the room, all of them regarding a small squad of Praetorian's and the elder himself standing just before the large map, the small squad was in the middle of having what seemed to be a mild conversation of some importance, probably discussing the finer points of the briefing. Elder Shaxx was a grizzled man, appearing to be 30 years old with short buzzed hair and a cleanly trimmed beard – two scars running down his pronounced cheek bone until they stopped at his firm jaw line mere inches from his lips. His eyes spoke of experience and his posture demanded respect with a side helping of might within the corded muscle of the lightly armored giant.

He only managed to regard the devil for a small period before he was ushered by Rosalina to follow her up to the bleachers on the left of the briefing room, where they found Abigail and Nyx both sitting calmly together, surprisingly more relaxed than during their debriefing.

"Good to see you, Lord Ryden" greeted Abigail sweetly, her tone taking on a very different vibe. Guess all devils within noble standing possessed a different personality... yay for him.

"It's good to see you as well, lady Abigail" he greeted before sitting down, Rosalina having taken the seat between him and Abigail while Rivia took her place in the seat to his right. "Did you two get a good amount of sleep?" he asked, his own noble tone enveloping his voice again.

Abigail smiled sweetly before elbowing a softly snoring Nyx in the ribs, violently waking him from what he knew to be a damn good nap "Can you please stop doing that woman" he growled before rubbing the offending spot "I'm sore enough as it is"

"Take a moment to regard your surroundings Nyx, we have company" scolded Abigail while pointing a very casual finger to three new arrivals, Nyx locked eyes with a slightly smirking Ryden who waved mockingly when the groggy devil notice him.

"Good morning, Lord Nyx... I take it you didn't get any sleep last night?" commented Ryden with a mirthful smirk when the devil blinked before looking at both Rivia and Rosalina.

"Oh, apologies maladies..." he stifled a yawn before continuing "I was just trying to catch up on some sleep because _somebody_ was snoring the whole night"

Nyx's words garnered him a more physical response from the woman at his side and soon enough, he was held in a very tight headlock by Abigail – the woman sporting an agitated expression mixed with a few twitches to her brow. "How rude, to speak of a woman like that is deplorable – did your mother not teach you manners?" she asked, tone laced with a venomous growl. Ryden noted a small blush on the red heads cheeks and merely smirked.

"Gahhhh...!" wheezed Nyx "I regret... nothing" he managed to say before her hold grew tighter

Ryden sweat dropped at the display before him while Rosalina tried her best to make sure no one thought she was related to them by looking anywhere else but towards the two; to his surprise however, Rivia softly chuckled at their sibling like behavior before fall silent again, her eyes regarding Ryden's slightly confused expression.

"What seems to be the issue, arbiter?" she asked

Ryden titled his head, a small content smirk over taking his lips. "It's just an observation but; you seem much happier than before... the teasing being a dead giveaway"

All she did was smirk a little more in response, her eyes expressing more gratitude then her own words. "I have you to thank for that" she replied with genuine emotion "as for the teasing..." she muttered before softly giggling into her hand and leaving it at that; a small smirk being his only source of response.

He smirked at her – ignoring the slight uneasy feeling within him – before resting a hand on her knee and giving it a gentle squeeze "in all ends, I'm just happy to see you in full health..." his hand slid off her person before he crossed his arms over his chest "...I'm always glad to help"

"You do more than just 'help' Arbiter, what you did for me and the others..." she paused to mull over her words before softly shaking her head, obviously not finding the correct words to continue. "It goes without say, but you are more than just 'help'" she replied

Ryden shrugged at her compliment "I'll be whatever I need to be; guardian, savior or destroyer, it doesn't matter in the end"

The woman merely nodded at his words, a content smile etched on her lips "So it would seem..." she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

Ryden tittered on that reply before suddenly feeling like he was being watched. Dreadfully and with great despair, Ryden turned to see Nyx, Abigail and Rosalina staring at him; their expressions ranged to two different types. Rosalina sported an annoyed expression while both Nyx and Abigail regarded him with fox like grins. He sighed, already knowing the end of this path before it began.

"what?" he asked, eager to get it over with

Abigail merely glanced from Ryden to Rosalina "I'm sensing that something happened last night..." she inquired with her fox like grin still withstanding. Rosalina slightly bristled at the question and it was clear the woman had just opened a small wound on Rosalina's pride; the reaction was normal but the reason was obscured to his understanding.

Thankfully though, Rosalina disregarded the question by glancing away slightly, a small blush withheld behind a soft frown "It's nothing worth repeating"

Ryden's eyes closed and a small breath of relief escaped him while Nyx merely gave Rosalina a small confused look before shrugging it off. Had there been something of some significance then Rosalina would have been on that topic like white on rice but she seemed keen on keeping it close to her chest. Ryden counted his chickens, only dreading what conversation would've aroused, had _that_ topic been explored.

With the slight lull in conversation, Ryden saw an opportunity to draw the topic as far away as possible and he started that by locking onto the Valac devil. "Lady Abigail?" he called out in question, grabbing the aforementioned woman's attention.

"Hmm?" she hummed gently

"Since you are a Ranger, what roll will you be undertaking? I can see you rolling with the Caster units but I got a feeling your job will be sort of _specialized_ to an extent" he asked with genuine interest

Abigail's eyes shone slightly with mild surprise by the question but smirked at Ryden a moment afterwards "~my... why the sudden interest?~" she counter questioned with a teasing tone

Ryden shrugged "Food for thought?"

She deadpanned at his blatant show of ignoring her sultry tone.

"Fair enough" she muttered before elbowing Nyx in the ribs again – startling the drifting off devil before he could pass out "Nyx and I both have special rolls in this coming invasion – _silent incursion_ being its primary job description. I may be a Ranger but my roll doesn't necessarily mean I must fly solo all the time, so Nyx is my spotter" Abigail informed casually

Ryden nodded at the information, the familiarity was uncanny to him at just what Abigail's words fully meant. His time possessed the same type of soldier; _long range reconnaissance_ was one of the most important features when it came to this role in modern warfare.

The role of a _Scout Sniper_...

It was obvious now that devils were in the process of experimenting with different kinds of militaristic strategy and engagement protocols; snipers were one of the oldest roles in warfare – dating back to the late ages when the use in bows was most prominent. This may be solely human history but Ryden had read it before in a tome back in the library alongside Zeoticus. Back then, he'd run into the devil jotting notes down regarding military roles and what new ones could be invented to help alleviate the main invasion forces efforts. The devil said it was a type of hobby for him; since his son was literally a General, he could always drop ideas down on the devils lap and see what would become of it.

Apparently it was Abigail herself that solidified this idea by means of expressing her skill in hunting, stealth and most of all: her perfect accuracy at extreme range – Ryden having first hand witness at just how long. She branded the idea with her family resources and was later picked up by Sirzechs' advisers a few days after. It seemed they were giving the Green light to Abigail to see how well this type of role plays out.

They will be surprised and the Old-Satan's will be as well.

With Nyx tagging along for the ride, it made Abigail's job much easier; watching your 12 and 6 o'clock wasn't an easy thing to do when behind enemy lines, and given the fact Nyx was privy to Abigail's special brand of stealth, turned their jobs into something like a cake walk.

While the three of them would be running headlong into open fire... yippy...

"I see..." Ryden commented before looking back to Abigail "I take it you'll be deploying at an earlier time?" he asked

Abigail nodded, however her eyes held slight surprise at his foresight "How did you know?"

He shrugged "If I was deploying a two man team into enemy lines just before a predictable invasion, then I'd do so before the meat of the fighting force showed up... the less detectable demonic energy, the less of chance of being compromised before reaching your destined firing position... easy strategy" he explained, stunning Abigail slightly.

"I can see why General Sitri wanted to bed you so badly" commented Abigail abruptly, her eyes still held in slight awe at Ryden even when both Rivia and Rosalina slightly choked on their own spit by the woman's words... Nyx merely chuckled at the display, while Ryden felt like his soul had left his body; worst thing was is that he didn't doubt Abigail's words, not even slightly.

"Abigail! To assume such things from the General..." growled Rosalina, her eyes wild in shock

"That is most Vulgar, Lady Abigail" chastised Rivia, her eyes were more refined and controlled then Rosalina's but her voice took a very curt tone; clearly she was agitated by something.

Abigail herself merely brushed off the two's words like leaves before smirking at the two "I kid, I kid... take it easy you two" she eased casually while sporting a mild sweat drop.

It seemed though the conversation would be placed on immediate hold for the foreseeable future as the majority of the room was suddenly silenced when Elder Shaxx raised his hand, the small conversation he had with the praetorians had come to a close and now it was time for the briefing. Ryden had to stare forward for a second in shock at just how disciplined the entire room was; first it was like a lively meeting with multiple conversations going around but the moment that hand came up: silence, total silence.

Whatever the devils were teaching in the discipline classes, they needed to teach human teachers it because damn was it effective.

Elder Shaxx merely stood at attention for a moment before looking everyone in the eye with an intense stare and then after taking in the gazes of Veteran allies and new ones, the older devil huffed before picking up a small dark grin

"I like what I'm seeing... fierce gazes, ripe with a blazing fire" he muttered

Ryden had to smirk slightly at that; he didn't know who Elder Shaxx was but his first impression spoke of a maniac, a war nut or monger – just the look in the eye was enough to tell him that much. It wouldn't totally surprise him if the majority of the older breed within the Anti-Satan forces had developed a sort of _bond_ with war or possibly the fond feeling of militaristic structure, and developed a connection to it.

If he could... he'd nickname him 'gunny'

Shaxx nodded to himself before glancing to the side towards a selection of casters "begin briefing..." he muttered.

Suddenly the holographic image sprung to life, showcasing a fully displayed geographic map of the invasions drop zone. From the initial inspection the intended landing point would be a few hundred meters from the large border zone that sat between the territory of _Leviathia_ and the _Territory of Thorns_ which seemed sparse and extremely open for attack, the only cover they'd have would be the hundreds of tree stumps scattering the border zone. Once this image sat in view for a couple of minutes, the image then chose a small section of the large horizontal display of the border line and homed in on it.

The designation name for this section was code named: _Rose Garden_

"Alright here's the situation on the ground..." started Shaxx before he pointed to the map "due to the events yesterday, the massive force of the leviathan army retreated rapidly back into the _Territory of Thorns_. The good thing is, is that they didn't expect this kind of outcome" he paused before the image zoomed in to the flat terrain that was the Border zone which confirmed Ryden's first assessment on there being hundreds of tree stumps... and _nothing else._

The D-day vibe was getting real

"Our Geometric scans – courtesy of the Jade legion – have given us information regarding the terrain... the first initial drop point will be just before the border zone, expect immediate contact from long range scouts and artillery volleys. In this case, we will advance through the border zone towards the open trenches a few yards from the tree line" he informed – garnering a small air of annoyance from most present – before the image slowly ran across the zone towards the _Territory of Thorns_ which then revealed the fortifications the Old-Satan's possessed. The main line of the Old-Satan's was a clear trench line fortification just a few yards (about 300 yards) from the tree line behind them – possibly possessing subterranean tunnels for safe transition encase of their needing of a retreat. Directly behind the trench line were three large towers that loomed from within a thick forestry area. Ryden nodded; the majority of the map was smaller than he thought it would be, but he guessed it was mostly kept that way to simplify their roles in this invasion; it was possible the other legions had the same procedure... the less clutter during the briefing meant there'd be less confusion on the field when shit hit the fan.

"Whatever they throw at us, we'll push through it..." spoke Shaxx with a hard look and tone; he regarded the room momentarily before looking back to the map which shone with a massive arrow that gestured the main lines advancement and then opened up with the second phase of the plan – which was shown by the highlighting of the three towers previously noted. " _When_ that time arrives – and order is established for those that make it through to the trenches – the main priority is to capture and destroy the towers outlining the rear of the Old-Satan's defensive perimeter where we believe the main artillery forces may be hiding, once you've captured your tower use a signal spell to mark it and then destroy it however you wish" Shaxx then crossed his arms while five zones – marked in green – appeared in five distinct locations spread out evenly in a dome-like fashion a few hundred yards further into the forest behind the tower perimeter; each zone was listed in numerical order, from left to right. "Once the towers are all destroyed, the first twenty platoons will rendezvous at _sector-1_ , the next twenty will be in _sector-2_ and so on; know your roles – you will be designated your platoon number shortly after the briefing..." Shaxx paused before glancing to the map which then showed the five combined zones moving in a controlled advanced which continuously spread out the further they went into the territory "Once all platoons have rendezvoused to their respective zones, Phase 3 will be called over wide communication sigils in order to synchronize our advance into the forest, when that happens, main objective is simple; hunt down any resistance within and secure a foot hold" the Elder suddenly paused, his eyes growing slightly darker then before. "The requirement for prisoners is not a priority but if the chance presents itself then do so, otherwise... kill them all"

As if by some unspoken command, the whole room rose to their feet – those that had been standing merely took on a much sharper pose – before all devils present crossed their right arm over their chest and slammed their closed fist against their hearts while at the same time stomping with their right leg, resolute and solid expressions adoring all within the tent.

" _ **HOOOOO!"**_ they all howled, generating a morale bolstering thoom within the tent

Ryden followed fluidly in the formal salute, having learnt it from Sirzechs prior to his departure, before holding it much like all the others. Ryden held his firm gaze on Elder Shaxx who smiled darkly at them all when nothing but courage stood before the devil... no fear was welcome among them.

"From the dust in which we were born, to the fray in which we thrive and to the blood in which we spill..." he quoted before striking a formal salute – same as all the others – and directing each one of them a deep dark smile of excitement "...Send them off screaming to purgatory"

" _ **HOOOOO!"**_

With one final stomp and howl from each devil present, the elder took his leave which left a mildly impressed Ryden to regard the moment with a small awed smile. It was something out of a fantasy to stand and witness how another race conducted warfare and Ryden was having a small moment to relish in the feeling. Even though the invasion time was upon them, he really didn't feel the pressure of what was to come... as only time would tell.

He felt a hand on his shoulder which garnered him to regard a slightly unnerved Rosalina "Let's report to the Praetorian in charge of distributing the platoon numbers" she said with a steadied voice

"Sounds good" Ryden nodded before he looked over to Nyx and Abigail "You two stay safe out there you hear, wouldn't want that spar of ours to be missed" he said before giving Nyx a challenging smirk.

The devil in question merely huffed at his words "Like some Old-Satan inquisitors could give me a rightful challenge"

"Doubt" Ryden dropped, his eyes holding a smug-like grin

Nyx's left eye twitched "Ok bub... I'll show you up" he growled

"Doubt"

Nyx's right eye twitched

Abigail chuckled before resting a gently hand on a slightly fuming Nyx, moderately defusing the black haired devils fuse. "Now hold on you two..." she chastised before tossing a small teasing smirk to both male devils "I'm sure you'll both have enough time settle this love affair some other time –"

"Gahk?!" choked both devils in question

"—so it should be wise to save this pent up energy for the Old-Satan's and not each other" she said simply, completely ignoring the horrified expressions on both Nyx and Ryden. Both raised their gazes to lock onto the other before quickly looking away; both adopting slightly disturbed expressions the whole time while making absolutely sure they didn't look the teasing Abigail in the eye.

Abigail smirked at the response she received – as did both Rivia and Rosalina – before the former lightly punched Ryden's chest, a small warm smile being picked up on her lips "Do be safe out their Lord Ryden, if the information is anything to go by then... you'll need it"

Ryden's hands rested themselves on his hips followed by a long exhale of nervousness – or rather sudden nervousness. "Thanks... Now I Guess I _am_ nervous" he replied back with a small, slightly exasperated, smirk.

Abigail returned the expression before gesturing to the two woman beside him "I'm sure Rosa and Rivia will make extra sure you make it..." she assured before looking both females in the eye "Isn't that right Ladies?"

Something within Abigail's tone made both women suddenly stiffen before two different reactions occurred before him. Rosalina merely looked anywhere else but in his direction, a small blush dominating her features before a small – and arguably cute – huff escaped her lips while Rivia merely kept her position at his side... though slightly closer than before.

"As if he'd need my protection in the first place, but... if worst comes to worst then I will make an exception" Rosalina replied, noble tone in full effect. Ryden blinked – as did both Abigail and Nyx – in confusion at the woman's choice of response and oddly felt conflicted on whether he should feel complimented or insulted at her – what he assumed – to be her words of assurance to Abigail; it seemed that when it came to Rosalina, he had a hard time picking either. Judging by the similar looks on Nyx and Abigail meant they did as well... least he wasn't alone in that regard.

Rivia on the other hand merely nodded at the woman's words, her posture remaining ever so pristine as it always was but for some reason an odd air of possessiveness exuded from her in droves, which was noticed by Abigail only. Rivia nodded her head towards Abigail and Nyx "No harm shall befall him; that is my duty as Guardian after all" she exclaimed with a perfectly noble tone, golden eyes remaining locked on Abigail. The aforementioned devil merely gave the two a troubled expression – one hinted with clear amusement – before shaking her head.

"Send them screaming to purgatory?" she said before softly chuckling "With you three I'm thinking you'll be _escorting_ them there without trouble"

Rosalina almost released a huff again in response "Of course we will..." she assured with what seemed like suddenly developed confidence... again Ryden was having trouble getting a bead on her, the first thing he noticed this morning was her nervousness and incessant desire to study and forge battle contingencies in silent which would have only stacked more pressure onto her shoulders, But now her opinion has changed; it was either the presences of old friends or possibly the friendly banter that followed... or maybe her Tsundere was kicking into to maximum overdrive.

He assumed the latter.

Nyx gave her a slight pained expression before lightly slapping her shoulder "that's good to hear..." he said before turning his gaze from the slightly shaking Rosalina to Ryden, a small challenging smirk being picked up on his face "highest body count doesn't buy first 3 rounds when this is over" he said before holding out his fist.

Ryden laughed at that before responding to the fist bump "Ooohh it's on" he replied with a confident grin on his lips, his right hand slightly cooing his new weapon on this thigh.

"You got confidence for someone on the front lines" he shot back

"At least I won't be babysitting the whole time" he countered – ignoring the slight 'tick' on Abigail's forehead.

"At least I'm not the one being looked after"

Ryden's brow rose in immediate question towards Nyx's response before outstretching his hands wide open "what's wrong with that? Not only am I gonna rack up the body count but I'm gonna do so with two beautiful woman at my side; what's not to love?" he reasoned, garnering a wide eyed expression from Abigail and two exuberant blushes from Rivia and Rosalina... to which he did not notice.

Nyx merely nodded at that while also ignoring the looks from the girls "true true..." he responded evenly, clearly seeing the positives outweighed the negative in Ryden's logic.

Ryden merely elbowed Nyx gently "At least you got one with you"

Nyx tittered on that before nodding without a word, completely agreeing with Ryden's point

"Ok you two!" shot up Abigail, bright blush in full effect "that's enough rife raff, it's time for me and Nyx to get ready for our deployment, we'll be seeing you three later" she said with quick haste, a completely different change on the usually teasing woman; he hadn't noticed it but she did have a teasing nature in a sense that it seemed to only stem towards Nyx.

"Enjoy your date you two" teased Ryden, garnering a sharp glare from Abigail in return before they left the briefing room... it would seem she herself wasn't very good at receiving teases, perhaps there was a reason why? Nyx and Abigail did appear to be close, perhaps they were... Ryden shook his head before he began assuming too much and promptly dropped the mental topic for another time when the clues were more obvious, for now the two appeared like brother and sister.

But in devil society, that can change quickly

"Lord Ryden?" questioned Rosalina, her earlier blush having disappeared.

"Hm?"

"We should report in to be given our designated platoon, and then we should see just what kind of initiates we have so we can formulate our attack strategy" she informed

Ryden nodded in agreement before meeting Rosalina's gaze with a serious expression "Sounds good, but Rosa?"

She blinked in confusion at his sudden seriousness "yes?"

"Drop the 'lord' title please, I know its instinct because of the noble up bringing but if I had a gold coin for every time I witnessed a friend lose his/her head because he/she took the extra second to throw in the 'lord' title... I'd be able to create a pillar in the 72 demons with just financial brute force alone" he dropped seriously, causing both Rivia and Rosalina to widen their eyes at him for two separate reasons. The first being his blunt words regarding the death of loved ones and the second being because he'd witnessed it in the first place.

Rosalina was floored by his words and immediately nodded at his reasoning while Rivia bit her lip when a question reached her mind regarding Ryden's words but refrained from asking due to his personal privacy.

Ryden ignored the looks given to him and merely gestured to Rosalina to lead the way out to which Rosalina simply nodded at his action and dropped the topic all together before turning and leading the three out the briefing tent, much to Ryden's pleasure. However, as they took their leave, Ryden noted that Rivia continued to give him a lasting gaze, one that shone with an unknown light within her golden orbs. In response to this, Ryden gave Rivia a small confused – almost questioning – glance, accentuated by an innocent blink with his eyes.

"Need something?" he asked casually

Rivia stiffened slightly at his words before shaking her head dismissively "Nothing arbiter" she said quickly, garnering a small raise in Ryden's brow before he followed up with a calm sigh.

"What I told Rosalina goes for you as well Rivia; call me 'Ryden', 'Vale' or 'Gremory'... anything I'm not one hundred percent familiar with will only fall on deaf ears, especially in the heat of combat" he informed seriously. Ryden vale was the most effective in his book – for obvious reasons – but _Gremory_ was easy to react to because he would be the only one on the field with that name; hearing it yelled out wouldn't be hard to ignore... the word _Arbiter_ however _was_ familiar to him but not by identification, rather the name of a character he already knew; hearing it in the battle would only confuse him and confusion was a costly mistake.

Not that he'd reap the full price of it, but getting smacked in the face by a bolt of magic just because he was distracted by something else was not something he dearly wished to have the pleasure of experiencing. So it was best to get the call outs right.

A small nod from Rivia told him that she understood this train of thought

"I shall endeavor to remember that, Ryden" she replied

Ryden nodded in silent thanks, given the woman an appreciative smile, before he found himself standing back outside with Rosalina who was leading them towards a small collection of praetorian officers standing off to the side closest to the briefing room. Outside was about as busy as it was before but having a more solemn tone then the nervous buzz of energy before; many of the large numbers of initiates and other lower ranking devils were standing in groups of ten or more with numbered flags standing in the midst of them. The total number of platoons present was 100, and that was only _one_ regiment of _ten_ in a single legion.

The large number of devils going to this invasion would most likely be similar to Omaha beach on judgment day in his time... the slight gut wrenching feeling he felt when that comparison crossed his mind was not lost on his senses.

He shook the thought off before keeping pace with Rosalina's perfect gait. The large collection of praetorian knights was congested with a fast moving crowd of sentinels and knight sentinels which approached a praetorian, got their designated platoon and a collection paper work to go with and then after that they were given instruction on the proceedings once the invasion time was upon them. Due to the speedy nature of the lines, the wait to get their platoon wasn't a long one and soon enough both Rosalina and himself were standing before a tall praetorian who handed them their paper work, a map and platoon number before informing them that once they consolidated their platoon they should march to the 'jump' sigil a few feet from where they'd find their platoon; Simple enough.

"Platoon-3" muttered Ryden as he looked over the map given to him by Rosalina.

"Means we'll be in sector-1 when phase 3 begins" reaffirmed Rosalina as she skimmed over the plastic covered paperwork before looking to Ryden when her eyes fell on the communication protocol sequence "Comm sign designation for us will be 'second division, 3rd platoon, you got that?" she asked

Ryden nodded wordlessly, having taken the task of 'radioman' without question. His job was simple enough; he'd receive and forward information regarding the operation by taking the supplied surgical communication sigil – the sigil having been on one of the few pages within the paper work supplied. All he did was place his hand on it and pump in a small amount of demonic energy before adopting the sigil to his mental inventory; odd feeling – not as the same as during his unofficial terrorist OP in the crucible, but at least it didn't hurt like a _bitch_ when he put it on.

In the end, doing this didn't really do anything to dampen his performance in the field, due to the old-Satan's terrifying synergy with communication surveillance and artillery, meant he'd be receiving small amounts of calls from other platoons just to make sure they didn't accidentally give away their exact location. The Surgical comm sigils kept the tracking frequency sporadic but it didn't guarantee safe communication; it just meant you might not be bombed instantly when speaking into it for two seconds.

...Hallelujah

"What's our immediate goal when we get our boots on the ground?" asked Ryden as he followed Rosalina down the long line of platoons on his right; many of the devils that took notice of them were slightly awed at the woman currently following Ryden but neither of the three noticed.

"We need to establish a safe way to get our forces full strength to the trench line without losing anyone, do you have anything that may be of use Rivia?" asked Rosalina as she glanced over to the aforementioned woman following close behind Ryden.

She shook her head "I don't believe what I can supply will be of absolute use, it would be best to protect our numbers while at the same time assess the field before moving... my ability would only blind us" replied Rivia calmly

"Right then, then I can do that just fine" piped up Ryden as he stuffed the map in a gap in space "been training to perfect it for a whole week; think it's perfect for this" he assured with cryptic smirk.

Rosalina rolled her eyes while Rivia smirked at Ryden's show of confidence

"Don't suppose you'll share?" asked Rosalina

Ryden shrugged at the lack of harm at the notion before relenting "A bubble shield, took a direct hit from my brother without cracking and its size should encompass a total of 15 people... kinda of perfect for the occasion, eh?"

Rosalina blinked...

Rivia blinked...

"Took a _direct hit_ from the legendary Sirzechs Gremory without cracking..." muttered Rosalina in awe – Rivia's eyes rolling at the 'legendary' portion – before she nodded slowly "was it full power?" she asked curiously.

Ryden smirked along with a healthy chuckle "Mom kicked his ass all over the garden when she noticed the massive ball of blackness completely over take me... I think she believed Sirzechs killed me out of sheer frustration' which wouldn't really surprise me if he tried too, but it was funny as hell when I came out to see him curled up in a fetal position with mom hovering over him like a hungry prowler" he sighed deeply at the image before softly laughing to himself "the look on their faces when I strutted my shit out of that cloud was damn near priceless"

Rosalina blinked at the reminiscent look in Ryden's eyes before gently clearing her throat and pressing on the issue "Right then, I guess we'll do that first... is the bubble shield mobile?" she asked suddenly

Ryden shook his head "It's lethal to anyone outside of it" he revealed before humming "when I first activated it I was in a forest; long story short, but I kinda vaporized a few hundred trees in every direction... and when I tried to move with it active, well... it vaporized anything I came into contact with; so I can move – slowly – but I think it would be best to use Rivia's powers for the mobile aspect" he suggested which caused Rosalina to suddenly light.

"Perfect idea, use the bubble shield to assess battlefield conditions, open portal to chosen destination and then jump to it... might even reach the trench line before anyone else" she summarized

Ryden mulled it over while keeping pace with Rosalina, the numbered platoon's were reaching to the lower double digits and soon enough he spotted the number three in the far distance but suddenly he found himself frowning at Rosalina's previous words. To reach the trench line first meant they'd have the most pressure and that wasn't good for survival; sure he and Rivia along with Rosalina could keep it cool when being bombed but that would be different for their knights.

Not many people could stay still when a massive bomb comes crashing down above you, that takes faith and hundreds of drills to perfect and with the time they had, they weren't doing any drills before this... this may turn into a shit show quick if they don't drive in their plan to the platoon.

"I think it would be best if we control our approach..." suggested Ryden suddenly

Rosalina glanced to him in slight surprise "Why so?"

"I can only keep the bubble active for so long before it drops – ranging to a good minute if I push myself – but that would ultimately be our doom because the closer we get, the more attention we'd have on us" he reasoned before sighing calmly "we should control our approach, stay in the thick of the advance and make sure we stay alive long enough to get to the trench line _with_ the majority of the invasion force... getting their alone is no achievement, it's a death sentence"

Rivia quirked a small smirk at the logic "I concur with Ryden, if we are to efficient in our advance it will only draw more attention on us – our windows of opportunity would dwindle to nothing" she agreed

Ryden also added with a slight tap to the sword handle over his shoulder "do remember the weapon on my back, ol _Fulgur_ has been itching to cut loose so if we do find something hampering fellow platoon's or our own then I can just swing for the fences and be done with it then and there... isn't that right _Fulgur_?" he asked, enticing a gently arc of crimson to envelop him appreciatively.

Ryden chuckled at the response "She's been cooped up ever since we got back – wouldn't stop telling me about how disappointed she was with herself" he added

Rivia smirked at the sword "I'm sure she did fine" she assured

Ryden shook his head "she says that in her prime all it took to defeat millions was a single swing, all she managed to do back in _Lucifaad_ was bolt some guys head clean off, and sharpen herself to degrees far above normal... apparently that's _beginner_ level" he replied – garnering a small look of apprehension from Rosalina at the words meaning – before gently patting the sword on his back "All she needs is some exorcise"

The sword vibrated threateningly at his words

Ryden's left eye twitched "I don't believe my words hinted to a shot at your weight _Fulgur,_ but to the rust on your power... don't be so sensitive" he said evenly

The sword glowed briefly before a small spark lightly tapped Rivia's abdomen, garnering a look of surprise from the aforementioned female and a deep blush from Ryden.

"That... that was uncalled for" Ryden muttered before sharply tensing when the sword glowed gently, almost soothingly, in response to his words. His hand slowly gripped his face in what seemed to be incredible embarrassment "...Pervert" he muttered only to get a rapid shimmer from the blade, its token sign of amusement.

Rivia raised a brow at the small conversation Ryden had with _Fulgur_ "Do I want to know?" she asked apprehensively

"No..." he replied quickly before collecting himself "...No I don't think that would be appropriate" he finalized

"I see..." she muttered before falling silent, all the more worsening the awkwardness.

With the awkward conversation handled as well as a virgin during a one night stand, the three soon found themselves approaching the platoon designated to them. Ryden had to shake away his awkwardness as fast as he could in order to accommodate himself with the platoon before him; Rosalina doing the same thing as well with Rivia merely keeping to his right flank.

The majority of them seemed experienced enough, as evident by the hardened gazes that they directed to them behind their helmets and the dented and war torn armor they wore. It was slightly off putting to see during something like this; normally, military forces teach discipline and cleanliness to its men and woman. ' _Treat your gear like you would your body'_ military instructors would say but that was in his time, Ryden had to remember that in the devil society, war torn armor and experienced weapons were a sign that commanded respect – even from nobles.

And there was a story regarding that.

Most devils before him – if not all of them – were low-class and middle-class devils, so they didn't exactly have the luxury to fully restore their armor, but doing so was actually frowned upon by all low and middle class devils anyway. According to a book he read on a rebellion that happened _during_ the great war – near the end mind you – spoke of an uprising that basically screamed 'fuck you' to the noble devils that treated them like live stock, or cannon fodder. The nobles bolstered the taxes and raised the pricing of weapon cost and repairs and then made it socially unacceptable for anyone to have damaged equipment... at the cost of execution. The main reason behind this seemingly retarded act was to bleed the unusually wealthy low class devils of their resources and affirm their power above them.

Total dicks the lot of them and what happened after was justice served ice cold... with a side helping a brutality unwarranted in his kind.

Due to the impossibility of such demands, most wealthy lower class devils were drained of their riches due to not being able to accommodate the noble's demands of proper equipment; soon enough, a good chunk of veteran devils were executed because of their 'failure'. This in turn severely cutting down the effectiveness of most noble armies due to the sheer increase in 'fresh meat' so they had to order in from hundreds of lower class families in order to 'restock' numbers... only for the executions to happen again later down the road when armor was put through the grinder.

After a month of this, the lower class grew fed up with the loss of hundreds of legendary devils – a secondary objective in the noble's eyes; eradicate the threats to their power. And soon enough the idiots that were the nobles of old finally got done in.

...By a _demon_ of all things

While the demons name is not written in the book, Ryden had a feeling a certain _great king_ of hell had been the one to stomp out the crime due to it severely limiting the demons fighting forces in the war. Once the demon learned of the greed that had overcome the nobles responsible... well... he was _pissed_ to say the least; pissing off a demon that adopted the sin of _wrath_ wasn't a smart move so in the end – after a time of personal torment – the demon stripped the five devils responsible – that being three woman and two males – fortune and power and then condemned the devil nobles to live among the lower class as punishment – if they survived, then he'd reinstate them... spoiler alert: they didn't last an hour.

Kind of explains why a few generations of lower class devils were a _little_ more power than normal... there really were fates worse than death.

The story took a reeeeeal dark turn at that point.

After that horrible point in time the lower-class chose to stick it to the man by purposely glorifying battle worn armor and refused to fully restore it to pristine levels – both because it was too expensive and the other being that it was too humiliating to even think about. This was actually glorified further by the demon that had helped them, seeing it as a commendable act of rebellion towards oppression and that used armor was actually a sign of strength and experience... soon after that, the habit became instantly accepted: the lower class accepted it out of pride and the nobles out of fear, none wanting to experience what the five nobles had gone through.

Ryden couldn't blame them... the details were horrifyingly in depth

Whatever the background, the principle was a tradition that had stuck and would continue to stick even after this civil war so Ryden could easily ignore it... there was something 'Spartan' in the idea and anything even remotely as badass as that would be an acceptable trait in his book. So other than that, the eight battle hardened veteran knights before him were perfect, while the other two were clearly newer then the others.

Soon enough in his inspection of the knights before him, Ryden became slightly confused when he notice that they had zero lancers in their platoon. While knights were a more common class, the lancers were a very well appreciated class in their own right. It was like the modern ages reason on gun invention; using swords was an art form, sure, but it put too much risk in the loss of life when in combat, so the spear was made to lessen the chance by increasing the range – protecting the wielder – while also keep keeping the lethality of a knight.

Spears were a danger in medieval times – possibly being far older then that – and there was a firm reason why, sure archery was dangerous asset but they could be easily negated by use of a shield. Spears were built to punch through armor and shields which equated their uses and effectiveness. However their range was also their biggest weakness and that was in close quarters and sporadic combat, it took formation to use a spear perfectly and the means of teamwork to use its full potential.

Now that Ryden thought on it however, there really wouldn't be much formation for where their heading, so the lack of lancers would be an acceptable loss.

So they had no lancers but instead a full platoon of knights with five tower shields among them, which meant they could form a defensive perimeter if need be. He glanced to Rosalina who glanced back when her eyes noticed his; he nodded his head in a manner that suggested he was impressed with what stood before him which garnered her to nod in agreement.

The lead knight standing before the other nine suddenly tightened into a crisp pose, back straight and shoulders firmly squared while his tower shield planted itself firmly at his feet.

"Third platoon standing ready at your orders Sentinel!" bellowed a tall fully clad knight

" _ **Hoooo!"**_ howled the others behind him, their feet stomping the ground in perfect unison.

That Spartan-like howl would never get old.

Ryden smirked at the coordination displayed while Rosalina stood before them, her arms taking position behind her back while her eyes skimmed over each knight with extreme scrutiny; she held that for a moment before huffing and then standing firm before them "My name is Rosalina Phenex, I will be your commanding sentinel of this operation while Lord Ryden Vale Gremory will be your knight sentinel" she started, a small gesture to him in mention... he merely kept posture, no wave needed.

"While I'm sure you've all been briefed in the coming operation I will merely summarize the details before regarding our formation" with her words spoken Rosalina took in a deep breath through her nose "the Intel provided has told us that we will be landing in open terrain, which means we will be fired upon the moment we step through to the other side; lord Ryden and myself – along with the assistance from Rivia Abaddon – will be providing extreme measures to our advancement in the field, it would be very wise you listen to our orders, lest you lose your life"

" _ **Hoooo!"**_ Howled the knights collectively, though among the mass of knights, some of them took notice of Rosalina's words regarding the woman standing at Ryden's flank.

"Lady Phenex, did you say _Rivia Abaddon_? As in the –"

Rosalina eyed the knight sharply while Rivia barely moved at the sudden attention on her

"The very same" Rosalina answered dismissively before eyeing the rest "the information regarding her survival is classified, but rest assured, she will be your third officer... am I clear?" she said, clearly making sure the chain of command was intact.

" _ **Hoooo!"**_

Intact it was

"Lord Ryden, would you brief them on our formation?" asked Rosalina

Ryden nodded "gladly" he replied before stepping forward "due to the hazardous nature of our landing, we will be keeping a tight formation and when I say tight, I mean it" he started before releasing a breath "the call out will be simple, you hear "fall in" you fall in to me and my position; no hesitation, no question. I will be providing mobile cover when artillery strikes begin, when that happens Rivia will provide a hole for us to traverse through to advance forward safely. We will only be advancing this way a couple times so use the terrain as temporary cover, but keep moving with the unit until you hear me" his instructions were clear and completely understood "Do you copy Knights?"

" _ **Hoooo!"**_

Ryden smirked "Good to hear..." he muttered before stepping back, allowing Rosalina to take the floor once again.

"Once our advance line reaches the first phase, there will be a trench line that will need to be cleared; I want my tower shields to break off into two's and cover each direction while the rest of us enter behind you. Once we all reach this point we will clear out any hostile inquisitors" she instructed further before Ryden stepped forward

"Be advised, the Old-Satan's may have installed subterranean tunnels within the trenches, if you find one yell out 'tunnel' and then clear it out with groups of two... _never_ do it alone, copy that?" he added informatively. It always paid to be prepared.

" _ **Hoooo!"**_

Ryden glanced apologetically to Rosalina "apologies Sentinel" he muttered but she merely shook her head dismissively before continuing.

"Once the call is put out that the trenches have been cleared the second phase will move on towards the removal of three towers located within a tree line a few yards from the trenches; orders are simple from here, due to the cover provided the formation will be more loose then before but should the need arise the previous formation is still viable – keep your ears open" she said clearly "the towers are to be destroyed so leave that to either me, lord Ryden, or lady Abaddon. Once the towers are destroyed the third phase will begin when all other platoons are in position, to which we will advance further into the territory until told otherwise... understood?"

With one final howl the ten knights before them struck battle marching formation and as if their backs couldn't get any straighter, the knights stood in perfect statue formation while Rosalina struck a similar pose which was followed closely by Ryden and Rivia. "Onto the jump!" commanded Rosalina as the knights stomped in attention before perfectly turning on a dime, the tower shield wielding knights were perfectly positioned for the jump in the front of the pack which forced Ryden to sigh at that. Considering the nature of the jump and the location in which they'll be landing, the small Omaha beach landing vibe was at an all time high for him.

That landing was a brutal one and its casualty rate was massive, most that were first to step on the beach never got off it and that was similar to what they'd be facing... funny how a simple shield could change ones confidence, at least the first five knights wouldn't get sliced down when they landed which gave Ryden a small idea – easily predicted by Rosalina.

"You should activate the bubble as soon as we land, that way we can assess the situation as best as we can before moving" Rosalina suggested

Ryden smirked and nodded at the woman "I was literally going to suggest that; glad were on the same page"

The woman merely smirked at his response while they followed behind the marching knights "of course we are, the general didn't pair us together for no reason; considering what we managed to do I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to keep some of our chemistry intact"

"Fair point" Ryden relented with a small grin

Rosalina sighed before shaking her head, causing Ryden to smirk at her "still nervous?" he asked while leaning into her slightly.

The woman stiffened at the proximity but slowly nodded after a hesitant moment. Ryden nodded in response to her answer before leaning back "Once the action starts the nervousness will fade instantly, just don't think about the negatives or the 'what ifs' or anything else or you'll freeze up and go into shock; stay in the moment and the adrenaline will take over... you'll find yourself a lot more calm when that happens" he explained gently – bluntly sure – but its message was conveyed perfectly.

Rosalina mulled over his words before looking him in the eye "How are you so calm?" she asked while gripping her left hand tightly in her right – a small show of rebellion to her bodies growing anxiety.

Ryden smirked "I'm not, actually I think I might be more nervous they you are" he revealed casually, flooring Rosalina _and_ Rivia with his small reveal.

Rosalina eyed him closely "How can you be so nervous when I don't see anything of the sort in you?" she asked in shock

Ryden eyed the woman momentarily, his eyes squinting slightly when memories crossed his mind

 _Living under the constant pressure of dread..._

 _...Fearing what more can be done to those around him_

Ryden's gaze slightly dilated before he shook away the invading memories, his eyes slowly opening to regard Rosalina with a cold stare – a remnant of a time spent in despair. Rosalina noticed the look for all about a second before it was replaced with a pain smile "my dad always said I had nerves of steel – never flinching in the face adversity" he muttered before locking his eyes towards their destination.

Rosalina said nothing, only finding herself scolding her choice of reaction and subsequent response to Ryden's lack of visible nervousness. The cards were before her – though they were never truly admitted – it was still obvious Ryden had seen things that would probably affect her more then she realized. Ryden smiled like all the others, laughed even, yet in his eyes for the briefest of moments... was nothing, a void of emotions without a will or reason.

Completely empty... yet not totally lost

It was a mistake that even Ryden wouldn't fault her for. Even in moments of sadness he never really showed negative emotions like normal people would; he was always the positive kind; smiling, laughing and never depressed. Maybe his time in Halphes had drained him of his usual luster but it never disappeared completely... instead it came as a copping habit rather than the usual random jokes and funny remarks. Rosalina wouldn't have known this though and he could understand the confusion he created with his carefree humor – easily masking the scars and wounds he bore under a thin veil of smiles.

Even now – with what he'd experienced – he could never hold someone accountable for a simple mistake.

Rosalina smiled for once in return towards Ryden "I can see that" she said simply before falling silent

Rivia stood close behind Ryden, her eyes never leaving his back as she took in the man before her for what seemed like the fifth time that day. She was older than most devils, experienced in many social fields regarding the different kinds of expressions and reactions; she knew what she saw in people – what she saw in the eyes of her enemies when she annihilated them – _fear_ was one of her favorites when she was angry, _hope_ and _awe_ when she was happy... and extreme blushes when she was teasing.

She'd taken her time to study him and had come up with multiple different outcomes from her observations. The first time she met him was when she was near her lowest; the kindness and considerate eyes that Ryden bore when he held her was something she'd filed away the instant they locked eyes. Ryden was a caring devil – unlike most nobles – and out shined his brother in many different aspects. Sirzechs compromised a lot of himself in his rise in rank and fame, and only bore so many expressions that she easily saw through; even when she was his commander she knew that deep under the veil of kindness lurked a vile creature thirsty only for violence... and destruction.

Ryden was different, unlike his hypocritical brother he didn't possess the power of destruction – quite frankly she had no clue what power he possess, she never desired to ask as it didn't seem to affect him mentally like his brother; the cost of taking in too much ancestral power always had a corrupting nature to it and it was a small comfort to her that she wouldn't be seeing Ryden suddenly destroy a mountain because it 'got in his way'... the little things always helped differentiate the positives nuances. Her opinion on Ryden's nature soon changed when he was the one to reawaken her will with words alone; it took many words to strike hard in her books but his few words seemed to do the job more then he seemed to realize.

The concept of _the Arbiter_ never factored in to her actions towards Ryden, but rather his open character and charismatic habits. But now she knew more then she wished; she saw it, the despair in his eyes and the hollowness within them... she felt wrathful at the sight but at the same time _awed_ at his ability to shoulder the obvious pain he carried. There was strength in weakness – Ryden's words had meaning – and only those who had suffered can understand the suffering... she had been the suffering.

That hollowness in Ryden spoke of someone who had suffered...

 _ **Unacceptable**_

For the briefest of seconds, Rivia's eyes shown white. It was rare for her to be this angry but with what she knew now of Ryden, suggested that the kind devil was more attuned to the darker sides of life then what she believed; he was a devil she surprisingly found herself looking up to – regardless of age differences, Ryden was strong... both literally and in character, to think the selfless man suffered at anyone's hand... well, she wasn't very happy about it.

The sudden development of bloodlust in Rivia's aura wasn't unknown to Ryden but he dared not turn to regard it; devils were a sharp species and he knew his little slip in concealing his emotions – or lack thereof – when he regarded Rosalina didn't go completely unnoticed. Now the mood just before the D-day landing was somber and rife with a sudden killing intent that oddly confused the knights before him. Most of the knights assumed the killing intent was directed towards the Old-Satan's. Obviously they were right in this assumption, but that didn't dampen the pressure exhibited from the ultimate-class devil behind them.

"I feel sorry for our enemies" muttered a knight, his brow – hidden under a helmet – slightly pinched into small frown of pity

Another knight nodded "least she's on our side" he replied

"Just don't get in her way" a female knight replied

Ryden smirked at the small banter before stopping just behind the platoon of knights when they reached the massive teleportation sigil at their feet. He could feel a slight pit in his stomach upon realizing there was no going back from what was about to happen. He knew what was coming – the death and blood that will be before him in mere minutes was quickly arriving. Throughout his whole life he didn't exactly think he'd find himself in one of these situations; sure at one point he'd found himself not being able to turn back but it wasn't an impossibility, just peer pressure... but this... he couldn't bitch out last second, not that he'd want to anyway, but the idea of it created a pit like feeling in his stomach.

This was actually happening; live combat. This was different from what happened in _Lucifaad_ , this was an actual combat situation where the only way forward was over a pile of bodies – preferably your enemies – and there was no stealth option to dampen the danger...

It was all in or all out... _live or die_

He had allies to fight beside, subordinates to command alongside a nervous fellow officer and a loyal companion to lead; he had a job – a duty – to uphold, and even though it wasn't a mantle he needed to hold, he chose to hold it anyway because the only way forward... was through their enemies. Never mind the duty he had chosen now, it wasn't the only thing he'd chosen to pick up. Backing out wouldn't absolve the wrongs done before him over those brutal six months and the sins committed to those proven innocent would go unsung if he coward behind borrowed luxury... that just wasn't his style.

Call it cliche, but Ryden had a bone to pick with the old-Satan's – just like everyone else, that much was obvious – but in order to bear some fruit on his promise towards the she-devil known as _**Grayfia,**_ then the territory in which bears them harvest will be his next target. The _Territory of Thorns_ houses many luxuries but one stood above them all; deep in the territory was a boiling ocean, so hot that it turned the air into vapor, cauterized skin and turned armor into pudding. The ocean was dangerous ... but at the bottom was _Infernum Aqua..._ she was going to be his next venture.

 _Fulgur_ had explained it to him before – back in _Lucifaad_ – and had even revealed the locations of the four weapons of hell to him in great detail. _Ventus_ sat atop a real mountain in the east within the territory of Lilith – far back corner just before the end of the domain of the Christian underworld. Ashfeld is the sulfuric city in the north which was where _Ignis_ had been sealed... in the middle of a volcano... underground...

Odd placement for a volcano but it did explain why the territory was notorious for random unexplained volcanic geysers and extremely toxic levels of sulfuric gases... the more you know.

 _Aqua_ however was located under the vast ocean deep beyond the _Territory of Thorns_. Ryden had noted that _Fulgur_ did say the ocean wouldn't be hard to miss but _finding_ the ocean was the easy part; it's _getting_ to it that became the challenge. Ryden didn't know if retrieving the weapon was a priority in the eyes of Sirzechs and the other generals, so he had to assume the territory needed to be cleared before any attempts at the weapons retrieval could be conducted... and that could be months away from now.

As much as _Fulgur_ wanted him to retrieve her – _Aqua_ was apparently feminine – he had to face the facts and logic's placed before him. Alone he could only amount to so much; sure he had the power output of a bullet fired from an anti-tank rifle but he didn't have the continues use like a belt fed Vulcan minigun... the _Territory of Thorns_ was supposedly as long as a five Russia's lengthwise and could fit around five America's in the full circumference... _Aqua_ wasn't a simple walk down the street, so to say.

Ryden sighed deeply in slightly annoyance while 3rd platoon stood at the ready for the teleportation signal; Rivia and Rosalina stood in silence beside him – each possessing a varying expression of silent nervousness and tranquil fury respectively while the entire camp stood in what felt like perfect silence, only broken by distant commands from sentinel's.

He sighed again. While his long winded internal thoughts did help in easing his nerves and reminding him of what he needed to do, they almost always ended up bumming him out in the end. Collecting the four weapons of hell was like a damn video game objective or some bloody side quest with a shit ton of lore connected to it; while _Fulgur_ knew some points of her past, the blade itself was suffering from long term amnesia – even saying that at some point in time, the rage that consumed the _Infernum Armis'_ had diluted their memories so badly that they don't even remember who or _what_ sealed them.

There was a mystery in their confinement and Ryden speculated that should they all be united then perhaps their memories might return...

Fingers crossed.

Ryden sighed again, his eyes glancing down to the sigil at their feet before smirking when the sigil itself began to thoom with energy. He held his smirk before glancing to Rosalina who locked eyes with his the instant he turned to her. He didn't say anything to her, and instead merely nodded to her firmly – doing the same to a brooding Rivia – before turning to look forward, his smirk holding slightly as he addressed the knights before him.

"It's time to nut up or shut up 3rd platoon" he said curtly, causing everyone to stiffen at his sudden order, their gazes suddenly locking forward as if their location would shift any minute. By sheer coincidence, a squad of praetorian's walked down the massive line of 100 platoons before spreading out evenly, their voices firing up in perfect unison directly in front of them all.

Igniting the spark to the coming conflict...

" **Second division, prepare for jump! 30 seconds!"** yelled the praetorian's, the metallic voice changer amplifying their words greatly.

"Keep your ears open and your blade's ready, clear your minds and move fluidly... I'll see you on the field" he added quickly before the sigil below their feet shimmered to life, the crimson light shining in motes of blood red light while a blinding glow emanated at their feet.

"Remain close, once we hit the ground, remain where you are no matter what" commanded Rosalina as the light of the mass teleportation sigil engulfed her form.

The praetorians stood proudly at their posts before the platoons of the second division until finally the energy keeping the sigils active sprung to maximum. Ryden's vision swam for a second when the space before him and the platoon suddenly shifted into a bright red vertigo, the sudden feeling of falling over took his senses, while his vision swam with multiple colors.

The vision lasted for but a moment... until everything exploded into action...

* * *

The first thing Ryden noticed the moment the sigil died down was a wide – almost infinitely spanned – field before him that ran in each direction for hundreds of miles. The next thing he noticed however in his hastened view was the sight of a million sigils dying down to reveal hundreds of platoons and devils lining the field alongside his own, both to the right and left. The shields being wielded by the thousands of devil knights rose and created a small phalanx formation before the numbered platoons, creating a loud symphony of metallic groans when they slammed into the ground. Ryden exhaled sharply before looking towards their target; all of the Intel proved correct on the terrain, a few hundred meters in front of them was a massive field spanning with thousands of tree stumps which would be the only cover they'd have in their advance.

What remained of the Intel was yet to be seen, however the old-Satan's took haste in responding to their presence...

"CONTACT FRONT!"

"CONTACT FRONT!"

Ryden took a sharp breath in when the loud echo of voices – that which grew louder by the second – entered his ears, immediately highlighting the impending danger before them.

Mortars... millions of them... came down own them from on high

"Form up!" Rosalina ordered loudly as thousands of large demonic orbs descended onto them. The knights shook at the sight – instincts awakening to the desire to move – but the urgency in Rosalina kept them from breaking formation. As the knights tightened their formation around the three officers, Rivia merely eyed the enemy line before them with a deep glare; not even slightly caring about the danger upon them.

Ryden ignored all this and tensed up, muscles flexed tightly as he stomped hard on the ground before stretching his hands out wide at his sides. A small shimmer of blue rose from his feet before rising up and spreading along his body, once they reached his finger tips a massive dome of blue energy sprung out around them; its size so large it actually covered _two_ platoons to their right and left.

"By the Satan's... what is –" a sentinel from 4th platoon questioned at the sight of the blue dome before his voice was silenced when the massive volley of magic bolts pinged off the dome like pebbles against a boulder.

!?

Ryden didn't notice the looks of awe from the many devils within the dome as his concentration was held tightly on keeping the bubble up as long as possible. For both Rosalina and Rivia however, their looks of awe matched that of the many devils within, their eyes glanced to the others in silent question before their visions took in what was happen _outside_ the dome.

Rosalina shivered slightly when she noticed a whole platoon suddenly explode a few feet from 4th platoon's position, the small rain of dirt, debris and body parts was the only thing that remained while a second platoon was suddenly cut in half when a massive bolt broke off into hundreds of smaller – faster – bolts that torn a number of knights to bloody shreds.

The horrific sight was hard to look at but Rosalina ditched her horror and replaced it with drive. She knew many would die – thousands would – but she promised that the dead wouldn't die on a day of defeat, but of victory... it was all or nothing and she always hated the latter.

Rosalina's teeth gritted before she looked over to a confused Rivia "what's the word on that portal Rivia?" she asked

The older devil grunted in annoyance before shaking her head "Not good, the demonic energy within the dome has scrambled to deeply for me to form a hole; we'll be running on foot sentinel" informed Rivia, clearly annoyed at the change in plans

Rosalina nodded and ignored her own annoyance before turning to her knights. "Once the barrage is done, all ahead forward as fast as you can; use the stumps for cover and keep a marginal spread, don't spread out to much and keep your ears open" she commanded before looking over to the two other sentinel's "You two gonna follow?" she asked

Both nodded rather dumbly in her eyes, the sheer relief they had going through them was immense and if running with the one platoon that had unintentional saved them meant it may happen again, then they would follow easily enough and with little complaint.

Rosalina nodded at the two before looking to Rivia "can you provide support with those barrages?" she asked.

Rivia merely nodded at first before a smile – cunning and cryptic – spread itself along her lips. "I can do a lot more then provide support, lady Rosalina; I may not be able to form holes for travel but I can do much more than just support" she replied before she stepped forward to stand directly beside a deeply focused Ryden, the man's eyes tightly closed in concentration.

Rivia merely regarded him thankfully before glancing up towards the rain of demonic mortars with a bored expression. She watched the bolts ping off the dome for a small moment, reveling in the sight, before she raised her right hand upwards and summoned a blackish white sigil in her hand. Rosalina found the woman's actions sudden and unexpected, she had believed the woman understood her words and that was to simply handle the barrage of raining mortars when they began their advance; however it seemed the woman had a different take on her words.

Rosalina wanted to reaffirm her words but stopped when she noted the odd sigil Rivia had summoned. Unlike the time in _Lucifaad_ the wailing skull within the pentagram was no longer all white, but rather mixed with a deep black that which battled for dominance against the flaming white. Rosalina had known the many differing types of family sigils; some drank in the light, others exuded a bright glow and others very rarely carried a deep commanding aura, like the Belial family.

Rivia's family crest however, was _alive_ ; wreathed in white flame and murky black shadow that coalesced into a shimmering conflict of light a dark... the perfect example of the once demonic angel of the abyss.

Rosalina held her tongue when a large number of holes in the sky opened, swallowing a vast number of demonic mortars easily. Rivia slightly hummed when her experiment proved effective; Sure summoning demonic energy within the dome was immensely difficult but summoning her holes _outside_ the dome was still a viable move which suggested to her that whatever the dome was constructed from didn't hinder users from casting spells from outside – or manipulating the demonic energy from outside – which meant to her that the dome was a neutral zone for demonic energy. She smirked at that realization before she merely turned her hand counter clockwise, this action causing dozens of additional holes to appear in the sky, their intent clearly focused on swallowing as many mortars spells as possible.

Rosalina swallowed deeply, followed by the two other sentinels as the number of pings on the dome ceased to none. Rivia glanced to Rosalina "Your window sentinel, I'd advise you start moving" she spoke calmly, snapping the many knights and officers into action.

"We're with you 3rd platoon, whenever you're ready..." muttered 2nd platoon's sentinel while 4th platoon dropped into ready stances, the relieved knights in all platoons sighed sharply at the coming action before they all stomped hard at the ready, their resolves hardened by the protective skills and calmness in their officers.

Rosalina rest her hand on Ryden's shoulder "whenever you're ready Ryden, drop the shield" she muttered gently.

Ryden opened his eyes and regarded the scenario around him. He didn't get the full chance to witness the horrors around him, something he was all for ignoring in order to keep his concentration in perfect order to summon the dome. However, now that he opened his eyes he bore witness to the numbering dead that lay scattered around them.

His eyes shone with a disturbed light as he noticed the lifeless eyes of a few knights outside the dome. It was a hard sight to get used to; even if he was already accustomed to lose the effect was always sour to swallow. He sniffled hard before looking Rosalina in the eye "On three we break forward" he said; noting the fact a few platoons had already started pushing forward, some even within the field of stumps.

Rosalina nodded before standing up and readying herself, Ryden following closely while keeping his attention on dropping the bubble safely and Rivia merely stood at attention at Ryden's side

"3..." he started, reeling in the raging energy constructing the dome. All knights and sentinels shifted into the ready mark.

"2..." Ryden cooled the energy and reel in the excess, making sure the dome didn't explode upon dropping it.

"1..." once the seams of the shield rose from the ground around them, Ryden forced it to shoot upwards and out of danger "GO!"

The disappearance of the shield was almost like an airlock, the air that permeated the area was rich with residual demonic vapor, sulfuric and toxic, and it filled the lungs of the three platoons the second the bubble shot into the sky. The lack of danger suddenly flipped, as a few stray bolts pelted the area around them like open gun fire. Though harmless they were, they however created a feeling of urgency within the hearts and minds of the sprinting devils of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th platoons. As the fully strengthen and invigorated devils made ground, Ryden lead a small charge towards a collection of tree stumps before dolphin diving towards cover, just as a small burst of small bolts pelted the area he last stood.

The ground was shredded by the demonic bolts and mortars, which created improvised foxholes for the advancing knights who easily took advantage of them. However, holding position was not viable; even though Rivia stood, walking calmly through the field – her concentration on support hindering her movement speed – she couldn't prioritize all mortars...

 ***BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM***

Ryden watched as two knights were flung into the air, one was obviously dead as noted by the missing head, while the second lost his leg. The knight howled in pain when he landed before he was dragged into a foxhole by a fellow knight for a quick field dressing. While two other positions were nailed perfectly, killing four knights of the 4th platoon and wounding the knight sentinel with a brutal concussive force.

Ryden took this all in before standing up and continuing the push "KEEP PUSHING! GET OFF THE FIELD!" he yelled loudly as he passed two knights from his platoon. "KEEP MOVING!" he yelled at them before pressing on passed more.

The knights soon followed after him while Rosalina slide into cover a few meters before Ryden did in order to take a small reprieve to assess the danger before them. Rosalina nearly gulped when she noted a second volley of mortars suddenly erupt from the obscured mortar lines within the trees a few hundred meters from their location. Thinking quickly Rosalina made the call "FORM UP! INCOMING MORTAR!"

Ryden knew what to do and immediately stood and focused hard. The scattered knights within ear shot soon followed the orders called out and quickly regrouped close by in range, followed by a collection of knights from the other two platoons. Due to the chaos around them, a small number of knights remained unaware of the plan which was noticed by Ryden. He reached out to them, _gripped_ them by the chest plate and pulled them over roughly in range; soon after securing them he then summoned the second bubble.

He remembered by the very second how long the previous volley had lasted which was a 45 second impact time before a small period of reprieve was brought to them, even though they still suffered remnant mortar fire, the severity of it had dwindled to more acceptable levels.

His thoughts went on pause when he felt and heard the loud pings and bumps from the massive demonic mortars that which rained down on them like hale. Ryden glanced to Rosalina who seemed more shaken and messy then wounded which was a good sign before He found Rivia standing to his right suddenly, her eyes held in a tranquil expression before regarding him with a curt nod and then fell back to staring at the enemy lines like a hawk eyeing its prey.

Even now, the woman managed the most serene expression admits the carnage... Ryden's opinion on the woman was soaring.

"Sentinel Phenex, do you have a plan for when we reach the trenches?" asked the sentinel of 4th platoon

Rosalina nodded at his words before noticing 2nd platoons sentinel approach a moment after. "Get in the trenches and kill everything... I don't believe there would be a plan needed for that" she said before glancing to both sentinels "Just get their alive first before thinking about it"

The two nodded sharply at her words before Ryden's countdown reached the final stretch "10 seconds! Everyone get ready to move!" he yelled before readying himself. The others quickly responded in kind, the small reprieve causing many surviving knights to ready themselves to advance towards a chosen position. They wouldn't openly say it but all of them were incredibly thankful for the massive boon knight sentinel Gremory had brought to them; most of the time during invasions was spent blindly rushing into enemy lines, but with the perfect cover over their heads, they had ample time to assess and adapt without running into complete danger.

All the knights shifted into ready positions before the dome suddenly dropped "GO! GO! GO!" yelled Ryden as the knights in lead sprung forward likes bats out of hell, the armor barely hindering their speeds. Their gusto however rose when both Rosalina and Ryden sped passed them easily, though the knights weren't hindered by their armors weight, the other two however bore moderate armor plating which allowed them greater mobility to pass them; with the sight of their commanding officers charging head first into battle, the ten knights of the 3rd platoon ran twice as hard, stopped less and pushed passed more ground than anyone expected.

Due to their motionless start at the beginning of the invasion, the majority of the second division was mostly ahead of the three platoons, but due to the boon given by Ryden's dome, the gap was severely cut and then spread a moment after, leaving the three platoons a few dozen meters _ahead_ of anyone else.

In the heat of the rush, Ryden hadn't noticed the ground they had covered and slightly cursed when he realized their mistake before dropping into cover behind a collection of bunched up tree stumps. At first they were supposed to move accordingly with the rest of the division – make sure they weren't prioritized when they drew in closer – but now they were in the thick of it and he knew the next volley would be solely directed on them.

He couldn't order the knights to cease and hold position as that would sign more death warrants then prevent them and it would create confusion amongst them to boot. So he had no choice but to keep pushing with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th platoons. Ryden cursed almost twice as loud as before when he noted his senses were numbing and becoming clouded; before he could think clearly, see clearly and move fluidly but now his senses felt like he was underwater, his ears ringing softly in conjunction with his mental fatigue and the continues explosions spanning around him which was also followed by pained yells made for a grueling headache. He glanced over to see a knight gripping what remained of his arm and pulled him to cover.

He ignored the yells of pain from the knight and tightly gripped the stump before forcing _Fulgur_ to cauterize it with his other hand. Due to the overload of pain, the knight passed out cold. Ryden sighed in slight relief when the knight's pulse was still beating before standing and pushing forward. His movements became sluggish with his fatigue which was visible to Rosalina when Ryden slide to cover beside her.

He breathed deeply, eyes swimming with clearly expressed visual overload before he regarded Rosalina with a extremely tired gaze once he regained his bearings "I'm afraid I can no long provide cover, two domes is my limit" he informed, causing Rosalina to nodded sullenly at his words

"All the more reason to keep moving" she replied before standing and smirking at him slightly "I thought you had a bet to win, lord Ryd—"

Just as she was about to finish her words, three bolts of demonic energy ripped through her stomach, torso and neck, leaving golf ball sized holes in each location. Ryden stared at the woman with slightly widened eyes at the sheer suddenness of the event, before he hastily grabbed the woman when she collapsed forward into his arms and fell back behind cover. He felt a rise of panic within him when he believed to have witnessed the woman's death but his worry was unneeded when her previously lethal wounds ignite in white flame and then vanish to leave behind completely healthy skin; three seconds after that and the woman jolted up in sudden shock – a loud gasp following her return to the living.

"What just..." she started in panic before Ryden rolled his eyes when he remembered the Phenex family's trait... _immortality..._ or a taste of it at least.

"I told you the title would kill someone... guess it had to be you to prove that" he said as he allowed the woman to move to cover at his side.

Rosalina quickly nodded, finally seeing the devils point "So it would seem..." she commented before griping her neck and swallowing, a pained expression following the action "I don't plan on letting that happen again"

Ryden laughed, barely heard in the chaos but Rosalina noted his wide smile of amusement "well I'd question your sanity if you wanted to die again" he said before smacking her shoulder pauldron "come on, we gotta get of this field"

Without waiting, Ryden stood and pressed his push which was followed closely by Rosalina who fell in line with him. A couple meters behind the two officers stood Rivia; with her role as support, the major mortars had become something of a forgettable danger, any sign of them became less dangerous than the smaller bolts as her holes would swallow them before they even began descending. It was a trifling matter for the woman but necessary in the grand scheme of things. Ryden and Rosalina wanted as many soldiers with them when they reached the trench line and making sure that happened was almost as easy as waving her hand.

Her eyes squinted slightly when she noted the number of mortars began increasing which caused her gait stop for but a moment in order to concentrate. Her eyes locked on the locations in which the mortars had risen from within the tree line. Using her memory and immense demonic energy stored within her abyssal holes, Rivia summoned two rifts in space which floated a few meters above her; the blackened rifts of the abyss began to build with energy – lateen magic that which was absorbed by the numerous mortars rose to the call of its newest summoner.

The black rifts shone with an internal light – white in color – before they both tilted just slightly to put the locations Rivia had noted in their line of sight.

*BVVVVVV!*

*BVVVVVV!*

Rivia didn't waste any time in firing, she had a small idea on where the artillery was coming from and merely waved her hand to release the energy she had stored up within the two rifts. The effects didn't create an explosion; nothing in her arsenal could create something of the sort unless there was a chain reaction on the other end. However, the loud howl of her rifts blotted out all sound for a total of five seconds, which did three things.

The first was a lack of mortars; she must've hit something if the effect was this visible and if she didn't destroy the old-Satan mortar teams then it didn't matter at the moment, she still managed to fulfill her second and third goal...

Create a window for advance, and bolster the allies around her.

With the gap in mortar fire, the battlefield became slightly less chaotic for the three platoons charging forward, this spurred the large number of what remained of the three platoons to push far harder and far further than any platoon so far... and with no mortars at the moment, their advance was left unchallenged.

Rivia forgone her support role for the moment in order to catch up with her platoon and Ryden; a small rift jump and she was kneeling before Ryden, the man himself slightly surprised by her sudden arrival.

She gave him a wry smile before regarding Rosalina within a nod "I told you I can be more than just support" she informed humorously

Rosalina smirked as she took in the image before her "So you did..." she muttered as a few trees that had been in the way of Rivia's counter attack fell over and toppled to the ground before fading to dust, the sheer corrosive magic of annihilation dissolving the molecular bonds like acid.

Ryden wanted to whistle at the sight and did just that after he actually got a glimpse of the enemy lines within the trenches a few hundred meters from them; the advance was coming close. He hadn't paid much attention to how far they had gotten but now that he noted how close they were, along with the majority of the second division, phase 2 was almost ready to start... one more blitz and they'd be on top of the Old-Satan inquisitors within the trenches.

There were emotions one forgets and ignores when enamored with danger, due to the constant pushing and yelling, Ryden never did notice the angered expressions on pretty much every devil advancing but now that there was a reprieve in the clutter, he finally felt the sheer rage in the air. For the 2nd, 3rd and 4th platoons, they had a more leisured push than any other platoon – though rife with casualties they were, it wasn't as bad as others... a large amount of platoons in the advance had been cut down to small squads and fire-teams, barely large enough to form a coherent fighting force for the third phase yet none showed any care at the loss of numbers.

Only anger

Ryden assumed a couple hundred knights had perished in the first hour of the invasion while some lay scattered on the field behind the bulk of the invasion writhing in pain, leaving that number as a spit ball more than an accurate assessment.

The rage in the eyes of the knights still advancing were kindled brighter by the yells of pain and anger from the wounded, while others ran hard and fast – emotions burning with high morale and anger at lost friends and loved ones. Now that they were within range, that anger could be used by the ranging few trained in ranged combat.

Rosalina broke off from Ryden and Rivia in their advance when a barrage of magic bolts pelted the area between them, causing her to roll into cover by a large tree stump along with three knights of 3rd platoon. Assessing herself of any wounds, she huffed in content before peaking over her cover to see where she was. They had cleared ground immensely after Rivia's counter attack – a spark of morale in its self – and now they could all see the enemy inquisitors laying in wait within the trenches, weapons held firmly in their hands.

Rosalina didn't think the old-Satan's would do it but a moment later and she reassessed her thoughts when they did _exactly_ what she had been thinking. Within the clutter and roar of the advancing Anti-Satan forces a loud and deep horn sounded off before the hundreds of inquisitors stood tall and rose from the trenches; a phalanx wall erecting as they emerged from their holes

A deep pit entered Rosalina as she knew exactly what the old-Satan's were doing. While they had been advancing and losing lives, the old-Satan's had lost nothing other than a small artillery platoon, leaving them in peak condition for advance. Rosalina knew her knights were tired and exhausted – even Ryden seemed fatigued after summoning two energy domes – and this put a deep pressure on her when she knew that in a matter of seconds, she'd be fighting in open terrain while under fire from constant artillery barrages.

She wasn't stupid, though her regeneration was powerful it wasn't unbeatable; in her fight against the lucifage Lordess, indris had been defeated by simple impalement and he wasn't a slouch in a fight; even though he was an idiot he wasn't weak. Rosalina cursed; fighting in congested lines was also a hamper on a Phenex's full potential, though she did possess skills in weaponry that only made her more versatile in a few ranging situations. Her family thrived in solo engagements and that was merely because they had no need to worry about collateral damage.

If she wasn't a commanding officer then she'd break formation. However, she had men and woman to lead and a formation to keep strong which meant she couldn't break off and go supernova... as much as she wanted to.

She tapped the shoulders on the two knights beside her to gather their attention. The knight to her right tensed for a split second before turning to her **"Sentinel?"** asked a feminine voice.

Rosalina summed her custom blade – _Ira Flamma –_ and checked its edge before flipping the blade into a reverse grip. "Draw your weapons..." she ordered quickly, tone urgent yet reformed into a refined edge.

Wordlessly, the knights at her side complied without hesitance; breathing easy to ready herself for what was to come, Rosalina glanced over to her right and spotted Ryden and Rivia sitting behind a large tree stump. She didn't know if Ryden had noticed the development in the trenches and the clear sign of an obvious counter offensive, so to be sure – or to make sure he was aware – Rosalina flung a tiny orb of fire towards him, barely powerful enough to singe armor and only strong enough to feel like a slightly larger pebble when it smacked into Ryden's cheek.

Ryden flinched at the sensation – believing it to be a shard of shrapnel from a barrage of bolts that smacked the area to his left not a second ago. His eyes instinctively glanced over to check for wounded only to see Rosalina staring at him and waving to garner his attention. His gaze locked with hers subsequently when he noted the slight frantic energy within them; the moment he kept his gaze on her, the blonde pointed two fingers to her own eyes before jutting them towards the trench line.

Ryden hadn't taking notice at first – the haze that had clouded his vision due to his fatigue had made it incredibly hard to focus further passed a few dozen meters _if_ he tried hard enough; however, with all the screaming, yelling and explosions mixed with the cloud of smoke from hundreds of fires and the bright multi-colored orbs of death raining down on their position, it had been far too difficult to see the enemy lines within the trenches.

But now there was a lull in the barrage, and a window within the cloud of smoke and debris that coated the trench line in a thick soupy fog of war... he saw them, hundreds of inquisitors fully armored and fully massed in numbers that easily outnumbered theirs 2-1. Honestly, Ryden should have expected this. Considering the situation and the position in which they were advancing _and_ the lack of return fire from their side, the old-Satan's would need only thin the herd advancing and then march forward under constant blanket fire from artillery positions... a creeping barrage.

If they didn't amass order soon then they'd be picked off like pulled pork and Ryden was having a small field day – no pun intended – in trying to find out a possible counter, perhaps a deterrent, in order to buy enough time for the majority of the forces to collect themselves into a commendable defense.

Ryden's hand instinctively reached down and grip _Cerberus_ before drawing it when a spark of an idea ignited in his mind. With a flick of motion Ryden gripped the massive hand cannon close to his person and rest his back to the stump to focus; pulling back the right hammer, he activated the anti-infantry spell selection wheel which was the manual way in selecting a firing mode. once the hammer was pulled back just before locking in place, the cylinder that usually held the ammo became loose and began twisting slowly – demonic inscribing's suddenly lighting up along the side of the cylinder cartridge.

Ryden found the symbols odd at first but realized they didn't matter as much considering the moment he touched the weapon he instantly understood the kinks and uses... he had a small grip on it but once he gazed upon the symbols, the weapon just _told_ him what they were, nifty feature.

Ryden shook his head before locking the hammer in place when his desired firing mode was found; officially making the chosen shot his immediate firing type the moment the hammer would be pulled back later. With his 'load-out' made, Ryden tapped Rivia on the shoulder, gaining the woman's attention immediately before leaning over her and pointing at the enemy lines on her side of cover; he would have noted the blush on the woman had the situation been anything else but with everything happening, close proximity breaches meant jack to him.

He trucked on without delay and change in expression "Here's the situation..." he started before he suddenly grabbed a knight by the shoulder. Ryden paused in explaining to Rivia before regarding the knight with a serious expression. "enemy lines are beginning to form an advance, spread the word and prepare to push upon my call" he order, causing the knight to glance into the fog – pause – before recoiling slightly and nodding to Ryden quickly; seconds after and the knight high tailed it to a forward position with five other knights hunkered down within a deep crater, soon after and the six spread out to other positions.

Ryden nodded at the sight before turning to Rivia and pointed at the enemy lines again. "Enemy forces are preparing a creeping barrage maneuver. In order to counter this, we need a massive window to push through to avoid being picked off" he said before forcing the woman into silence with a raised finger when she made to respond "Save your energy for the towers... I'll create the window for the advance" he said, easily seeing the woman's response coming.

Rivia nodded wordlessly while Ryden suddenly noticed something else within the fog before them; half his mind was complaining on where the damn smoke and ash had came from and how It had become so damn thick, while the other half was jumping for joy when he noted a particular figure within the trenches, standing on high... barking orders.

"Rivia, What does an Inquisitor Astarte's look like?" he asked, eyes remaining locked on the figure.

The woman merely found herself confused at the odd question – even in a moment like this – but she somehow found herself answering regardless "their highly decorated; usually adoring red stripped medals along with golden embroidery on their armor – mainly on their pauldrons" she explained perfectly, chaos of war barely hindering her focus on memory.

"How powerful are these men?" asked Ryden – eyes still locked forward.

"Strong... nearly high class"

Rivia didn't hear it but Ryden hummed at the information in content and appreciation before he climbed over her to take her spot in cover "I spotted one..." was all he said, causing Rivia to widen her eyes at the development while she shifted to give Ryden room.

"Do you need cover to take the shot?" she asked

Ryden shook his head "No, the artillery fire has been prioritizing you the most due to your power; showing yourself may cause him to disappear or focus attention on us; we'll lose this opportunity if that happens" he said before tapping her shoulder without looking at her "stay put for now... this may be the deterrent we need" he added

Rivia nodded and sat tight while Ryden corrected his position in order to accommodate for accuracy and sway reduction. His body leaned out slightly from the stump while his left shoulder pressed hard against it. Resting the barrel of _Cerberus_ in the crook of his elbow, Ryden breathed in steady breaths while at the same time two blue triangular sigils – about the size of a penny – sprouted up directly over the cross hairs, amplifying his range accusation and magnifying his view on the Inquisitor Astarte's. Ryden nearly lost it when this happened but managed to force his reaction into two heightened breaths. Ajuka had seriously out done himself with this thing.

Ryden shook his head before focusing back onto the officer. Nothing was of serious importance in the devil, only that his words carried serious weight among the many inquisitors around him and those joining the lines to advance.

There was nothing needed in observing the devil, only in target acquisition. Taking in a breath, Ryden calmed his heart rate as best as he could before continuing the process until he was satisfied. Soon after Ryden locked his cross-hairs on the central mass of the devil, the chest cavity; demonic energy follows the same routes as blood vessels and nerves, going so far as travelling to ever section in the body. However, demonic energy goes through a cleaning phase similar to what blood does which meant the most demonic energy within a devil was directly within the heart.

Should be obvious...

Ryden's gripped tightened and his finger flexed slowly, squeezing the trigger until his breathing reached respiratory pause.

Once he stopped breathing, the trigger was pulled completely...

 ***BANG!***

The cry of Cerberus was deeper than before – meaty and powerful – as if its payload carried a dangerous power within it. Ryden didn't mess around when it came to demoralizing his enemies; Ajuka had told him the effects of a certain anti-infantry type spell, one that caused extreme damage to the victim and immense terror in the hearts of his enemies... this would be a perfect domino effect if it plays out the way he hoped.

The round tore through the air like nothing, its speed exceeding the basic levels of sound all the way to near light speed, and within a flash – a blink – a golf ball sized hole ripped itself directly through the devils heart, painting the rock wall and grassy hill behind it in a deep crimson spatter. There were certain levels of shock one goes through when receiving a grievous wound or a life ending one, the most common being written on the expression of the helmet-less officer that no longer possessed a heart.

A flinch was all that was seen upon initial contact – the velocity of the bullet had been far too great for it to carry any kind of concussive force. The devil instinctively grew rigid soon after before surprise and shock over took the devil when he glanced down to see the offending wound. Had the round been a normal one then all the officer would do is black out or die from blood loss... however... that round wasn't normal.

All these expressions and actions occurred within seconds and the following happened just as quickly. Soon after the initial hit, the body began to light up internally, the eyes and mouth of the devil shone brightly as if an unconstrained source of light was fighting to escape from within the devil, not even fully realizing that his own demonic energy was weaponized.

Ryden smirked darkly as his eyes watched the devil light show "omae wa mou... shindeiru" he muttered with humorous contempt

The inquisitor Astarte's shone again for a brief second until the body finally gave out.

Ryden saw it all through the 'scope' on his gun, he saw how the demonic energy – weaponized by the _hellbite_ round – cracked the body open like an egg, spewing out a raging explosion of demonic energy that over took five other inquisitors in the blast... anyone else in the area was caked in a massive spew of blood and gore.

If Ryden tried hard enough... he could hear some screams of shock and horror at what had just happened to their commanding officer.

The chance paid off...

Ryden smirked before looking over to Rivia "greased 'em" he said

Rivia smirked brightly down at Ryden before readying herself to move "while we have this chance, we should regroup with Rosalina to consolidate our forces and prepare for that counter assault; one dead officer only buys us so much time" she reasoned, head flinching down when a bolt pinged off some bark by her head.

Ryden nodded, taking note of the conflict around him before finding Rosalina a few meters ahead of them, he glanced at Rivia – tapped her the shoulder encouragingly – before pushing forward "let's not keep her waiting then" he said before holstering _Cerberus_ and gunning it to Rosalina, Rivia following behind closely.

Whatever the effect his kill brought, it did so in an extremely noticeable way. For some reason the artillery fire began to dwindle in accuracy which caused Ryden to assume the officer he had killed may have been the one setting up the coordinated fire which worked perfectly in their favor. Ryden slide to cover beside Rosalina within seconds of moving, followed by a calm Rivia who kept a moderate pace with him.

Rosalina glanced back towards Ryden and quirked a brow "what took you?" she asked urgently

Ryden smirked at her playfully "I spotted an officer within the trench line so I took some time to remove him and a few others" he informed casually before pointing up "I think he may have been the one directing the artillery fire, as soon as he went down the barrage slowed" he added while pointing to the sky and the dwindled artillery fire.

Rosalina nodded in surprise at this before glancing up and noticed the artillery really had dwindled down. Before the artillery had been pinning them down since arriving yet now the accuracy had become off by a noticeable margin, effectively confirming Ryden's theory on the officer's role; Rosalina had calculated it simply enough, as they made ground the artillery had been damn accurate to near pinpoint precision yet now that the coordinator was gone, they had a window to push into the safe zone of the artillery and engage the advancing inquisitors without trouble.

Rosalina smirked before smacking Ryden's shoulder to gain his attention again "you gonna bring the storm?" she asked after remembering a certain payload in Ryden's inventory

Ryden smirked while _Fulgur_ writhed excitedly upon the woman's words "when and where?" he asked

Rosalina merely pointed straight ahead of their current position "Most of our knights are pinned but they know the plan; however, I want more than just seven knights with us when we push, who knows how many inquisitors are within the trenches"

Ryden nodded "copy; what do you need me to do?"

Rosalina shook her head "Nothing, just stay put until I get back" the woman said before leaning over to look Rivia in the eye "I need you to provide cover for me" Rivia nodded at her words, checked her nails of all things and simple waited for the woman to move. Rosalina sighed before standing "Cover!" she yelled out.

Rivia merely waved her hand, creating a rift hole that followed Rosalina all along the field until she jumped down into a foxhole. As soon as she disappeared Ryden unsheathed _Fulgur_ , the crimson glass edge shown excitedly at the coming moments while Ryden merely stayed firm within cover, waiting for the moment of truth.

After a minute of waiting he spotted Rosalina rise from the foxhole with a slew of other knights; Ryden smirked before squeezing Rivia's shoulder "Give 'em some cover" he said to which Rivia waved her hand again, summoning four holes to cover the four approaching knights. Without any casualties the four returned to him and Rivia with loud exhales of relief.

"I hear we're finally pushing in" mutter a helmet-less knight, medium blonde hair messily frazzled into a spiked mess, his harshly dented armor donating his service to the 5th platoon by the embroidered cloth that dangle from his hip.

Ryden nodded while gently thumbing _Fulgur_ "So it seems, did sentinel Phenex fill you three in?" he asked while Rivia and Rosalina join up along cover.

The three nodded before a black haired female devil responded in their stead "Transparent my lord; we'll follow your lead" she said.

"Let's get these bastards" muttered the third knight. He was helmet-less as well and possessed short black hair similarly frazzled as the blonde devil, his armor donated his service to the 2nd platoon along with the woman beside him. Out of them all, none possessed tower shields as most knights had ditched them in the advance some time ago.

Ryden merely nodded again before glancing to Rosalina "when we get into the trench line I'll push right with these three, sound good?" he asked, Rosalina nodded

"I'll go left then" she said before looking at Rivia "You can take some knights and hold the position we enter through; try and disrupt any signs of reinforcements while we secure the area" she ordered

Rivia nodded but tossed a glance to Ryden who smirked to her when he noticed; he would have worded his response but a horn sounded off in the distance. The horn was followed by several others which seemed to run along the entire trench line from sector _Rose garden_ to the others. The sound was ominous but didn't cause any sort of negative reaction from Ryden, who merely smirked in response to it, mildly disturbing the three knight's with him.

"Perfect, now they be coming to us" he said while gripping _Fulgur_ tightly. He paused before glancing to all around him, their eyes locking on to him in anxious resolve "10 seconds... ready yourselves; once you see red you stay on my ass" he barked out before shifting his position into a readied kneel, his sword arcing with red lightning.

None had noticed it before because of the chaos around them but now they did, many knights in the area – be it the three behind Ryden or those within cover a few yards from him – noticed the red lightning coating the sword within the grasp of Ryden. Most knights had been stationed elsewhere during the siege on the Crucible yet word of the events and the one's that had defeat the intruders were spoken of on many news outlets. Rosalina Phenex, Nyx Oriax, Abigail Valac and one Ryden Vale Gremory were the ones involved yet the latter was the one spoken of most.

When General Sirzechs announced that he had a younger brother it hit hard to all, yet for that very brother to possess an _Infernum Armis_ was an even greater impact then the previous news. Not much was publicly known of the ancient weapons, some of it mere myth and legend then physical truth but Ryden vale Gremory proved that wrong on many levels. Destroying the barrier in the Crucible was no easy task and killing three inquisitors that stood dozens of feet from the other within seconds wasn't something a high-class devil could do with a sword. The myths were real by then and the fame of the man wielding it had grown exponentially as well. They didn't know what happened after the crucible but it was clear the higher ups were keeping something from the public.

Many speculated that Ryden had been the sole reason on why the leviathan army had retreated from the Bael territory, some even saying the loud sonic boom that echoed all across the underworld had been the might of Ryden's very own strength... courtesy of a single swing of his sword.

Glorified wasn't even cutting it at that point and some knights believed the man wasn't as strong as suggested; not that they didn't respect the devil for what he did, they just didn't think he was the sole reason on why the army of 10,000 retreated... though the sonic boom left many to speculate.

However, now that they were within eye-shot of the weapon in Ryden's hand, they couldn't ignore the bolster in morale at its crimson shine and power, even more so when the man stood from his cover and trudged forward before stopping in the middle of the open field.

The chaos of the battle almost seemed to stand to a halt, or rather nothing appeared as interesting to anyone other than the actions of the crimson hair devil in possession of a crimson blade. Ryden stepped into the open, his breathing lapsed into a calm demeanor while multiple barrages of bolts and artillery slammed around him – some even being taking out by tiny jolts of red arc energy from _Fulgur;_ its defensive power allowing Ryden full mobility in the field.

It was a show of confidence to all that witnessed, a confidence that Ryden carried as he stood in the open field. A rise in power from _Fulgur_ sparked goose bumps in all that watched when Ryden's second hand gripped the handle – causing a near tyrannical amount of demonic energy to exude from the devil/human. Nothing at that point could touch him; the red light exuded from the blade almost became physical and created a transparent shield that protected not just him, but those that were behind him – lodged in cover that which was no long necessary.

Ryden ignored everything around him as he raised the blade high above his head, the simple action causing the clouds in the grey sky above them to darken into blackened shadows. Once the blade was held aloft, the sky began to cry crimson and the clouds grumbled in anger. No one could fathom the power that Ryden possessed in his hands, nor could they believe it was before them. The crying sky of crimson lightning lashed out thick bolts of angry arcs that vaporized incoming artillery fire as if they were specs of dust, the sound blotting out the roars of explosions with loud howls of thunder.

The old-Satan's however, marched onward without folly... foolishness hidden under valor and loyalty

Ryden noticed them soon after, the large line of inquisitors marching forward in formation through the densely thick fog. As they approached, a rally of knights behind him stood tall from their cover, taking notice of their assailant's approach. Ryden smirked viciously when the whites of the inquisitor's eyes grew large in shock when the crimson light of his sword finally reached them through the veil of smoke and ash.

Ryden had his target and made his move accordingly. His left foot stepped back – lightning crackled in the sky as his foot made contact with the upturned soil – his eyes shone brightly with crimson fury while the clouds encircled above him, sending down a single bolt of bright red lightning that caused the blade in Ryden's hands to shine brighter, angrily coating itself in barely contained power so great the glass blade shone like a second sun, illuminating the battlefield almost completely; the voice within crying out desperately.

 _LET ME OUT!_

 _RELEASE ME!_

 _SET MY WRATH FREE!_

The loud canopy of voices cried out its singular demand... a demand fully acknowledged

Ryden – amongst the chaos in his hands – smirked almost softly before the expression was whipped clean, replaced by cold apathy – void of any mercy – and resolved towards his coming action. His muscles flexed tightly while his left foot rose again and stepped forward, the blade that which was held high dropped in a flash, releasing the energy held within the blade.

The ground before Ryden was torn asunder as the crimson lightning sped forward in a hastened rush, a violent bolt ripping the ground in its maddened release; shattering the resolve in those that bore its approach and vaporized the hope of a timely retreat.

Once the inquisitors met the wrath of _Fulgur_... they ceased to exist.

 _ **BVVVVVVVVVVVVVV!**_

The loud and long lasted growl of Fulgur's release created an ominous sound that brought chills to the devils that watched and those that only briefly got a chance to feel it. The reminiscent memories of a demon rocked their minds; causing a brief moment of silence on the battlefield... leaving only the howl to be heard admits the chaos of the invasion.

Ryden stood momentarily, blade lowered to his side comfortably, and watched the line of inquisitors blocking him and those behind him turn to dust and ash; creating the perfect window for them to breach.

Ryden smirked darkly at the window before raising his sword high, an action closely followed by the standing knights behind him. "FORWARD!" he howled before sprinting forward, the collection of knights behind him roared in response to Ryden's call before following him.

The line was breached...

* * *

Sirzechs and Serafall couldn't quite explain what they were feeling; a mix of awe and admiration followed by the annoying responsibility of their ranks kept them from openly expressing themselves upon seeing the crimson light to their far left. They both knew by then just who the person was that had caused that light and why the grey sky had suddenly grown dark – _very_ dark. Ryden possessed _Infernum_ _Fulgur_ and only that weapon could cause such catastrophic destruction... even Sirzechs was slightly envious of its destructive power.

They were currently occupying a small mobile command deck a few miles from the main lines; the vehicle in question was a flat triangular contraption forged from simple metals by Ajuka as a means of mobile transportation and defense. All around them stood 10 foot tall demonic graphs that created the defensive barrier around them, while the triangular metal plate below them possess runes and sigils within that allowed for long distance travels by simply desiring it.

Sirzechs didn't mind it but he'd rather have his forward command tent then a wide open container like this but he guessed the thing was of some use.

He sighed before glancing over to the left. In the distance they could hear the roar of the massive bolt and also hear the bolstered roars of the advancing forces from second division along with the clear sight of a slowly rolling bolt of thunder. Serafall knew they had breached the lines in the Rose Garden the second the bolt was seen and found herself smirking gently at the thought. While she never did get to have the conversation with the youngest Gremory, she knew it was only a matter of time until she did and merely bide her time until then... the small light show was merely a side enjoyment, compared to what was happening before them.

" **Generals"** called out praetor Saladin.

Sirzechs glanced over to the commander of the praetorian order and faintly nodded in acknowledgement "What is it?" he asked

Saladin bowed before speaking **"Long range scouts have informed me that one of the towers in the Rose Garden has been demolished"**

Sirzechs smirked while Serafall staunched a faint chuckle at the news "Why am I not surprised?" he muttered to Serafall before looking to Saladin "keep tabs on the Rose Garden, and be ready to send in a garrison if they need it" order Sirzechs firmly, causing Saladin to bow.

 **"Consider it done my lord"**

Sirzechs nodded while Saladin left the command deck and rallied a small collection of ten praetorian's onto a mass teleportation sigil and vanished a second later. Sirzechs regarded the spot where the devil vanished blankly before looking over to Serafall "How goes the progress on the two inside?" he asked, to which Serafall shrugged.

"I can't answer that" she answered with a shake of her head "the two requested long time communication silence until they themselves break it; until that happens, or _if_ that happens, then we will be in the dark on their progress" informed Serafall seriously

Sirzechs hummed at the petite girls words. "I see... then we can only hope they are successful in their mission" replied Sirzechs with a glint in his eye

Serafall glanced over to her eldest friend with a troubled gaze "It's very unlikely Katerea is still here Sirzechs; she most likely delegated leadership to some random grand inquisitor and went to report back to Rizevim in _Lucifaad_ " suggested Serafall

Sirzechs glanced over to her with a humored gaze, one that slightly confused her. "What?" she asked with a blink of her eyes.

He smirked at her before replying. " _Lucifaad_ is gone, Sera... remember?"

A moment passed before Serafall gently fell back down into her throne, her hand rubbing her temples soothingly before she pinched the bridge of her nose "I still can't believe that..." she said with a disbelieving tone "...it took us almost six months to take back _Leviathia_ , the weakest territory defense wise; yet _he_ takes down _Lucifaad_ – the literal capital of hell, Lucifer's own personally built castle –with _four_ allies and suffers _zero_ casualties, he even rescued twenty POW's as well in a two hour time frame, give or take an hour... who does that?" Serafall quickly sighed before pinching her nose again in exasperation "it's almost as if he just dropped from the sky like a gift from some god" she commented, causing Sirzechs to nearly cough on his own spit.

He retracted his actions skillfully and regarded Serafall with a humored smirk "Surly you can't be that superstitious" he said to which Serafall shot a slight glare at him.

"Need I remind you of that blasted event a few months ago?" she said before huffing "Call me superstitious but I recall you being incredibly nervous on who or what fell from the sky; if I'm superstitious then your _fanatically_ superstitious. What's so bad about assuming this anyway? I mean you barely talked about your younger brother before yet only a week ago he's all you really talk about"

Sirzechs swallowed "I didn't know mother sent him away at such a young age, I was busy in the Great War; you know that" he eased out carefully

Serafall sighed "I guess..." she muttered out

Sirzechs released a concealed breath as Serafall fell away from the subject before he subsequently changed it. His back straightened before he spoke "Katerea may not be here but regardless of that thought, the mission on those two's shoulders still stands... cut the head off the snake and the body will crumble"

Serafall glanced at Sirzechs in confusion at his sudden change in subject but nodded anyway in agreement before her mind drifted off to matters regarding her own legion. The successes of the incursion team were trivial if the main force didn't manage to break through into the tree line. Sirzechs had immense faith in the two chosen for the operation, the information they had revealed on the means they used to infiltrate _Lucifaad_ had garnered not just his attention but hers as well. Abigail Valac was a master hunter, proven stealth expert and silent assassin; her skills were even sharpened when she had a companion with her – Nyx Oriax – who was a close friend and sparring partner to her for many years. With her skills and Nyx's particular powers and experience then making ground would be more a matter of time gating then considering the possibility of success.

Serafall hardily knew of them until Sirzechs had spoken to her regarding them both; apparently they had been on his radar for some time now and only after the events in the crucible did he act on getting their skills targeted towards more crucial means. He didn't want to risk losing one of them in the invasion and conveniently, during that time the higher ups had been exploring strategies into the retaliatory strike in the _Territory of Thorns_. At the time, it was a perfect opportunity to suggest a two man incursion team into the territory which had sweetened the mouths of all that had heard it when Sirzechs openly revealed their involvement – along with Rosalina Phenex, his younger brother and a rescued Rivia Abaddon – in the complete and utter destruction of _Lucifaad_.

Skepticism – somehow – never rose to counter the general's words; obviously such claims were beyond mad and even more insane to suggest _five_ people had done what they all believed to be a fool's errand for a major assault force. Yet in the end, they all somehow believed the general to be speaking the truth, leaving Serafall to be at odds with herself when she witnessed – similarly so as Ajuka – the show of utter faith towards Sirzechs, the one devil most proven to be 'out of his mind'. She'd almost laughed bitterly to herself when the idea that maybe _she_ was the insane one among them.

She'd keep quiet on that regard...

But thems were the facts; geological scans and reports had proven the destruction of _Lucifaad_ which was followed by the reminder of the sonic boom that had impacted every corner of the underworld; everyone from the necropolis to the realm of Hades would have heard it so Proof was irrelevant by then, and the plans were simple enough to conduct so the council and the higher ups approved of Sirzechs suggested plan.

Serafall was confused why it had only been Nyx and Abigail to go behind enemy lines and Sirzechs merely revealed that the two that _had_ been chosen were the most _likely_ to be killed in the invasion before them. Rosalina was near immortal and extremely dangerous when allowed time to release; the only weakness she had was holy light and constant continues damage; the latter was almost trivial when considering her two other companions. Ryden barely had any weaknesses to conventional means; the boy had blocked his sword with his wrist, even caught it with his bare hand at one point, and had developed enough control over his power to be a force no one would want to reckon with. Rivia was also close to being un-killable as her mastery over the Abaddon's family trait was so great that one would have to be extremely lucky to even grace a glancing blow on her. Rivia was older then Sirzechs – even going so far as being his old commander in the Great War at some point – and this was a factor that many devils had favored into perspective; if one could survive the Great War then this conflict was a trivial matter to deal with.

Serafall was half wondering if the devil was merely walking through the battlefield now that she thought on it. After hearing a few stories regarding her from Sirzechs and Ajuka made Serafall believe her previous thoughts to be simple fact. It sounded as if that's all she did... walk through hell like it was nothing but a gala, brushing off artillery fire as if they were merely annoying suitors.

...talk about strutting her shit

The point was proven to her at that point. Those three were blunt force weapons, powerful hammers that would bend mountains when pushed and shatter lines when pointed out to. They were more useful here then prowling around in the dark like Nyx and Abigail.

Serafall sighed _'To each calling their own...'_ she muttered internally

Serafall huffed at the coldness in her thoughts before leaning on her armrest lazily, a despondent expression hidden behind her blank violet eyes when the raging bolt of crimson finally vanished from the sky, the clouds above eventually following its disappearance.

"It would seem the Rose Garden has been breached" she muttered calmly

Sirzechs grunted in acknowledgment "we should be seeing two more light shows in a moment" he said before leaning back into his own throne "Only a matter of time until the rest breach their sectors"

* * *

Ryden's breathed escaped him the moment his armored greaves made landing on the soil within the trench line, a moment after and the others caught up with him. Rosalina and Rivia dropped into the trenches with a hard and audible thud – the loud cry of _Fulgur's_ lightning bolt had staunched any other sounds from reaching him, causing the voices of the other devils that followed behind them to enter his ears. Within seconds the trench was filled with the ten knights Rosalina had scrounged up hastily before the woman herself stood and barked out the orders... they weren't out of the woods yet, hell they hadn't even made it in.

"Alright, secure the trenches!" she ordered before pointing to Ryden "take your three knights to the right and secure it" she said, causing Ryden to stand up and gesture the three knights from before to regroup on him. Rosalina continued her orders by pointing at three other knights "You three come with me to the left, everyone else remain here and halt any reinforcements that try to push this position; regroup here upon phase 1's completion... MOVE OUT!" one last bark and the formation sounded off and made way to their objectives.

Ryden sighed before glancing to the three knights that stood by him "I'll take point" he said before drawing out _Cerberus_ and tossed it to his left hand; Fulgur remaining in his right. The three knights behind him grunted before following Ryden into the deeper lined trenches. Just before dropping down into the deeper trenches, Ryden thumbed the hammer on Cerberus and changed the firing mode to the _scattershot_ mode, effectively changing the weapon into a shotgun.

He glanced to the blonde devil that eyed his choice of weapon before smiling "I like to keep this for close encounters" he muttered before allowing the hammer to slam down on the symbol and then locked it.

The action was immediate after he spoke but Ryden had the advantage when three inquisitors – left behind in the trenches to direct reinforcements – were torn down quickly and brutally by _Cerberus's_ close range bark _._ The echo of the rounds tore through the air harshly like any other shotgun would but the adrenaline of war left only a slight ringing in the ears of the four that pushed passed the three bodies; not even granting the corpses a second glance.

The trenches were wide for two but the other knights that followed Ryden did as he told them. Along the way in the trenches – about a couple dozen meters – Ryden had told the three to keep in a single file formation, as that would make for a smaller target if they met a group of bolt casters. _Bolt casters_ were something new in Ryden's mental inventory of classes used by the old-Satan forces. Before – back in the crucible – he had only encountered heavy infantry, light infantry and stealth units followed by the numerous numbers of casters along his small journey to rescue Rosalina; now they had a newer foe, relatively old to most devils but Ryden hadn't seen them until now. They were like casters but of the lighter infantry style, capable of close quarter engagements along with long range suppressive fire... they were one of the units responsible for the hundreds of dead on the battlefield.

Ryden could take a hit from them and he was damn sure of it, but those behind him couldn't so it was best he took point first.

Ryden paused in his control advance; weapon raised at the read while Fulgur thoomed threateningly in his other hand, held low below his waist. He glance to his left and grunted before glancing over his shoulder to the three knights behind him. "tunnel..." he mutter before tapping the leg of the devil to his immediate flank "me and you will secure the tunnel" he said before looking at the two male knights "Once we push in continue forward a few feet and wait for us" the two devils nodded before Ryden grunted and pushed down into the tunnel, closely followed by the raven haired knight; both of their weapons ready to engage.

Ryden's mind ignored everything other than his push into the tunnel while the female knight kept pace well enough. Within seconds and a small room was found deeper within but Ryden had to conduct himself accordingly. "Hold up" he ordered before coming to a pause just before reaching the opening; the knight behind him froze as ordered while Ryden eyed his sword before merely tossed _Fulgur_ into the room, shocking the female knight at the random act.

A loud thunderous roar followed the blades landing which signaled Ryden to follow in, which was closely followed by a confused female knight.

What Ryden saw inside caused his mind to ease a little and for the female devil to regard the scene with a wide eyed expression. Three bodies – flash incinerated by arc energy – lay burning on the rock flooring while multiple scorch marks were seen imprinted on the wall, the frozen images of the three devils last moments eternally showing on the torch lit wall. Ryden smirked before picking up _Fulgur_ and turning to his companion; the woman merely staring at him with a confused expression before she sighed.

Ryden raised a brow "What?" he asked

"Nothing my lord, just wondering on my uses for this matter" she sassed moderately

Ryden smirked at her words while glancing around the barren room filled only with weapon and armor racks, his gaze then drifted towards the three corpses before nodding "Fair point..." he replied in agreement before turning towards the second entrance way into the small underground barracks.

"Are we continuing further?" asked the female knight suddenly upon his motion.

"No, just sealing off this passage to make sure no one comes behind us"

The black haired knight nodded while Ryden casually scrapped _Fulgur_ along the upper frame of the entrance, loosening the rock above and collapsing the tunnels second entrance with clear ease.

Ryden huffed before turning and leaving, followed closely by his fellow knight.

Tunnel clear... EZ

Once Ryden stepped back outside it was almost as if the volume had suddenly returned with the vengeance, causing the symphony of noises to cascade back to his ears. He however ignored this – having grown slightly accustomed to the screams of explosions and voices some time ago – and continued down the trench until he found the other two knights standing in a slight clearing underneath an open walled canopy tent; tables and benches spanned the exterior of the circular opening, while three inquisitors engaged the two knights he had brought with him. Whether it was by luck or skill – Ryden judged it to be both – but even though the inquisitors had the slight man advantage, the two managed to coordinate well enough to bait strikes and counter perfectly enough that when Ryden went to intervene the two managed to execute one inquisitor while holding off the second.

The second kill was where their luck came in...

...In the form of _Fulgur_ splitting the third inquisitor's head like a water melon – the blonde devils would be killer.

While they did manage to coordinate a kill – while at the same time locking another back – that did however leave one knight available to retaliate in vengeance at the fall of his ally, leaving a particularly nasty opening that would have been brutally exploited.

 _Fulgur_ however, got his six... very accurately mind you...

 _ ***THUNK***_

Just as the blade of the inquisitor was about to meet the blonde knights open ribs, _Fulgur_ tore through the air like a perfectly thrown tomahawk; brutally splitting the devils grape fruit like it was nothing. Ryden however didn't stop there and with a simple gesture of his hand _Fulgur_ shot back to his grip before he repeated the action to the lone survivor held in a knight's parry; this time cleanly decapitating the devil with a casually thrown backhanded disc throw.

 _Fulgur_ acted like a Frisbee and curved hard in order to fly back into Ryden's hand, the man in question merely catching it like it was a routine motion.

The three knights merely stared at him, flabbergasted at his causally show of skills before the woman behind him huffed "Again I ask... does he really need our help?" she asked, causing the other two to shrug at the question; neither one having a valid answer.

The woman sighed at the two

Ryden smirked slightly at the comment but sooner dropped it upon glancing off in the direction of allied lines. The thick fog covering the majority of the trench obscured the view of the allied push; considering his squads position, 10th platoon and above should still be out in the field... combating the counter advance force.

"Shit..." Ryden muttered before glancing at the three knights "secure this position and hold here. I'll be back in a moment" was all he barked before turning and running into the fog; swordspear appearing all the while.

The three didn't get much to say in response to Ryden's words and simply had enough time to see their officer disappear in the fog, leaving the three in stunned silence at the man's action.

Watching a man willingly charge back into heavy artillery fire had that effect on most people...

"The absolute madman..." muttered the blonde knight in a shocked stupor

* * *

Ryden ran as fast as he could with _Cerberus_ tightly holstered and _Fulgur_ snuggly sheathed on his person. With the open terrain before him and the fact that he was charging towards allied lines meant that he had to make sure friendly fire was his primary concern which was why _Fulgur_ had taken the back seat for the moment. Summon a roaring bolt of lightning would only prove more dangerous than useful – much to _Fulgur's_ displeasure – so in order to maximize speed and efficiency along with lethality, Ryden saw it fit to bust out his newly crafted swordspear... that which he would name ' _nameless_ ' for no reason related to reference purposes.

Ryden shook his head to stop his childish thoughts before giving the perfectly balanced blade a casual twirl mid sprint. With how small a time he had to accustom himself with _nameless_ he didn't truly grasp how well balanced the blade was – considering the fact he was gushing over aesthetic more than he was studying its practical uses kinda played into why the feeling of the weapon was so perfect to him at the moment. Aside from the weapons overall feel, Ryden had to make sure the craftsmanship was just as perfect as the flow of the blade and what better way to do that then exorcising its true purpose.

Within moments Ryden could make out the sights of multiple inquisitors through the massive cloud of smoke and debris; he was right about the creeping barrage strategy, most bodies that he came across were fresh and still bleeding from bladed wounds and shrapnel while some of them were barely recognizable due to the extreme heat from the large mortar fire that continuously crept forward a few dozen yards from the advancing line of inquisitors.

He didn't waste time in checking the bodies, if he dallied then only more bodies would join them so instead he didn't hesitate in acting in accordance with a vengeful drive. A second later and he found himself easily parting an inquisitor in two with a simple forward thrust – the entire width of the blade being slightly wider than the body – and then spun the weapon high above his head and drove it down in a slash that parted an adjacent devil and gouged out the back of a third devil.

Three bodies hit the dirt in multiple thuds yet the chaos of war left most of the advancing inquisitors oblivious to their dangerous flanker – all but a few. Ryden smirked darkly at the weapons performance before continuing his spree with a combo of three slashes in the direction of three other devils, amounting a hefty kill count of _five_ in total before repeating. _Nameless_ possessed a long blade for a swordspear, the weapon itself seemingly impractical for use but in Ryden's hands it's danced to the song of death, the blade itself being so sharp it cut the air into a faint whistle that entered the ears of the soon departed.

...the soft tune of _Nameless_ being their eternal alibi

"Someone's flanked us!" Yelled an inquisitor as he noticed the lack of comrades behind him... or live ones rather. His words of warning however only entered a sparring few before his head was removed by a clean horizontal slash... the slash even taking three more lives before stopping. Ryden huffed in satisfaction at _nameless'_ performance while continuing his assault on the inquisitors advancing position; even though the weapon was cutting perfectly he knew it was more his own doing then the blades, it was however incredibly nimble and easy to control which made quick twists and turns far easier to do then if the weapon had been slightly off balance.

Whatever the case, Ryden's advancing flank was up and now the majority of the assault line had finally taken notice of his presence and the numerous bodies he'd amounted in the short time of his attack. Most inquisitors didn't have time to count their casualties as Ryden made sure his attack didn't falter nor did he allow the inquisitor's time to form a counter, let alone a collected thought at what the hell was happening. Within the sudden development of chaos Ryden spun right and dropped his weapon down hard on an inquisitors shield which barely amount to anything; the tempered metal, bulwark wood and leather that constructed the guard amounted to nothing more than that of paper which parted just as easily and just as cleanly as the one wielding it... the only difference between the two was that one bleed more than the other.

Ryden barely regarded the devil before twisting around and removing the heads of two charging devils with a cleanly executed slash after a momentum building twirl of his swordspear, the brazen two falling gracelessly to the floor in a fountain of blood.

He continued on...

This was his crowd control style; formed during his isolated training sections with his old swordspear. During his week of training, Ryden saw it fit to build a skill towards facing multiple enemies at once, as it would most likely come in handy when shit hit the fan, to which it would most likely will. In the end, he decided that using the constant twirls of his swordspear – a skill he'd almost mastered when familiarizing himself with it – would be best used to building up a constant momentum. Normally, such reliance on momentum alone would be considered a very dangerous style, as anyone could simply redirect or dodge before countering yet this itself was countered by two factors.

The first was his weapons extreme cutting edge augmentation. Dragonite metal was the only metallic substance that seemed to contend with this, so they were the only ones that stood to pose a threat to this style and yet the weapons themselves were easily noticeable; so noticeable that stumbling upon a wielder would be impossible as the glowing metallic ore always shown with its effective colors when being effected by an outside source... and devils had this nasty habit of forcing a slight modicum of demonic energy into them, effectively showcasing their threat level.

If you could actually call them threats that is...

The second counter was the sheer size of the weapon he used and the constant state of movement Venelana had drilled into him. That woman – regardless of her choice of bonding – was a skilled user of the spear and had demonstrate that very skill by kicking his ass up and down the garden for an hour a day until he finally chose to move his ass and adapt on the fly rather than stop – have a cup of dumbass tea and converse – and then move before repeating. Only in anime and Hollywood movies do villains and heroes talk mid fight – usually at immersion crippling moments – before continue the fight.

It was a misconception in the idea of sword play, that talking was apparently present in all noble conflicts and sword fights... news flash: it wasn't. By the time the blades start crossing, there's usually only one person left standing when they stop – if the fighters are skilled and committed enough – and it usually only lasts for a few seconds; no words, no trade of tragic back stories, no nothing. Venelana had taught him this well and so his habits fit her desires after a few hours. In the end, the only thing that didn't move... was his mouth. Everything else was trained solely on adapting and processing the events on the battlefield, talking was irrelevant.

With speed, he covered ground and kept moving; kept engaging at speeds and at a flow unaffected by even the most perfect of blocks due to the sheer cutting edge _nameless_ possessed in Ryden's hands. With his flowing stance and wild approach the intimidation created at his rush caused hesitation to take root in the minds of his targets, only for that very mistake to cost them everything.

"By the Satan's... who is that?!" yelled out a voice from further out in the field

"He's one of ours!" yelled another voice

Ryden didn't pause in his actions but the voices sounded hopeful – shocked and awed sure – but hope stricken none the less. He suspected his push had caused enough chaos that the anti-Satan forces within this advance section had taken notice of his efforts; only now did _he_ hope they mustered up the effort to push up and assist him. Quite odd considering the situation but the assistance wouldn't be frowned upon.

" **Ally spotted engaging hostiles; moving to assist"** spoke a mechanical voice from behind him

?

Ryden subconsciously raised at brow at the odd voice before suddenly widening his eyes when an emergence of black armored _praetorian's_ come rushing out from allied lines and into the thick of his engagement. He checked a spear to the side before retaliating with a quick two handed counter swing before turning to take out another inquisitor at his six, because of the mild distraction his flow had been cut down to mediocre swings and counter jabs... probably the only thing that could counter his damn style, a full on distraction.

Ryden wanted to huff in annoyance but fought the desire. However, just before he could remove his third threat the bulk of the praetorian advance garrison busted through the artillery zone and right into his, one praetorian crashed into the devil he was about to kill while multiple other occurrences happened around him. The classic hockey style body check used by the praetorians upon engaging was amplified to lethal bone crushing degrees based on their speed and armor features alone... their violence upon those afterwards was downright meant for the goon squad.

It was done in nearly seconds, a moment ago he was nearly surrounded on all sides yet now the praetorians had taken out what remained of this advance line like piranhas in blooded waters, leaving only scraps of resistance that ultimately meant little but futile games of tag in the eyes of the praetorians that hunted down the retreating inquisitors like starved cheetahs.

Sirzechs had said these soldiers were elite and now he perfectly knew why; brutal efficiency and speedy advances was their bread and butter.

Ryden nearly whistled at the actions done around him before suddenly freezing when a hand fell on his shoulder

" **I see theatrics is hereditary, young lord"** the voice of the praetorian resting his hand on his shoulder sounded familiar – mostly by choice of words – but due to the metallic voice changer, Ryden had a hard moment to grasp who it was.

Ryden blinked slightly before looking at the armored gauntlet on his shoulder and then to the highly decorated praetorian standing behind him. The black armor, colorful metals and red cloths followed closely by the large fur cape that sat perfectly well under the pauldrons easily gave away just who he was looking at, the only difference presently was the black horned helmet with a 'Y' visor that almost seemed to glare at him.

"I take it my brother was the crazy sort, just as much as I am" replied Ryden with a smirk while Saladin removed his hand from his person

The praetorian grunted humorously before nodding **"Quite... have you lost your platoon knight sentinel?"** asked the elderly praetorian

Ryden shook his head in response "No, sentinel Phenex has taken a small collection of knights to the left of the trench lines from where we entered while I took three others to the right in order to clear out as many inquisitors... I merely chose to flank the advancing line when I noticed the lack of inquisitors within the trenches" he supplied calmly

Saladin grunted again in humor **"couldn't find enough victims so you ran back into chaos to find some, HA! Truly you are your brothers double** " Saladin's words rang humorous but the tone soon lowered back to normal, business full on returning to the form of the commander of the praetorian creed.

" **Return to your men knight sentinel, phase 2 is upon us – leave the assisting to me and my praetorians"** he said before hefting up a large hammer.

Ryden nodded before turning back towards the enemy lines and waving over his shoulder "thanks for the assist praetor Saladin... I'll see you on the far side" with his temporary farewell and with the advance lines rescue fully secured, Ryden vanished in a flurry of crimson arcs, leaving behind a small cracked fissure on the ground and a few remnant wisps of crimson arc energy.

Saladin hummed at the sight before him, his mind taking in the many dismembered bodies of inquisitors before huffing and advancing forward with his men and those of the platoons in the area... those that were left alive to be exact.

* * *

Everything was coming to a close for the events of phase one, though the enemy still pampered the shit out of the advancing divisions with artillery fire in distant sectors, it still didn't factor in as much of a danger as before; word of multiple line breaches must have been driven up to the general in charge of the defense so the artillery platoons were checking out and falling back further into the mainland, while what remained of the major defense force for the _Territory of Thorns_ stayed behind to guard both the towers and their precious artillery units' retreat.

Ryden could tell this was the case just by the feeling in the air; obviously the lacking artillery fire from the old-Satan's allowed the roars of invigorated devils of the anti-Satan forces to reach his ears more prevalent then the cries and sorrowed wails of the wounded and the loud crashes of artillery fire. Phase one was at the edge of completion and the main force was most likely prepared to push onward into more cover based engagements.

The ground had been the main advantage for the Old-Satan's but now the tables had turned. Though the devils of the Old-Satan's possessed the knowledge of the land and its benefits that still didn't truly take away what they were facing. The Anti-Satan forces were angry; with the loss of hundreds – if not _thousands_ of friends and loved ones – the Anti-Satan forces had a few _dozen_ bones to pick. With both this and the continued boost in morale from the events of the day prior, it left nothing to be diminished in their ire and drive to take the thorn city by absolute force.

Ryden liked the idea but he knew it would be a hot minute before any serious ground was covered.

Within seconds his armored boots made contact with the hard earth within the trenches, half scaring his three fellow knights at his sudden return... that and the numerous specks of blood and gore caking his noble attire; he looked like hammered shit.

"My lord..." started the blonde knight, the young devil eyeing him with slight worry "...are you –"

Ryden shrugged "I'm fine; I got a bit of a helping hand with a few praetorians" he revealed quickly, shrugging off the blonde knights worries with good news. The three tensed before sighing out a modicum of relief while Ryden checking his attire – sniffed briefly – before shivering at the smell.

At least he wore red, his personal field maid was gonna have a field day getting this out of the fabric.

Just as the three seemed close to dropping their guard Ryden grunted out suddenly "Don't be going soft on me just because we got some big bad praetorians to help us" he barked while disposing _nameless_ into his pocket dimension and unsheathing _Fulgur_ "last time I checked we got three more phases ahead of us; keep that adrenaline pumping or you'll die tired" he ushered, sparking the three to stand in complete attention.

"YES MY LORD!" they all howled in unison

Ryden smirked at their energy before sighing to himself while glancing towards the direction they should be continuing through, he sniffled briefly before locking eyes with the black haired knight "Did you at all engage any inquisitors while I was gone?" asked Ryden, eyes firm.

The knight shook his head "No my lord"

Ryden raised a brow before pressing "Did you hear anything?"

"No"

Ryden breathed in before nodding "then we return to our fall back point, take point knight" with his order firmly dropped, the three knights readied up and fell back down into the deeper trenches and pressed on back towards Rivia Abaddon's holding point.

* * *

Rivia wanted to sigh out in boredom and out of frustration; while Rosalina may have been wise to leave behind a fall back crew, it didn't mean it was a total necessity. With how the invasion was set up it was clear to her that any second wave of reinforcements to the trench line was a stupid strategy; if the trench line fell then there was no use in taking it as the advantage in holding the line within the trees was far better considering the fact the _Rose Garden_ possessed a higher ground deeper into the forest. Rivia knew this territory well – considering it used to be almost entirely hers. Though her knowledge on the territory was more centered on the southern most regions, she did however know of the borders and the land they possessed.

It was this very border that she was tasked to defend, should there have been an invasion.

She supposed the reason that never happened was based on the fact that the devil responsible in relaying messages throughout the territory was assassinated the day before the invasion on her home territory.

Rivia shook her head to rid herself of the ' _what if's'_ and crap regarding that day. She was prepared to let bygones be bygones and fretting on the slight nuances that could have prevented her fall wouldn't help in getting over it; she was an adult devil – one of the oldest breeds in this era – she had heard of demons suffering far worse than her and actually using that pain as a trophy to showcase their strength and fortitude.

She breathed out another sigh before tensing suddenly when movement entered her senses. Whipping her head to the side to see what the commotion was about, Rivia breathed again when the knights from Ryden's team stepped up and into the open trench platform. Once the knights stepped up Rivia froze when she spotted Ryden follow up, however the status of his heath came into immediate question when she regarded the blood and gore caking his attire.

She was a patient and calm woman on a regular bases, nothing could cause her distress unless it regarded her baby sister, yet the sight of Ryden covered in blood sent her mind into a frenzy of thoughts and needless worries that she never once thought possible.

Her form almost seemed too materialized at Ryden's side before her eyes seemingly turned into hard scanners that traced over his form thoroughly – regarding ever spec of blood on him in case it was his own. Ryden regarded the woman with confused eyes until after a moment the woman merely nodded and fell back into place behind him like a pilot fish.

"What happened?" she muttered quietly while the other knights around them remained vigilant; the coast for the most part seemed clear enough for a small break but the sounds of explosions in the far distance made to remind those within ear shot that danger was still very much present.

Ryden shrugged before plopping down and leaning against the dirt wall – face directed towards the forest that which they'd be pushing into. "Nothing that should concern you for my health Rivia... I made contact with the advancing force pressuring our boys out in the field to the north of us and managed to cause enough chaos to take some pressure off; short couple minutes later after racking up a body count and a garrison of praetorians showed up to save the day" he revealed while Rivia sat down daintily to his right.

"I see..." she muttered before glancing up towards to the forest as well "Then it would seem the first phase is coming to a close"

Ryden nodded "the enemy Artillery has fallen back based purely on the fact it's all but vanished, our lines should be breaching all over by now and a garrison of red legion praetorians have made themselves known with the possibility of the other praetorian garrisons throughout the majority of the sectors... your damn right phase ones coming to a close" he said before very suddenly swatting his hand to the left "exit stage left"

Rivia snickered slightly at Ryden's humorous tone before more commotion sprang up, forcing the tow to pause to regard the new comers. This time it was both Rosalina's return and the sudden arrival of a few dozen more knights from the field, considering the dwindling artillery fire and the sheer drop in chaos around them, it was no shock to anyone when dozens of knights arrived to take cover within the large circular opening. However, with the sudden inclusion of knights came the added presents of wounded devils and other sentinels.

However only two sentinels were currently present

It was as if life was brought to action in that moment and Within seconds the many lounging knights within the area sprang forward to assist the wounded as best as possible while Ryden moved out of the way and stepped to Rosalina's side with Rivia following behind him closely. Ryden glanced at the sudden spark in commotion before regarding Rosalina with an inquisitive eye when he noticed the woman's general lack of emotion in her eyes.

He blinked before looking her up and down only to immediately notice the status of the woman's clothing and armor, that and along with a large stain of blood caking her chest. He took a sharp intake of air in realization after seeing that no rips and tears were seen on that area of her clothing which only meant one of two things.

"Rosa, is everything alright?" he asked worriedly when the woman didn't react

Ryden sighed when all she did was continue to stare forward at the ground before her. He could tell the rabbit hole was all that occupied her mind at the moment and all he needed to do in order to realize what had caused this was look at who she returned with.

She left with three knights... and only came back with one.

Ryden bit his lip in order to staunch away the sudden feeling of pity he felt for the woman and the lone knight that had returned with her. While they did lose a good bit of allies in the field, the adrenaline had kept the useless feelings of despair at bay; only now – when the adrenaline wore off – did the sudden weight become noticeable, especially for those in a position of command. And now that he thought on this, charging alone into a field full of enemies while leaving behind three knights all on their lonesome was no smart move on his part; he was damn lucky they didn't get ambushed while he was trying to play hero and he was even more lucky that Saladin showed up with his garrison because if they didn't then the retreating inquisitors would have ran right into his three compatriots.

He really wanted to smack himself for that but refrain from it

"Rosa? You there?" he asked lightly as the rest of the invasion force finally joined into the trenches. Rosalina nodded lightly after shaking her head slightly before gesturing for him and Rosalina to join her off to the side. After a moment of shuffling through the large mass of knights the woman sat gently on a box of supplies while Rivia did the same to one a few feet from Ryden's left, leaving Ryden himself to casually lean on the small embankment – his back facing the inclining hill that led into the forest.

After a moment of silence Rosalina sighed before speaking, a small token of solemnity in her voice as she did so "we lost four knights in our platoon in the first phase, were down to only six soldiers for the majority of the second phase" she informed before sighing out loud. "This was a mess and a half" she added quietly while fighting to keep the memory of the dead and dying from her mind.

Rivia regarded the woman in quiet sympathy while Ryden released a small breath in understanding before nodding slowly. "don't dismiss the efforts of those that made it, we had it easy for this first bit – what with me and Rivia keeping the fire to a minimum – while communication between knights was far better than I expected in that situation. 'Messy' really shouldn't describe how effective we were; honestly – had it not been for the teamwork and communication – then I'm sure more good soldiers would have gone down before we got here" he replied, forcing Rosalina to lift her head and regard him with confusion. However, after a second, her eyes relented before a weight slightly lifted from her shoulders when the truth of his words seeped in.

The bright side was simple to understand... everything could have been a hell of a lot worse then what they had.

A bitter smirk rose to Rosalina's lips before a crisp nod followed. "I guess your right... now that I think on it; had it not been for that dome and Rivia's artillery defense support we would've been shot to shit – like imps in a hole" she mellowed before leaning back slightly and regarding Rivia with a slight laze to her eyes "Out of the three of us, you're the only one currently susceptible to wounds" commented Rosalina, her words coming across as a question of concern.

Rivia nodded at the comment but it was clear the worry was not needed "I appreciate your concern sentinel Phenex but I'm fine; measly artillery fire won't do anything to me, nothing these whelps do will." countered Rivia off handily, a slight heat laced in her words.

Ryden slightly chuckled at the trade of words between the two women before he regarded Rosalina's newly exposed skin with his own level of concern. However, when he remembered the state the woman returned in, he found himself less inclined to ask out of fear of reigniting the woman's clear show of guilt from before.

He was saved from this thought when two sentinels approached the three, their helmets held briskly at their sides while their armor was signed with ash, blood and dirt. Ryden knew by just a glance that both must have been through the shit just as hard as them, maybe even harder as he didn't recognize them from the two sentinels they had ran with before. The first man stood calmly at attention before the three, while the second sentinel only regarded the women with a respectful eye and Ryden himself with an awed gaze.

Ryden wondered where that came from...

"Sentinel Falgreth of _Leviathia,_ 6th platoon" introduced the first devil politely, a moderate bow of respect shortly following his introductory.

The second devil slightly stuttered when all eyes fell on him – appearing as though he'd forgotten where he was – and quickly bowed low and spoke with an unsteady tone. "S-sentinel Ultimo of _Thorns,_ 11th platoon" he said before standing straight.

The two possessed a variety of characteristics through and through yet to Ryden, the only thing that stood out the most was their armor. He blinked at the difference but refrained from showing off his surprise. Falgreth was a moderately sized devil – roughly standing around 5' 8" – with a neatly trimmed head of purple hair along with an equally trimmed beard that covered the majority of the man's face. Unlike most knights, he wore polished silver armor rather than the standard issue matte black armor most officers wore – obviously it was dirty from the invasion but the difference was certainly noticeable; and that was because of one thing. In order to brush up on the history on devil society Ryden delved into some forms of customary practices when certain achievements were reached.

Armor and weapon upgrades were one of the few moderate practices that were handed down to those that achieved their call of duty. Depending on your homestead and origin of birth, you will be awarded with that territories most cherished metal ore. The full meaning of this practice was a new customary tradition made by the anti-Satan's. The award itself was to represent the very pinnacle of 'fighting for your home' and that when you do achieve it, it meant that you've fully committed yourself to defending your origins, or you honored its memory through bloodshed. By achieving this, the roles reverse; now it is your origin that shields you, for you have earned its protection.

Ryden didn't find himself disliking that notion as its symbolic meaning was both _pure_ and badass at the same time...

 _Fight to become a true warrior, or dying trying_...

Tough love was kinda the devil way it seemed.

In Falgreth's case, his armor was changed to _silver steel_ in order to mark his steady fast valor and bravery in the face of insurmountable odds – the quickest way to achieve this honor – and was donned in _Leviathia's_ most famous metal. Considering the devils title, it most likely had to do with the evacuation of _Leviathia_ when the Anti-Satan forces were pushed out by Old-Satan extremists nearly a decade ago.

It was rumored in the Dantalion scroll that Ryden read back at the Gremory getaway estate, that this evacuation was the beginning of the Anti-Satan's exile from all major cities throughout hell, and the first complete mobilization of a Quick reaction force on the anti-Satan forces side. according to the scroll, a large majority of Old-Satan supporters rose up and began hunting Anti-Satan supporters openly – like a damn witch hunt – luckily, for those being hunted, Zekram Bael's informative means and almost keen foresight led to the safe evacuation of anti-Satan supporters and civilians by issuing orders to any knights willing to take up arms against former friends and family.

A lot of blood was spilt that day – nasty bloodshed – but thanks to the combined efforts of thousands of knights in legion with the Anti-Satan's desires for no more war, most – if not all – of the pillar devils in support of the anti-Satan's managed to evacuate without harm.

Too bad the civil war was ignited that day

Ryden shook his head from his inner musings before nodding to the first devil respectfully. His eye's then fell onto Ultimo – of _Thorns._ The devil stood a little taller than Falgreth, possibly reaching six feet in height and possessed a head of raven black hair that shone purple when placed in direct light along with an equally shaded beard. Ultimo even possessed a rare armor style as well;His armor difference was... well... different from Falgreth's. Rather than possessing silver armor, the sentinel of the 11th platoon seemed to possess a darker armor, a strong difference from regular black plated steel as noted by the glass like sheen that shone from the detailed grooves on the varies detailed armor pieces.

 _Black iron_ armor... mostly indigence to the _Territory of Thorns_... fancy

Falgreth stood at easy while Ultimo found himself having a hard time in looking at anything else but Ryden... a slightly noticeable habit that Rosalina took note of.

The woman smirked to the 11th platoon sentinel before speaking "It would seem you have something you wish to say to my knight sentinel" she openly muttered, slightly causing the devil in question to grow red at being noticed.

"I-I uh..." muttered the sentinel, nervousness fully apparent in the devils shifting eyes

Rosalina rolled her eyes at the man's hesitance before sighing. "I can highly guarantee you that whatever you say to my knight sentinel will not insult him... not even slightly" she added humorously, forcing a glance from Ryden.

"Am I that dismissive to you?" he asked

Rosalina merely smirked knowingly at him, fully giving the man his answer. Ryden shook his head before turning to Ultimo and gave the man an inquisitive look "what is it you wish to ask sentinel Ultimo?" he asked casually

The devil merely stood more tensely before releasing a deep sigh "... it's not that I wish to ask something of you knight sentinel, rather, I merely wish to word my deepest of gratitude's" revealed Ultimo, forcing Rosalina and Rivia to glance up and regard Ryden with confused shock while Falgreth glanced to Ultimo with his own form of confusion... a sharp incline of his brow.

Ryden however, remained motionless in his spot against the embankment; he knew where this was going and by this lack of response to the devils words caused the glances from Rosalina and Rivia to slowly growing in intensity.

Ultimo continued regardless...

"During my platoons push towards the trench line we were suddenly attacked by a large number of inquisitors, due to the situation and its suddenness I lost many allies and because of my lack of foresight in this moment, we lost dozens more during our retreat; I even believed my platoon was going to be fully decimated until you suddenly came in from behind them" revealed Ultimo, the devil giving Ryden a very open show of respect for his actions. "Many of us still live to avenge our fallen, you have my gratitude for that"

Ryden nodded at the devil appreciatively while Falgreth blinked at the revelation "This man is the one to have saved us?" he asked in surprise

Ultimo nodded "Indeed, I witnessed him take on dozens of Inquisitors alone with a swordspear and made it look easy" Ultimo then laughed when a memory jogged him "Most of the foolish welps didn't know he was there until fifteen of their allies laid dead at their feet and even then it mattered little in the face of his wrath" added the devil, gaining Falgreth's complete attention.

Ryden sat along the embankment, uncomfortable at the open praise and at the slow increase in ferocity in both Rosalina's and Rivia's gaze. He didn't know how they did it – well Rivia that is – Rosalina seemed more inclined to openly glare at him while the older devil simply bore holes into his back with a mere half lidded gaze... intensity amplified by sheer force of will. He could guess as to why that was considering the context of the words spoken by Ultimo, but why it should call such negative reactions from the two almost seemed foreign to him.

Even though his mother was the light of his word and the sheer personification of kindness, she never berated him for standing and rushing to fight for himself or others, hell, she damn well approved of it and gave it the full Vale family seal of approval for doing the right thing. Being berated for putting himself on the line was odd – understandable sure – but odd none the less.

His dad did have the motto – as it was also written in the _declaration of independence –_ that those who possess the ability to take action not only have the right to do so but the responsibility to take action. He had the means to assist and he did so with full effect so there was nothing to feel guilty for. However, there was a good reason to feel _flattered_.

For two total strangers – ignoring the event's of the morning – he hardly knew them personally; though he knew the experiences they shared just yesterday could factor into some kind of 'brotherhood/sisterhood', yet even then it was kinda odd to be receiving the looks from them. Ryden knew that the glares he was getting from the two – excluding Rivia of course – were not in a place of hate or any kind of baseless anger but more in place of worry... when one recklessly charges into danger constantly without consideration of others or himself then it's obvious someone close would worry or downright hate that bad habit.

Again, he was flattered... even though he wasn't in danger their worry was... nice

Ryden smirked to himself as Rivia regarded him blankly which was followed by a clearly annoyed Rosalina. The two female devils were mutual in their collective worry in Ryden's regard but even then, they knew he was in no true danger. However, that still didn't diminish their gaze; even though Ryden was powerful they still felt the desire to keep him from danger. Rivia knew this instinct in her was easily perceived as an insult towards Ryden, yet her being refrained from dropping her desire to shield him. His words prior to their arrival shook her far more then she realized, to know that the arbiter – her life's absolute meaning in existing – had been harmed without her knowledge brewed a deep anger within her; a serious desire to avenge the man's honor through the annihilation of all his enemies...

Without mercy

He was a kind devil, kinder then anyone she knew. Even though he possessed deep mental scars – now that she was aware of them – he still managed to smile and speak gently. In her moment of weakness he spurred her return with just a few words. But now that she knew of his past, even if it was a small glimpse, she realised her small desire to compensate his kindness – to shield him from true harm...

Was already broken...

Frustration couldn't cover her emotions well enough and it took every ounce of will power she had to make sure the Arbiter didn't notice; he'd only worry for her more... an unacceptable outcome.

While Rivia fought to contain her emotions, Rosalina chose to openly express them. Even though this came in the form of a concealed glare – one that Ryden was used to – it did its job well; which left the man leaning on the embankment in a slowly growing unease.

Thankfully though – much to Ryden's pleasure – Falgreth opened up towards more serious matters, thus keeping Ryden alive long enough to fight another day when Rosalina dropped the glare and regarded the male devils with a blink.

"We must discuss matters regarding numbers" mentioned Falgreth as he glanced to the ranging number of devils lounging about in the trench, working to fortify the position in case of a possible reinforced push while others scavenged supplies from the dead inquisitors and knights in the field behind them.

The dead didn't need such polished swords after all and every knight currently alive wouldn't have it any other way if they kicked the bucket.

Rosalina nodded in response to this before responding herself "how many did you lose in the first phase?"

Falgreth shook his head "too many, I only possess three knights but one of them is too wounded to continue while my knight sentinel is missing" he informed with a drawled tone, the hit was obviously to deep to fathom

Ultimo nodded before speaking "my knight sentinel is laying dead in the field somewhere while half of my men join him; I'm at a severe disadvantage in numbers"

Rosalina blinked at the news while Ryden turned to her with a knowing smile "told you" he muttered "we could have had it a lot worse then what we got"

Rosalina nodded "Indeed; makes me wonder how bad it is in the other sectors" she muttered before nodding to the two sentinels "take some of the knights here and reinforce your ranks back to full strength but leave me my knights"

Falgreth nodded along with Ultimo before the two lightly bowed and took their leave, taking a couple dozen knights from what remained of the 4th, 2nd, and 5th platoons and leaving them with the two knights from the 1st platoon and the remaining seven knights of the 3rd platoon. With this development, the vigilant and prepared knights within the trench opening dwindled down to that of a comfortable 10 knights in total. Ryden nodded to himself at this, considering the manner in which they pushed and the events that took place in the field, Rosalina's platoon as well as a few others had managed to break through the line and reach the trenches. While Ryden was a crucial factor in keeping the majority of the advance force alive it was mainly Rivia's power that kept the danger level to a survivable level.

Ryden couldn't imagine the state of the other advancing forces and there was probably hundreds of platoons left in the field; battered and deceased from the brutal onslaught of artillery. The Old-Satan's didn't truly showcase their tactical advantage with communication surveillance but they did show the Anti-Satan forces – or remind them – of their deadly long range combatants.

Annoying little buggers they were...

"What's the word on the preparations for Phase 2?" asked Rosalina suddenly, gaining Ryden's attention

The man paused before focusing on the communication link and merely shook his head when he heard nothing but empty static... like a low 'thoom' in his right ear. "Nothing yet Rosa, seems we just have to hold tight until –" Ryden froze suddenly when something odd disturbed his senses from behind him and it was clear the others were aware as well by the sudden widening of their eyes...

Unfortunately... they were to slow to call their warning

"CONTACT FRONT!" yelled a knight before he and a few others dived to cover within the deeper trenches. Ryden's eyes rose in surprise before he twisted around; what greeted his vision was only purple – a massive volley of bolts that came raining down from the sky – their origin coming from deeper within the forest.

However, he was greeted by something else... something much more accurate...

Unfortunately, all he saw after it hit...

...Was blackness

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **So It's been awhile... about a month and change if my brain is working correctly**_

 _ **Yeah... sorry about that my dear readers**_

 _ **Things have been busy – not terribly busy – but busy none the less. Normally I work a 5-1 shift – that's a 5AM shift, not a grave yard run – and I'm actually the only person on my team at work physically fit to lift things more than 15 pounds as everyone else is either too old to be considered among the living or to damn damaged to be of any true help... or you know... constantly hung over.**_

 _ **Fun**_

 _ **So my time has been dedicated to work for roughly all the weeks that have passed and to add more insult to that injury I hit a bit of writers block half way through the chapter and THEN call of duty Blops 4 came out and I slammed into that like a dehydrated animal.**_

 _ **Here's the thing though; whenever I notice a rabbit hole approaching – usually a game or update for a game that's far too good to ignore – I tend to fall back into a contingency plan of sorts. See my computer is ancient history – twas passed down the line of my family from the time Moses was browsing for angel porn in ancient times long passed.**_

 _ **PLOT TWIST ITS RYDEN'S COMPUTER**_

 _ **JK**_

 _ **Anyways, during that time I saw it fit to back up my chapter and store it on a flash drive; seeing as how my writing hit a brick wall and the steady stream of reviews was dwindling – You're guys positive reviews is sweet nectar for my writing tank damn it! – so I decided to shelve it in order to rekindle my flame for both writing and COD... seriously; Blops 4 feels like Blops 2... its hella good. Even got diamond for my AR's in a week... still wish it hand a campaign though... good thing I didn't buy it**_

 _ **So after a week I decided to go back to writing, the flame was reignited and my passion was set sail due to a slew of awesome reviews *wipes tear from eye* but... my computer passed away in its sleep...**_

 _ ***Deep breath***_

 _ **BURN IN HELL YOU PIECE OF SSHIEEET!**_

 _ **So... I had to wait a couple weeks (2 weeks) for pay day to roll around in order to buy me a new computer but by the time the computer was all hooked up guess what strolled into town?**_

 _ **What in Tarnation kinda question is that?**_

 _ **HORSE BALLS!**_

 _ **Red dead – motherfucking – redemption 2 comes out!**_

 _ **That is the only time I ignored writing on purpose but I regret nothing in the end. I mean, why else did I give Ryden a revolver type gun? I was hyping for that game just as hard as Canada was rolling joints... and by the way...**_

 _ **We. Are. OUT OF WEED!**_

 _ **Anyways, with how long this chapter has been on standby and by how close a bullet it had dodged due to my foresight I chose to extend this chapter far beyond what I planned. Back in the past – by about a couple weeks – I decided I'd end this chapter upon the initial landing into the border zone but i said NAY! And kept going because this chapter was a start of a new leaf. The prologue is done folks!**_

 _ **Season 1 has begun...**_

 _ **Prepare yourselves... for both the possibility of reading the most epic story ever... or prepare to be disappointed**_

 _ **Who knows – I already got a flame but I consider the level of impact a no named guessed account has when he/she reviews a 12 chapter story on the first chapter to be equal to that of a mild gust of wind... or was that a fart?**_

 _ **Hmm, anyway... this chapter will probably be the last long boi for a while, I told one of my extreme readers that the longer the chapter means the longer the wait, so I'm going back to my usual 10k chapters in order to start pumping out chapters faster. It makes editing less terrifying...**_

 _ **Do you guys have any idea how dangerous editing the first half of this story was in the middle of NO NUT NOVEMBER?... I'm not sure if you guys looked up the character designs I have set up for my OC's but Rivia is a damn fine woman, if you decide to take a peak to who she is (Cassandra from FREEZING) then I'm sure I'll be the cause of many tragic failures.**_

 _ **That image, followed by that scene nearly made me ~happy thoughts~... damn, just about lost it there.**_

 _ **Heheh**_

 _ **Anyways Bois and Gurls. Review if you wanna be seen as a hero in my eyes and fuel the speed in which the next chapter comes out; Favorite if the story managed to move you in some way ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) or just follow... seriously, just follow... you don't need a catching play on words to tell you how to do that.**_

 _ **Peace!**_


	14. Assassin's and Creed's

_**-Assassins and Creeds-**_

 _When it comes to conflict and war, events can change the tide of any faction with a single moment..._

 _A raid..._

 _An invasion..._

 _Or the assassination of a hero..._

 _Within every code of honor stood a principle of conduct that couldn't be ignored or broken; a creed that molded the warrior in order to carry its burden into battle..._

 _Whether it be espionage or chivalry... a dagger or sword..._

 _...the outcome was all that mattered._

 _I had no creed to follow, nor did I believe the devils possessed such limitations..._

 _I learned quickly at just how wrong I was..._

* * *

" _Two inquisitors to my twelve"_ spoke a hushed Abigail, her tone mechanically augmented by short wave communication

"Mm-hmm... take the one on the left" Nyx replied as he lowered himself to a prone crawl, slithering along the ground in perfect silence – completely unhindered by the many leaves below him – and finally stopped a few feet from his target.

The two inquisitors in question were silently standing post at a fall back point a few miles inland from the trench lines within the Rose Garden sector, according to the map that Nyx was given, they were close to a possible HVT position which was further solidified by the small number of canopy tents in their area, it was unfortunate that that was all they had. The inquisitors before him were a safe distance from the main area which was a perfect time to remove them from the equation.

Nyx dropped his left hand while raising the dagger he'd procured from a previous victim and swiftly drove it into the base of the right devils neck and left it there. Acting quickly and as silently as he could, Nyx twisted around and caught the other body of the second target – a single well place arrow being the devils demise – and then caught his own target before their bodies made any noise upon hitting the ground.

He smirked to himself when no ruckus was made and easily carried the dead bodies into the forest and disposed of them within a bush. "How we looking Abi?" questioned Nyx as he kneeled behind a downed tree stump a few feet from the bodies and reactivated his stealth sigil, disappearing completely from sight.

From on high – within the many crimson leafed trees – squat Abigail. Due to the nature of her location, the woman saw no need in activating her stealth sigil as the red leaves that hung above her matched closely with her crimson attire and hair. Add that and the fact the Bael sun hung behind her made for the most complex of camouflages; if anyone glanced towards her then all they'd get is a bright flash of sun light and then an arrow to follow.

...it was the little things like this that made her comfortable, which was denoted by the small content smirk that played on her lips.

The woman merely regarded the camp area for a moment – her augmented sight allowing her more accurate assessments – before she focused more intently on the number of targets patrolling the camp area. She fingered the sigil over her ear and activated her short range communicator "Nyx, how many inquisitors usually patrol a HVT's location?" she quizzed

From below and a few yards from her, Nyx's eyes rose slightly at the sudden question, confusion mixed in with minuscule annoyance. "That doesn't answer my own question Abi..." he retorted, causing Abigail's eyes to roll.

" _Were clear Nyx, but don't reengage, this may be a bust... numbers aren't matching up with the Intel provided"_ she replied through his short ranged comm sigil.

Nyx sighed. "I honestly don't see the point in having this much faith in the Intel Abigail; while General Astaroth is a genius he did also warn us of possible discrepancies when he supplied us with this Intel" he reasoned while sitting down behind the tree stump.

" _Ok then, but why risk exposure? I kinda like the state we're in"_

It was Nyx's turn to roll his eyes at that. "We can't hold stealth the whole time Abi – the advance force will reach us soon and when that time arrives we'll join them so don't get too comfortable"

" _All the more reason to stay quiet then..."_ she countered swiftly

Nyx sighed again at the reasoning before relenting. "Fine, we'll pull out and find a new camp to harass" he said.

" _Thanks grandpa!"_

Nyx's left eye twitched at the woman's flamboyant comment before ignoring it and replying. "where do you wanna meet up?"

Upon his question he felt someone tap his shoulder which forced him to jump up and turn with his scavenged knife held prime to stab, only for it to pause when he realised it was Abigail squatting on the log he'd been sitting behind – a small playful smirk directed firmly in his direction. "My... how jumpy" she teased, forcing an annoyed scowl to etch itself on Nyx's brow.

The woman merely snickered at his annoyance before hoping down and walking passed him "this way grumpy" she urged before blending into the surrounds via stealth sigil. Nyx sighed out of both annoyance and exhaustion before following the woman's lead and vanishing from sight with nothing but a shimmer of light to indicate his disappearance.

The objective that had been bestowed upon the two had been something of a touchy matter for the higher ups, the matter being far too delicate for the two to understand. However, when the full story was dropped on them the nature of the operation became all the more important. The moment they heard it – especially when they factored in the targeted item – turning down the task was almost impossible to consider.

The idea that the old-Satan's possessed _omni-key's_ was not something that Nyx nor Abigail could look passed, so when General Gremory suggested a secret deployment via _high altitude sigil jump_ that would place them deep behind enemy lines, they both accepted without any hesitation, even more so when the other two generals were all for it as well... at that point 'no' was not an option for them.

So they took the jump after the morning briefing and dropped into enemy lines within an hour...

Their top priority when they landed was simple: hunt any HVT targets provided by Intel and identify if those HVT's are in possession of an _omni-key_ ; if any is found then one is to be returned to allied hands and the rest demoed from existence... the less around meant the better for them. their secondary objective, or more rather a task they'd be required to do at any given time, was to ambush any small patrol for the sake of a body count and destroy any artillery brigades and platoons when possible. Once the main objective is complete and the second objective is followed through when viable then they were to rendezvous with allied forces and join the advance when Phase 3 begins.

Simple on paper but difficult when the terrain was factored into play.

The Rose Garden was a lancers nightmare, due to the fact that every inch of the ground was caked into roots so large that they came up to ones hips and so bunched up that it would take a miracle for one to _not_ twist their ankle upon a simple mistake of footing. This very reason was why Nyx forgone his spear and instead scavenged a set of knives from his first two kills that they'd amount upon the first couple camps they'd come across prior to the present.

The sheer annoyance at the terrain was apparent however. If he hadn't killed anyone yet then Nyx would've sworn he'd kill someone for solid flat ground but it seemed that dream would never come... much to his continued annoyance.

Abigail's Cheshire glee and positive nature wasn't helping either but he knew his growing annoyance at both the damned forest and her teasing only made her mood brighter and he suspected her favored weapon and its effectiveness here was also tacking on towards her positivity... the boons kept coming for her and the negatives kept tacking on for him.

...he really needed a drink

"I really need a drink" grumbled Nyx as he vaulted over a root and kept pace with Abigail's fluid lead. Nyx didn't know how but the woman always seemed to move like water through nature, no matter the density, she always moved fluidly through the forest like it was nothing... color him envious. He'd been her hunting partner ever since they'd met, their compatible opinions and codes of engagement were all but matched when it came to their desired form of engagement but irregardless of their compatibility Nyx always struggled with keeping pace with her.

Abigail paused suddenly when she found herself on top of a tree root, her eyes analyzing the area like a hawk before her right hand came up. "Wait" she called out to Nyx, forcing him to drop his thoughts and pause silently a few feet behind the crimson hair woman.

Just before Abigail was a sudden dip into a large ravine road and within that massive ravine was a large number of marching inquisitors – about fifty in total – and they all marched in the direction of the Rose Gardens mainline, leaving Abigail to silently question their next move.

Ambushing was out of the question, had Ryden and his marry couple of blondes been with them then her confidence in taking down the force below her would have been much easier with them around but she had to consider all her options, or lack thereof. Unlike those three, she possessed tremendous firepower but lacked in close range combat when outnumbered fifty to two and Nyx didn't possess any kind of outstanding abilities that allowed him to take on armies all on his lonesome and instead required agreeable terrain, cover and time to prepare, however, considering the terrain was anything but agreeable it just wasn't a home field advantage scenario to even consider challenging such a force.

So she merely let them march on unhindered. However, even though she felt slightly pissed at not being able to deal with the threat before her, she knew whatever they were marching towards wasn't weak in the slightest... those clouds didn't just grow darker all on their own so suddenly.

" _Bring the thunder Ryden, make it hurt"_ she muttered internally with a faint smirk as she regarded the darkened sky before turning and regrouping with a silent Nyx, the man also taking the sky into view.

The man silently whistled before looking to Abigail, the woman merely smirking to him with clear signs of amusement. "What?" he asked with an added blink of confusion.

"It would seem Ryden may win that bet of yours" she joked

The man regarded her with continued confusion before his eyes bulged and then regarded the sky a second time; after a moment and Nyx sighed before rubbing his face. "Note to self: don't challenge a man in possession of a legendary sword to a blood race..." he muttered before sighing again, accepting of the coming fate of his wallet.

Abigail smirked before smacking his shoulder. "Look at the bright side, at least there will be fewer inquisitors to deal with" she tried to alleviate

Nyx shook his head but dropped the subject all together and merely gesturing forward with a nod of his head. "Drop off?" he asked knowingly

"No, it's a _deep end –_ we'll continue through the trees" she corrected with her own coded speech, the set of words causing Nyx's eyes to rise slightly at their meaning before he gestured with his hand towards the tree to his left.

"Ladies first..." he muttered before stepping back and letting the woman jump up and into the tree above with him following shortly after.

As the two progressed cleanly through the forest, their stealthy habits allowing them great ease in covering ground without detection, they finally came across a moderately sized compound within a large man made clearing a few hundred meters from their last location. The territory of Thorns was an old territory rife with ancient history that spanned back eons and because of this it wasn't a total surprise to those present when ancient ruins were among the many trees within the forest. Standing before Nyx and Abigail was a small outpost castle with a simple design of four thirty foot tall walls in a perfect square formation that were also accompanied by two sets of elevated platforms on each corner of the castle, allowing casters and bolt casters to set up watch and guard on high. However, unlike a normal castle this was an _outpost_ and that meant the entrances were wide open for easy access and simple trade and refill on certain resources to which the targeted focus was on one thing... mining, as regarded by the small quarry within the large outpost ruins.

Unlike its previous description, the outpost had seen better days as the majority of a single wall on its western side was scattered all around in massive black iron slabs while two of the four watch towers were but rumble at the base of their once elevated havens. Conveniently, those very two watch towers were located on the same side that the massive hole was on, practically leaving a large neon sign to the two devils that said 'enter here' in massive letters. It was hard to ignore and both Nyx and Abigail were not dense enough to ignore the ancient gift to its fullest and quietly entered in without any detection.

What came after was nothing short of a haunting...

Nyx scoured the low ground, his movements masked by both his stealth sigil and the bustling activity around him while he moved like a ghost within the shadows, his stealthy sigil practically turning him into nothing short of a wraith. As Nyx moved silently below Abigail fluidly cleared the top portions of the outpost. Due to the small numbers and distant relativity to any other locations on their map, the location of the outpost was primed for clearing, as any 'would-be' reinforcements would only find a deserted mining outpost once they were done.

But they had to be clean with this, so Nyx tasked himself with neutralizing the magic sigil alarms located near the barracks that sat snuggly against the northern outpost walls – similar to what they did at _Lucifaad –_ and then move towards the central complex in the middle of the outpost that overlooked a small quarry within the center of the compound and clear it of any HVT's and possible packages. Doing this would safely secure their cover if they had no choice but to 'go loud'... always helped to be prepared for the worst.

Nyx could understand that...

With Nyx's job underway and almost partially compete, Abigail moved quietly along the upper walk ways of the three remaining walls and cleared out any casters she found with relative ease. So far she managed to remove half of the casters with nothing but a yawn of boredom at the simplicity before she swept up the reaming casters with even greater ease, leaving only the many inquisitors working down below to be alive.

And just after that and Nyx gave the call for the all clear...

...just like clock work

" _Abi, I found an HVT in the central tower complex, top floor if I'm not mistaken – do you have eyes on?"_ Nyx asked over the short ranged comm sigil. The short wave frequencies made by the comm sigil made sure their words were not picked up on long range sensors, she didn't know how it worked but it seemed to be working just fine... another courtesy of General Astaroth.

Definitely made small incursions like these twenty times more efficient

Abigail scanned the complex but shook her head out of instinct when she didn't see any openings into the top floor. "Negative Nyx, I'm gonna circle around and try and get eyes on, what are you planning anyway?" she herself asked out of curiosity.

" _I'm gonna do some 'questioning' so I'll need you to cover for me while I work, sound good?"_

Abigail snickered before replying "And what surprise guest will be join us this time?" she asked into the comm sigil, a small smirk rising to her lips.

" _Get into position and you'll see; I'm sure the reaction on this guy will be one for the record books... Call in when you're in position"_

Abigail smirked before turning and repositioning herself along the outer walls until she spotted a set of vertical window openings on the central complex's upper floors, allowing her perfect vantage on the top floors entrance way and the three rooms below it, she even had eyes on a large bombed out hole on the left side of the complex's upper levels, which revealed the main stair way towards the upper floor...

How convenient...

Abigail perched herself in a darkened spot on the outer wall parameter and made sure her held position wasn't in any kind of high traffic zone, such as a stair way or walk way and instead placed those very zones in her peripheral vision by climbing up a bit of scaffolding near the edge of the watch tower she was perched on, this made sure no one would sneak up on her from where she was located.

After unlocking her bow and tightening her grip on the handle for traditional practices, she quietly notched a ghostly green arrow and then shot it at the tower complex, once the arrow made contact with the worn black iron walls the arrow silently dispersed into ghostly green particles which perfectly outlined every target within the complex...

 _Threat detection arrows_ ; silent, unnoticeable, long lasting and was easily combined with her stealth sigil which gave her the ability to see the marked targets through solid matter, it even allowed Nyx – who had easily managed to enter the complex – the same type of vision due to him using the same sigil as her own, making for an easier insertion into the tower complex and subsequent clearing of it thereafter.

Five minutes and Nyx cleared out all by standing targets on the lower levels while Abigail swiftly removed all inquisitors on the top floors by strategically dispatching targets when the opportunity presented itself. Once this was done, Abigail gave the all clear; leaving the HVT in Nyx's hands completely.

Within a time period of 15 minutes, both Abigail and Nyx efficiently dispatched a number of thirty hostiles without detection, fluidly utilizing strategic advantages of stealth and long ranged take-downs to their most brutal of limits. None of the two truly bragged about their combined power but their silent pride at their accomplishments was only expressed through action and the results that followed their teamwork... Abigail had been one of the most crucial in taking down _Lucifaad_ after all.

A small barely guarded outpost was child's play...

Abigail smirked at the simplicity of their skills and just how effective two surgically planted devils could really do if they had the tools at hand. She merely sat casually on her perch, wondering what surprise Nyx had in store for the HVT within but if she was being perfectly honest with herself... it would make waves...

And make waves it did...

* * *

Nyx stopped a few feet from the room the HVT occupied and sighed deeply to himself at what he was planning to do. Whatever the case may be or how crucial the situation, he always found himself uncomfortable with his family trait and the following characteristics that followed with that very power. Unfortunately, he was the resourceful type and somehow managed to ignore his own personal tastes in order to fulfill a task... no matter how denting it was to his reputation.

He honestly didn't know how his mother managed to enjoy this 'power' but he guessed it was the many decades she spent with it at her side all the time.

He guessed it did have its uses and this very moment was one of them...

So in the end, Nyx sighed again in personal embarrassment before focusing in on himself and on that of a distant memory – a memory he honestly didn't believe to be completely true. The effects of his family trait soon kicked in with the vengeance and with that came a sudden division from his usual 'masculine' persona. His skin tone – though hidden under his combat suit – began to darken into a tanner complexion while his figure began to morph into a more feminine physic. His previous jet black hair soon changed in color, becoming more brown then black, and even began to extend into longer flowing hair that reach down to his mid back, his eyes changed from their regular black to a shining purple and his lips thinned into a set of porcelain lips.

The now female Nyx sighed deeply before summoning the rest of the disguise... that being the clothing

 _Her_ previous clothing vanished and was soon replaced with a dark blue low cut dress that exposed _her_ large cleavage and possessed a high leg slit up the right side of _her_ dress which exposed _her_ slender legs. _Her_ legs were then covered in a pair of black high heeled boots that rose up to _her_ mid thigh in motes of green light and then to finish off the transformation, Nyx slid _her_ hands down _her_ arms – effectively summoning two detached sleeves that covered the majority of _her_ forearms and biceps, leaving _her_ shoulders bare to the world.

With the transformation complete, Nyx sighed out in a feminine voice – a clear show of embarrassment – before raising _her_ hand up to summon a mirror sigil just to confirm the form he'd taken was correct in every detail. What greeted _her_ eyes when _she_ gazed into the crystal clear spectral glass was the face of one of the Anti-Satan's sworn enemies...

 _The one that named herself the descendant of the great demonic serpent..._

 _ **Katerea Leviathan**_

Nyx silently swallowed, the action being perfectly mimic by the woman in the mirror which only seemed to remind him at just whose face he was wearing. His family trait was... _peculiar_... when it came to the extent of the transformation requirements needed to perfectly mimic the chosen form. The details were blunt – much to a younger Nyx's horror – but it was all he needed to know in order to achieve his level of proficiency.

It was amazing at what could be achieved...

On one drunken night...

Nyx was against himself at that memory; how a simple drunken night could score him a descendant was one of the many mysteries of his life. But even if it was a mystery to him – one that he was shocked to find out to be real – Nyx didn't really find it that terrible, as the prospect of giving the woman a bedroom thrashing was a small comfort to think about. Over the years in service to the Anti-Satan forces, Nyx never found himself hateful towards the woman because even though the woman possessed the most dominate personality he'd seen in his life...

 _He knew just how loud she squealed_.

No one said he was a blind drink... so it wasn't hard to remember the _details_ on that night.

Nyx sighed – or more accurately – _Katerea_ sighed, before a very feminine smile played itself on the woman's lips. Her slender fingers flex gently before the previous 'male' facade was done away with completely, leaving only a sultry vixen of a woman in Nyx's place.

Lights

Cameras

ACTION!

 _Katerea_ lightly hummed darkly before strutting gently towards the HVT's door way and paused momentarily. The Oriax family trait was a terrifying ability when perfectly replicated – Nyx's current form being one of that very example – and the list of the abilities when the requirements are reached can range from complete characteristic replication; from habits and behaviors to tone of voice, thoughts, memories and even _powers..._ though the latter was not as powerful as the original but in the end it wasn't Nyx's aim.

It was what Katerea would do in a situation involving someone miles below her in rank... someone she'd kill for no reason whatsoever if that man didn't do exactly as she'd ordered. If Katerea suddenly showed up and asked questions – regardless of their randomness – then the one spoken to would comply without thought or hesitation... less they be killed.

Nyx didn't have any reservations on the latter...

 _Katerea_ smirked darkly before her hands pushed the double doors wide open, exposing herself to the armored man within the room... and to a distant Abigail located on the outposts outer wall.

Nyx could practically see the woman's shock from here...

The interior of the room was moderately lavish for an almost completely bombed out office; red linen rugs – fresh and clean – suggested the officer desired comfort over practicality. A large ashen wood desk sat in the middle of the room just before _Katerea,_ perfectly polished along with a wyvern scaled chair that was tucked gently into it. Along the outer rim of the large office was multiple desks and long credenza's stacked with a bare amount of documents that sparked the disguised devils interest immediately. Just from first glance and Nyx knew perfectly well the operation currently going on outside was a long term one which was solidified by the conversation the HVT was having over a comm sigil.

 _Katerea_ couldn't get much of a visual on the devil but _she_ did note the young complexion on the boy before _her_ which was followed by the short and stylized black hair the devil possessed on his head along with elongated side burns that indicated a full beard. The armor he wore was simple enough and slightly lent towards a Grand inquisitor yet Nyx had a small feeling the rank was slightly lower as the attitude was not suitable for a grand inquisitor.

As witnessed...

"I am well aware of the Anti-Satan forces progress into the territory!" shouted the officer heatedly. A small second later a second tick mark appeared on the man's dark brow "Yes I am currently..." he paused before listening in again "Evacuation is currently being withheld until we can extract the _Terranite_ ore, once we get a slab then we'll destroy the site and fall back... Lady Leviathan will have her precious _Terranite_ ; you can count on that Guthro, now bug off and let me work!" with the final trade of heated words, the supposed officer cut the comm sigil and sighed before looking out the vertical window before him.

The officer paused before speaking, a slight ounce of confusion over taking the devils previous frustration. "Where did the parameter guards go?" he muttered to himself

"I relieved them of duty..." _Katerea_ muttered, startling the officer half to death. the devil was slightly heated at being snuck up on and turned quickly to scold whoever it was but paled suddenly at just who was standing at his desk.

"L-l-lady L-leviathan!" he stuttered out in shock before dropping to kneel – terror gripping the devils heart. "I-I didn't expect your arrival here, should I have been notified then I would have prepared accordingly" the HVT laminated quickly.

With the devils gaze off of _her, Katerea_ rolled _her_ eyes at the act before opening _her_ comm sigil into speaker mode, letting Abigail in on the conversation at hand. With that done, _Katerea_ played off the act by checking _her_ nails before standing with a small sigh – having lent on the desk alluringly prior to _her_ reveal – and strode normally towards the second desk off to the right of the room, leaving the devil in his kneel.

 _She_ could keep it like this and leave the man in his current position. Old-Satan military training was rigid and tightly held firm in making sure the Old-Satan generals were as respected as one would respect a god. The normal and common practice of discipline in early stages within the old-Satan regime was to remain kneeled until otherwise told differently... especially if it was Katerea herself; she _loved_ it when people kneeled.

However, after sifting through the files and documents slowly and as casually as possible – in order to keep appearances – _she_ found nothing of interest pertaining to the objective given to him and Abigail, most of it pertaining to the enemy camp positions – a small menial heads up that was quickly filled away for later use – and the progress reports pertaining to the Anti-Satan advance lines, all of which meant nothing to _Katerea,_ who had no choice but to do some actual questioning to get to the true meat of the subject. Turning slowly and with a slightly angered gaze, _Katerea_ regarded the kneeling devil with a slight snarl in _her_ expression.

"I heard you're words a moment ago" _she_ started, forcing a small shiver from the still kneeling devil officer. "I believe you said something about my 'precious terranite'... I think I even heard a slight ounce of annoyance in your tone..." to add to the moment, _Katerea_ raised a portion of her demonic level threateningly, not enough to warn the others outside but just enough to get the image across.

And it worked like a rune...

"I-I meant no d-disrespect to you lady leviathan" the officer muttered "M-my words were directed to someone who seeks to disrupt my efforts in bringing you what you desire!"

A single high heeled boot stepped painfully on the kneeling devils hand, the act slightly crushing the bones painfully, yet the devil only held in the pain expertly, leaving _Katerea_ free to speak domineeringly. "The petty conflicts between you rats mean little to me, so spare me your excuses" growled _Katerea,_ forcing a meek whimper to escape the devils lips "What I want now is clarification; considering that you seem so disdainful towards satisfying me then I'd like you to remind me what exactly I want" added in _Katerea_ before the woman slowly squatted down, _her_ lips mere inches from the devils ears. _"Go on boy, remind me why you still live..."_ whispered _Katerea_ threateningly, forcing a smaller whimper of fear from the officer.

"B-by O-order of..."

"Keep stuttering and I think I'll draw out your death, _speak. clearly"_

The devil shook slightly at the added threat and pressure but suddenly took in a deep breath and then continued, forcing a small smile to _Katerea's_ lips as the woman sat lavishly in the Wyvern scale office chair behind her.

"By order of General Leviathan, multiple excavation operations are to be conducted in order to obtain resources pertaining towards _**Operation: Lazarus**_ and then further operations are to be conducted further inland until all resources are gathered" revealed the officer, drawing in a slight shimmer of interest in the _Katerea's_ eyes.

 _She_ lightly crossed her legs before regarding the still kneeling devil with a keen eye... the possibility in getting everything they need right here was too good to pass up so Nyx needed to play this right."Remind me what _Operation: Lazarus_ is; be detailed boy... I want you to remember the importance here" growled out _Katerea._

" _Operation: Lazarus_ is the first step towards _**Operation: Revenant**_ " at the mention of the latter operation, _Katerea's_ focus increased drastically while Abigail listened in more intently while the kneeling devil took in a small breath before continuing. "With the completion of _Operation: Lazarus_ , all resources are to be transported to the Halphes territory for the next operation" once the devil finished he fell silent and fearful, obviously expecting a quick death after the humiliation yet the Katerea present still had details needed to explore.

"And what operation is that?" _she_ asked

"I-I... I don't know that my lady, the finer points of that operation was withheld from me" replied the devil.

Nyx figured the trail ended here; the inquisitor before him may be higher ranked then what he expected but it wasn't as if he knew the more crucial aspects of the Old-Satan's plan. Rizevim was a keen little roach filled with extreme trust issues – kinda expected for a guy born from the great betrayer – so it was common practice for the man to withhold the finer details pertaining to the Old-Satan's end game, if this WAS the end game plan that is.

He needed to change the subject, any longer and he may raise confusion with continued questions. "Your rank?" _Katerea_ asked suddenly

"Adeptus Astarte's..." replied the devil slowly, revealing his rank to be only just below a Grand inquisitor

 _Katerea_ nodded at the information in kind before standing. General Astaroth had theorized the possibility of higher ranking officials being in possession of an Omni-key which meant it was possible for the man before _her_ to be in possession of one. Considering the terrain in the Territory of the Thorns were incredibly dense with demonic energy – hardening the material composition naturally by it – it was a great idea to use an item like that to loosen the natural density and growth in the area... guess that explained why the damn trees were so thick and numerous, they had a limitless supply of nutrients.

 _Katerea_ shook her head before stepping to the devils side. "Were you granted an Omni-key?" probed Nyx, making sure the edge in _her_ voice was enough to warrant zero hesitation from the devil and it seemed to work perfectly. The devil shivered in fear mildly before raising his hand – a small sigil being seen on the palm – and summoned the key in question.

 _Katerea_ took in the items image and mentally jotted down the details that had been briefed to him prior to deploying. 'T' shaped key, centralized green glow followed by a diluting aura... everything checked out, target identified.

 _Katerea_ took the item from the devils hand gently and held it in her own, scrutinizing it under her gaze while her other hand fell onto her hip lazily. "Rise..." muttered the woman as she continued to regard the item lazily.

The Adeptus Astarte's complied easily and stood crisply to attention, ignoring his wounded hand in favor of tactful respect. _Katerea_ didn't bother regarding the act and merely kept her gaze on the item, making absolutely sure it was the real deal. Once everything checked out, _Katerea_ sighed deeply.

"Abigail..." muttered _Katerea_ lazily, tone quickly changing from domineering to complete lethargy

The devil's eyes slowly narrowed in confusion at the random name and sudden change in tone only for his senses to scream out in danger, unfortunately for him though, with his confusion and fear rising the Adeptus Astarte's had no clue as to where the danger was coming from... until it was too late.

 ***THUNK***

No words could escape the devils throat as a crimson arrow had removed that ability with a swiftness unmatched, leaving the ranked officer frozen in pain momentarily until collapsing into the chair that was casually placed in the way of the devils fall via _Katerea_ herself. Nyx didn't really give much of a second glance to the dead inquisitor lying lifelessly in the chair before him and merely acted towards discarding his disguise, much to the shock of Abigail as she watched it in clear detail.

" _Do I even want to know how you got that form?"_ she questioned.

Nyx ignored the question in favor of shivering away the remnant features that he'd taken form of. Shape shifting into another man was easier to handle for him as he acquired the necessary skills to do so without the need of bodily fluids many years ago – thank Satan for that – but when it came to changing into a woman, it became a more _personal_ experience.

Going from _moose knuckle_ to _camel toe_ was one hell of a change in atmosphere and it really emasculated his usual personality greatly. As much as the pervert in him enjoyed it, the majority of his 'pride' didn't like it so much but it did have its uses; this being one of them. Had he used a regular foot soldier for this then the whole questioning part would have been much longer and much less detailed then what he got by using a Generals form.

Sometimes you just gotta take the hit... to the sack

Nyx shivered again before thumbing his communicator back to normal. "All you need to know is that it was consensual... and awesome" he replied in a humorous tone as his clothing and armor returned in motes of light. Abigail knew most of his powers required curtain procedures in obtaining a new form, bodily fluids was one of those main requirements to reach a near perfect replication, so he knew the imp was out of the bag with the simple reveal alone.

" _You sound like Ryden right now..."_ muttered Abigail

Nyx's brow rose slightly. "No I don't..."

" _He blows up a major capital city and you go a few rounds with Katerea Leviathan... kinda similar in their impossibility"_

Nyx tittered on that before nodding, his little time with the dominant female was long ago – well before the Civil war was even hinted to start – but now that the war was raging and his side was chosen, he knew his chances in getting another go at the Descendant was ZERO times infinity... if anything came of it then it'd just be her trying to kill him.

He guessed Abigail was right with that last comment then. "A fair point..." he muttered before playing with the Omni-key in his hand. "Anyways, priority objective is completed Abi; I got an Omni-key... let's mop things up here and be on our way"

" _Right..."_

"By the way, did you hear what he said about an _Operation: Lazarus_ ; sounds crucial to me" added in Nyx as he moved to the door to the officer's quarters.

" _When it's in the same sentence as_ Operation: Revenant _it seems perfectly obvious; whatever it truly is, and whatever its goal may be, it would seem they need a hell of a lot of Terranite for it. Possibly other materials as well... whatever the case, the Generals will love to hear about it"_ theorized Abigail.

"All the more reason to disrupt it..." he started up as he exited the top floor "How many bodies do we got left outside anyways?" For a moment, Nyx waited for the answer – allowing the woman enough time to count the bodies outside until she replied.

" _Marginal numbers, most of them are clustered within the quarry in the center of the outpost while the rest are standing guard outside. There seems to be a little commotion going on so we should prioritize the guards first while the rest are distracted"_

Nyx nodded before pressing the sigil on his palm, activating his active camouflage all the while leaving the office room and the dead officer without a second glance. "Meet me there Abi..."

" _Sure thing... just don't keep a girl waiting player..."_

Nyx smirked at the woman's comment before hustling down the many flights of stairs he'd climbed a moment prior – ignoring the bodies as he did so – before thumbing the small floating sigil on his ear, cutting the channel.

"Cheeky woman" he muttered silently.

* * *

The outside quarry was relatively smaller in size then a regular one but Nyx knew the old-Satan's didn't waste time in covering ground, especially when it was a prime objective for an Old-Satan general and even more so when it was for the most violent of the four; so the many numbering devils of the old-Satan's currently working within the mines were literally working for their lives.

Nyx didn't know the full extent of loyalty but he damn well knew that that wasn't how you went about garnering fresh recruits but he somehow expected the method of recruitment was probably rife with lies and false grandeur... well... for the inquisitors before him at least.

The quarry was a wide open hole that reached down into hells bedrock and possessed five levels that looked like a large circle of giant stairs leading into the bowels of the pit. Its size was large enough to work yet smaller than normal with only a couple dozen inquisitors and casters working within. However, there was one massive mistake on their end...

...they only had five guards on the upper levels

They were evenly spread out but extremely thin in numbers to cover the entire quarry, leaving two of the five open for clean and unnoticeable kills... kills that Nyx and Abigail capitalized on with extreme efficiency.

The first one to go was Abigail's, her favoring of long range take-downs was apparent well enough by a single high power arrow that pinned her kill against the softened rock wall with a single well placed headshot, no sound was made... only but a faint whistle courtesy of Abigail's choice.

A period of thirty seconds passed before Abigail watched Nyx snap an inquisitor's neck like it was nothing but fragile glass-rock, leaving the head permanently facing the wrong way. She watched from afar – having chosen to remain on the upper levels for support – while Nyx moved in and cleared out the inquisitors that sat out of her comfortable range of engagement while she herself synchronized her own kills with his.

It was like clockwork, when Nyx removed a guard; Abigail did the same to another across the quarry, leaving them the only witness to the demise of their prey. Any inquisitor that encountered the two only saw darkness and nothing to hint as to what had done them in.

 _Lives snuffed out like candles at mass_

It was over before anything much could come from it, leaving the remaining inquisitors down below as the only remaining guards within the quarry. Nyx stopped at the edge of the fourth level – pausing in his advance downward – the last level of the mine mere inches from him yet it was at this point that Abigail's long range support was no longer feasible as the mine possessed a cave off to the far right side which was directly out of her line of sight... Nyx sighed before glancing up to Abigail and nodded gently to her. "I found a cave Abi, multiple demonic signatures are coming directly from within so I'll be proceeding alone; stay tuned for my return" he reported casually before hopping down into the final level of the mine.

Nyx expected the lower level to possess a lower temperature, yet in the end he frowned at the _increase_ in temperature. If the inquisitors working in the mine had half a brain then they'd have placed ice sigils or cooling circles within the mine, leaving it almost room temperature and acceptable to work in for prolonged periods of time. The moisture in the air was an obvious sign that those sigils were working and the measurements on the temperature output were matched perfectly well with the heat levels per depth... yet there was no moisture to be found presently, meaning that someone didn't place enough ice sigils... or it could be something else entirely.

Nyx swallowed before he focused in on his sense of smell and breathed in the atmosphere around him only to recoil back slightly when his least desired answer hit him like a wet towel. The sent in the air was dried and smelt of spoiled eggs mixed in with an ashen smoke... putrid and nauseating.

 _Sulfur... mix in with hell fire..._

Nyx frowned before the comm sigil over his ear lit up.

" _Nyx, the surface level is all clear for now so I'll monitor your progress with a seismic bolt; it should help you navigate the mines easily enough"_ spoke Abigail

Nyx shook his head before responding. "Don't... that'll only make this worse than it already is"

 _The last thing he wanted to do was shake this hornets' nest_

There was a pause before Abigail's confused response came in with trepidation. _"What is it? Is it Crawlers?"_

Nyx almost choked out a laugh at the mention of his favorite pass time. "I wish... I might actually start enjoying this mission if that was the case"

" _I get this funny feeling I'm wrong"_

"I'm smelling sulfur..."

.

.

.

" _Did those idiots really dig up an imps nest?"_ the exasperation in Abigail's tone actually sparked a small chuckle from Nyx. To be so blatantly insulted by Abigail – the most casual of devils – so brutally, truly measured the inadequacy in that Adeptus Astarte's plan in extracting the terranite with so little security.

Killing that devil was more of a mercy then he realized... Katerea would have castrated the poor guy if she heard of this show of stupidity.

It was a widely known issue to most devils that the _Imps_ , _crawlers_ and the deadly _prowlers_ were more of a threat and nuisances then normal and seemed almost strictly driven in killing each other and anything in between, making them one of the biggest obstacles for any advancing force to date. The main location in which these beings thrive were easily understood and recognized. Are you entering a cave? If yes then make sure you're aware of your surroundings as any cuts or wounds may ring a dinner bell to the local populace of _crawlers_ dwelling within. Are you in a massively dense forest in the middle of nowhere? If yes then whip out that BBQ sauce cause you're the evening meal for a lucky _prowler._

Are you mining in an ancient forest rife with demonic energy? If yes then use Seismic scans to make sure your not digging directly down into an _imp_ nest as it is more preferable for them to come to you rather then you go to them as there are higher chances that they'll know your coming long before one realised just how fucked they were.

Nyx remembered the manual and presentation regarding these beings. He remembered it so well that he could still hear that damned friendly tone explain the dangers and failures of engaging any kind of the beings provided, as well as the location and natural habitat's they all resided in. This knowledge – coupled with his extensive hunting skills – made it all the more difficult to grasp the stupidity before him... the Old-Satan's literally did something that even a child would remember to consider.

 _Always check your bases..._

Nyx sighed deeply in exasperation before rolling his shoulders, a small etched smirk rising to his lips as he advanced steadily towards the cave entrance. "This should be interesting; I never expected to kill Imps on this little hike of ours"

" _Don't go in lightly Nyx, you know how dangerous imps are in tight corridors"_ warned Abigail seriously, her tone actually sounding concerned.

Nyx smirked lightly again before peering into the mines cave entrance. The coast was clear for the most part which suggested the outbreak had occurred deeper within the mine which seemed obvious enough, the temperatures only got hotter the deeper the mine went and Imps loved the heat.

Nyx leaned back out of the entrance and glanced up towards Abigail's position. "Bold of you to assume I'd go in half cocked, I'll have you know I managed to bed Katerea leviathan and lived to talk about it... a couple imps won't amount to how much danger she was" he replied jokingly, a wide smirk adoring his face.

Nyx could almost _feel_ Abigail's eyes roll at his reply and smirked just as soon as her reply fell on him. _"I'm not going to hear the end of that am I?"_

"Nope"

Abigail sighed deeply at his words. _"Just get in and blow the mine"_ she drawled out before cutting the link.

Nyx chuckled at the replying before closing his comm sigil and entered the mine silently...

Time to hunt

* * *

 **[Red legion sector priority:** _ **Rose Garden**_ **/ 3** **rd** **platoon advance line]**

The situation on the ground for the advancing forces of the Anti-Satan army was far grimmer then what it had been a couple of minutes ago. The once retreated artillery brigades of the Old-Satan army had returned fire on the advancing Anti-Satan forces with the vengeance, targeting their once held trenches with extreme precision, ripping into the knights holding it with mid range Bolt fire from their escalated positions within the forest of the Rose Garden.

At that point no push could be made as the continues bombardments from both the artillery and the small line of bolt casters further inland kept anyone from stepping outside for anymore than a couple seconds – any longer and death soon followed.

However...

For the knights of 3rd platoon and the few remaining from the 2nd, the grim nature of their situation had gotten even darker with the supposed loss of their Knight sentinel, Ryden Vale Gremory.

It happened far faster than any of them could truly witness in full detail, all anyone truly saw was a beaming flash of purple demonic energy smack painfully into the skull of the knight sentinel and fling the seemingly dead Gremory back a couple feet into a helpless heap on the ground.

For many that had witnessed Lord Ryden's power with the _Infernum Armis_ found themselves trying to hold onto the small possibility of his survival, yet with how Lady Abaddon acted upon witnessing the attack and how distraught their sentinel became as well answered far more then what they needed to hear. All they could do at that point was make sure the body was not desecrated from the highly explosive artillery fire and hurriedly pulled the body of lord Ryden into the subterranean tunnels deeper in the trenches, which was followed closely by lady Abaddon and sentinel Phenex.

This was the most recent occurrence and with how continues the bombardments were coming most knights knew their haste to cover was not an absolute one as the structural integrity was waning with every explosion outside. Soon enough and they would be buried alive.

Rosalina knew this perfectly well but her mind was clouded with multiple emotions, some of which she didn't even bother to regard as all her attention was on the seemingly deceased man before her. He lay motionless among a small line of other casualties, unmoving and not breathing, his eyes gently closed peacefully while a small red wilt was seen on his forehead – where the attack had struck. She tried to remember his words before, how he spoke of his supposed invulnerability, yet the image before her contradicted his words with no room to argue... the state of unconsciousness or death doesn't work with that term so it was clear to her his words were a sort of arrogance... a bitter feeling to feel in the moment of the man's fall.

Frustration was easily seen on her face – doubled more so for Rivia – as they stared down to the motionless form of lord Ryden, both of them feeling as if something could have prevented the outcome before them... twice the feeling for a silent Rivia Abaddon.

"Sentinel Phenex, we won't last much longer here if we stay. What do we do?" questioned a knight, the panic in the man's tone was noted yet Rosalina didn't answer, she couldn't... she was freezing up.

A small yet powerful shiver traveled up her spine, its feeling being far more crippling then the small lump in her throat and it took almost everything in her to keep her lips from quivering. Even though she hated herself for letting a man she actually liked die before her, she knew that if she didn't do something then even more would die because of her; an outcome she downright loathed to accept.

Yet even then – even with her feelings of hate towards defeat – she couldn't think of anything that would help them...

"There is no way out but forward..."

Rosalina turned quickly upon hearing those deeply growled words only to see a frowning Rivia glaring forward towards the dozen knights with them, her fists clenched tightly and shaking with a heated rage she didn't believe the older woman was suited for, this feeling was even more evident by the looks of shock from the knights present; none expecting the expression of hate to bear its presences on the woman's features.

 _They were wrong..._

"If we retreat now, then the actions of Lord Ryden would have been for nothing" she added angrily before a deeper resolution was lit in the older devils eyes. "I won't let that happen..." was all she muttered

There really was nothing more to be said at that point, with Rivia's reminder and show of anger and passion – even in the face of close defeat – many knights knew the dishonor of running now would only dishonor the actions of lord Ryden; something no one present desired and with that thought, coupled with the determination in Rivia Abaddon's eyes, sparked a new found boost in morale within everyone.

Rosalina was impressed, she knew of the conflicts that Rivia had participated in during the Great War; the Dantalion records had spoken of her conviction and fortitude as if it was something of a mystical spell or enchantment. With just a show of passion and anger, and a few words, left the previously despairing knights bolstered in a swell of morale that only death could quell. How it was possible was not something she could merely place on Rivia's words alone but with the actions of Ryden as well. She would be lying if Ryden's show of power didn't move her in more ways than one; and at that moment, when he not only destroyed the advancing lines but a tower as well – it was as if the gravity in the area had demanded all present to follow him.

 _Like a beacon... all would follow_

Rivia glanced to Rosalina, the conviction within the elder devils eyes left Rosalina speechless with their fervor and it was almost impossible for her to speak to the woman because of the sheer ferocity within them. She was a beauty even in Rosalina's eyes, the woman having possessed the charisma of a true leader, the poise of an experienced warrior and the passion to drive armies forward with but a wave of her hand and a glance of her golden eyes.

Rivia knew the tides of war far better than she did. While she'd been spending her younger days close to her mother's side Rivia had spent that time forging a legend for herself in the fires of war and chaos. Countless friends, relatives and even possible lovers had possibly fallen before the elder devil, yet she still stood strong, even with Ryden down she still remained standing... tall and proud.

 _Like what he would want..._

Rivia's hand fell on Rosalina's shoulder while her golden eyes locked with Rosalina's widen azure orbs, allowing a gentle wave of reassurance to wash over the younger blonde with this mere action. "Remain by The Arbiter's side lady Rosalina, after I avenge him, I request him to be given a true burial" she muttered to her with a silent tone, making sure her words only reached Rosalina's ears.

It was testament to her charisma; like a mother speaking to a child her words rang out like fact, her tone leaving nothing but accepted nods in their wake. Rosalina was no different to this, the look in Rivia's eyes spoke out to her not in a commanding tone but out of a plea to be released unto those that had taken one of her _children_ and to regain the honor taken from death _._ The demon Abaddon was an anomaly; a being of light and dark, of compassion and brutality and Rivia was a true descendant of that very demon – a beauty whose kindness was only matched by the seraphim of heaven and a brutality only ever surpassed by the demon Bael.

Rivia was a lot like that very demon and Rosalina couldn't find much difference between the two. Even though Abaddon had been loyal to Lucifer's desire to destroy humanity, the demon never truly showed any compassion towards the rest of the demon race; only those that were under its command would be gifted its compassion while those that threatened to harm or kill its subordinates would be visited by its wrath.

Rivia was almost exactly the same, however the role was the opposite. With Ryden down – her sworn duty itself – Rivia had only one thing left to do with that fact and that was to avenge her failure and his demise... in the end, there was no more compassion to give...

 _ **Only wrath remained...**_

Rosalina nodded slowly at Rivia's words, her eyes remaining wide at the expression of thankfulness written over Rivia's features as she smiled painfully at her. Rivia's hand squeezed Rosalina's shoulder gently before she turned towards the caved in tunnel that led deeper into the enemy lines. A small huff escaped her at the troublesome road block but it was clear to Rosalina that it was nothing but a minor annoyance.

An annoyance swiftly done away with...

Rivia breathed in slightly before swiping her hand to the side gently – almost lazily – which caused the very rocks before her to crumble away into dust before even the very dust itself vanished from sight, allowing unhindered access to the subterranean tunnel before them. The action was surprising enough that the knights behind the woman widened their eyes at the demonstrated before them, however, after the small demonstration of power the knights soon picked up far more fierce expressions then before.

They all knew the power in Rivia Abaddon's hands, and that very power was the guide that they would be fighting beside from this point onward. She was the one that kept the mortars from killing most of them – along with Ryden she'd been just as big a benefactor as the late Gremory – however, she'd done so with zero signs of trouble or danger on her part, seemingly walking through the battlefield like it was but a mere Gala... a party.

A devil that faught and _thrived_ in the Great War was fighting beside them, a devil that even possessed command over their very General in time immemorial... she'd commanded the Super devil Sirzechs Gremory.

The shaking in the bodies of the dozen knights that rallied behind Abaddon was not fear... but excitement; the rattling metal from their armor spoke of their restlessness which painted the picture well in Rosalina's eyes. To fight beside a legend was to live in the moment of the greatest honor imaginable and it was happening before them...

 _Send them off screaming to purgatory..._

The few that possessed demonic energy suddenly swelled with invigorated morale, their eyes glowing distinctly with a wide range of colors, granting them the most ominous appearance possible... none would stand before them now.

Rivia – standing forward towards their goal – smirked slightly at the rise in excitement behind her, however her expression soon became bitter thereafter. She knew her words and actions, as few as they were, could manage impossible feats of charisma that even she found odd. However, regardless of her prodigal charm, she found her own words helped herself more then it helped them, because... out of everyone present... _she was the one despairing the most_.

She had failed her sworn duty, the creed that which had been bestowed upon her by her late mother. _'Guard the Arbiter when he rises'_ was all she was asked to do and yet she'd failed that duty. Failure was all that stood to her name and none would know this but her and their praise would only hurt more... she was not worthy of it.

Rivia had to check in her emotions; just the thought of stuttering made her feel even more pathetic then present and so she merely growled away the lump in her throat before walking forward, the soft clicks of her metallic greaves echoing out prominently which was followed closely by the numbering armored knights that followed behind her.

Rosalina stood by watching as the knights under her command left with Rivia, a small feeling of abandonment stretching deep within her as she was the only one remaining behind while the rest risked their lives. For a woman with little emotion to show, Rivia was still very compassionate for someone whose life had been nothing but torment and chaos – a true example of her relation to the demon Abaddon – yet even with all that, the woman was almost like a mother and acted according to a mother's intuition. Rosalina had tried her damnedest to hide her rapidly growing anxiety and for the most part it had worked, yet for the elder devil it couldn't have been more obvious then the sun in the sky above that she was losing the battle with her own emotions.

However, instead of placing more pressure on her like most devils of old would, Rivia merely took the attention off of her and boosted the morale of everyone else at the same time; perfectly trading places with her instead of leaving her to shatter under the weight of command.

Rosalina smirked gently at the thought but quickly dismissed her optimism towards her unspoken rival and huffed to herself when the thought of Rivia treating her like a daughter came to mind; considering the fact Rivia was almost older then her own mother made the thought all the more awkward when her mind dwelling back to the morning's events... and who that very woman had been sharing a bed with.

The blush that crept to her cheeks was barely noticed upon thinking of that and it was doubly ignored when she remembered the few barbs Rivia had shot at her during the following events. For how short the time had been between that moment and the present felt almost like a week's time had passed then a mere couple of hours...

One moment Ryden was smiling lustfully towards his new weapon and begging her to relax and the next he was lying motionless on enemy lines.

Rosalina couldn't admit to his passing, the idea that the obnoxious fool of a devil that had managed to find a place in her good books was dead – and so suddenly – was far harder for her to accept. Yet even then she knew Rivia had been far more devastated then she was and Rosalina could understand as to why.

It wasn't a secret that Rivia was a part of some kind of Creed dedicated towards the _Infernum Armis_ as she had openly admitted it in the middle of their debriefing yesterday; that her sole task was to guard the Arbiter – to guard Ryden – and insure that the Arbiter acquired the four weapons of hell...

Rosalina glanced down at Ryden before she closed her eyes in silent pity towards Rivia Abaddon. She couldn't fathom what sort of pain she had coursing in her at the moment; even with the loss of...

?!

Rosalina's mind grinded to a halt upon that thought, her eyes quickly widening upon realizing what was truly happening at the moment...

 _The 8_ _th_ _Penance..._

 _The Abaddon family creed... a final act in the face of failure..._

 _ **Abyssal requiem**_

Rosalina felt her skin suddenly crawl upon the abrupt realization at what was truly occurring. It was so obvious to her now that everything regarding Rivia's actions made so much more sense. Rivia knew then that she had no choice on the matter, she had to contact the Generals and inform them of this _**now**_ _..._

-X-

 _ **[Advance force rear guard/ command zone]**_

Sirzechs was not happy with the turn of events and neither were the other two generals that stood with him at the flank of the advance line, clear out of range of danger. With one development and the whole invasion had grinned to a violent halt; and neither of them was capable of assisting the line as much as they wished as their advisors had demanded them to remain where they stood. As Damned as it was to stand still while hundreds – maybe thousands – died because of military priority, they knew it was not something they could argue as morale would vanish the second a lucky hit took one of them out completely.

But that was not helping their mood one bit...

Serafall was livid, Ajuka was dead silent – not a good sign – and Sirzechs could feel his eyes were writhing with the desire to annihilate. The old-Satan's had been prepared well enough to perfectly time their positioning, even without using long range communication the Old-Satan's had managed to perfectly pin their lines by targeting their own trench line with extreme precision... nothing was getting through that bombardment alive without some kind of meteorological assistance.

Sirzechs subconsciously glanced over towards the Rose Garden, a small feeling of plea rising within him as he hoped Ryden was in the process of doing something crazy, but even though his gaze kept glancing over to his own advancing forces nothing came out of it, every time he looked nothing changed. He swore to himself at that thought; even Ryden was pinned down and useless in this moment.

"Sirzechs..." called out Ajuka, his grim and vacant expression locking onto him without any sign of blinking. "There is nothing we can do at the moment, please control yourself" spoke the devil with a robotic tone, eyes held in a calm and lazy manner.

It was no surprise to Sirzechs when he noticed his demonic energy was coating his body with a mere glance down to his hands but even with his friends words he couldn't contain his restlessness. Any other time and he'd have told his advisers to stuff it where the angels dared not venture and rush the enemy lines like a madman, but now he truly couldn't and it made his restlessness all the more invigorated. He'd already tried to advance forward but Ajuka's damned command center didn't allow him to leave it due to the density of the barrier and Ajuka himself wasn't all too thrilled to scold his brother in arms to calm himself like a parent would.

The survival of the three was paramount and it drove them all mad with annoyance. Nothing they could do was of any help; they were out of range for any kind of ranged support and that factored in their destructive capabilities and its danger towards their allied lines. At first Serafall mentioned the possibility of targeting the artillery forces further in land but that placed their incursion team at risk of friendly fire, accidentally killing two powerful devils in the middle of a critical operation because of restlessness was _not_ something anyone of them wanted.

However if that was an option then they'd be firing blindly anyway due to the aerial defense spells placed deeper in the forest. Ajuka had done a massive survey scan on demonic energy signatures deeper inland and it managed to pick up hundreds of defense spells that would dismantle ranged artillery and even cause it to redirect back towards the caster... if anyone of them fired a shot then the chances of them suddenly imploding from within was a solid 50/50 percent chance and that was a good enough reason to send their advisers into a literal frenzy... at that point it was impossible for them to assist.

The Old-Satan's had been prepared for this and it showed well in their preparation towards targeting their power rather than the advancing devils, once the pin was placed it was game over...

And that pin had already started...

 _Check mate_

"General Gremory!"

Sirzechs felt a small swell of excitement in him at the call of his name and quickly wiped around to regard his second in command. Praxis was breathing heavy from excursion, having taking the red legions advance towards the trenches with the praetorians and then returned to relay the news of the situation at hand personally. Regardless of the choice in coming himself rather than staying in the field, Sirzechs could hardly care at the moment as Praxis only approached him when it was important.

"What is it commander Bael?" he asked quickly, his efforts in reigning in his restlessness wasn't go very well so Praxis was greeted by the full gaze of the super devil, leaving him slightly off his rocker with the sheer intensity directed to him.

"W-we received comm's from 3rd platoon..." was all he said "sentinel Phenex requests to speak with you"

Sirzechs stood their momentarily before nodding and turned completely towards the commander, followed by both Ajuka and Serafall. "Lead the way Commander Bael, I will speak with her" short words were all that could come from Sirzechs as he and the other two slowly followed the commander towards the staging tent within their defensive command center.

In the middle of the large tent was the familiar circular table with the geographic outlay of the border line but currently the image of Rosalina Phenex replaced the holographic image, the woman's solemn gaze quickly locking onto his before her head dipped low in respect to his rank.

Sirzechs ignored customary protocol; the woman wouldn't open comm's for nothing trivial so it was clear something was important and it was also something he needed to know apparently; anything along those lines was never good. "Sentinel Phenex, I do hope you are aware of the danger in opening comm's in the field" he said out of habit; his eyes conveying concern.

Rosalina merely nodded but it looked as If she didn't care. "An irrelevant issue, the Old-Satan's already have me pinned so I see no need in hiding" she replied back before the image of her form shimmered slightly when an artillery barrage slammed above her yet her expression didn't even flinch at its abruptness.

Sirzechs blinked at her words before his eyes lowered into an inquisitive gaze. "What is it you wish to report?"

Rosalina merely kept a small gaze on Sirzechs while the others that followed stood silently behind him. A mix of emotions flew across the holographic image of Rosalina before her eyes locked back onto Sirzechs with a new found sense of resolve. "What happened during the 7th Penance?" was all she asked.

Many present were confused of its suddenness and its meaning but for Sirzechs... The question was clear enough

 _But not in a good way..._

His eyes narrowed and a slight shimmer of guilt spread throughout his mind before his eyes shone with anger. "That is not your business to know sentinel, and neither is it relevant... whatever it is you are trying I command you to cease immediately"

Rosalina barely shimmered at the heat in her Generals eyes, even though this was a clear sign of insubordination and stupidity, she knew its lasting effects would paint the picture to the general and convey the message she was pitching. The Old-Satan's were most likely listening and that meant she had to speak a message only the General understood... too bad for him that it was a tender subject.

She continued

" _And on the day of 7_ _th_ _penance the children of the 7_ _th_ _abyssal legion fell to light... where once light shone within the derelict space of darkness, only wrath reigned supreme where compassion was forgotten... upon loss came despair followed closely by the tight grip of rage... forward until dawn; and to dawn nothing remained"_

The quote rang loud to Sirzechs, forcing his eyes to slowly widen upon thinking on the meaning while Ajuka himself also followed in his reaction. "That was written in the Dantalion Archives..." spoke Ajuka, his mind placing the pieces of Rosalina's words together, Ajuka soon glanced to Sirzechs, the man himself staring closely onto a silent Rosalina.

"Why did you ask me that question?" he inquired, eyes holding reflection onto time long passed

Rosalina dipped her head again in apology before her eyes locked back onto his. "Because whether you answered or not; you already know what happened on that day..." she replied clearly.

Sirzechs' eyes dropped slightly in confusion before his eyes looked back to the cryptic woman who merely answered his unspoken question...

" _The 8_ _th_ _penance has started..."_

?!

Confusion was evident in most but for Ajuka and Sirzechs the meaning was perfectly clear yet they couldn't form words to speak in return because the full meaning of it was all the more terrifying...

 _Rivia Abaddon was on the move..._

Sirzechs felt his throat dry up from that revelation, followed closely by a blank Ajuka who gulped down a lump of nervousness from the topic at hand.

Serafall glanced from the image of Rosalina to Sirzechs, a confused and apprehensive expression lining her rapidly declining emotions. For Sirzechs and Ajuka to seem so terrified by this _8_ _th_ _penance_ caused a small chill to rise up through her spine. Nothing she knew could possibly scare Sirzechs or Ajuka, the former was known to running straight into enemy lines alone while the latter would merely brush off the biggest explosions as if they were mere gusts of wind.

Yet both of them seemed terrified, ghostly expressions fixated on their faces like they were reliving a memory long since passed, a memory that they both dearly wished to stay buried away for good.

Both Ajuka and Sirzechs ignored the questioning gazes from everyone in the room, no matter how confusing it was they couldn't divulge information on what was coming as anything too distinct and clear would give away what Rosalina was trying to accomplish. Sirzechs glanced up from his deep dive down memory lane, his eyes fixated onto Rosalina; the woman herself merely keeping the gaze before a small period of silence followed.

There were many things that explained the reason why an Abaddon went nuclear, a period of such immense grief and pain that the only objective left was vengeance... to erase the very being that took what was theirs...

Sirzechs had experienced that very vengeance... or more accurately...

The demon named 'Gremory' did.

He was familiar with the feud between the demons, the history of hatred and rivalry that had stemmed from all of them and the one reason Lucifer himself needed the demon lucifuge to help keep some semblance of order during the war against heaven and its bastardized brothers and sisters. Contrary to common belief but not every demon fought hand in hand with a smile on its face, or sing kumbaya around a bond fire... only a baron few were on friendly terms, the Demon _Shaxx_ being one of them.

There was no greater brutality done then onto those of rival demon houses; and there was no surprise when two demons decided to fight after a long bloody conflict. Sirzechs didn't know how they managed to contain all that blood lust; to fight for almost a month straight of continues battle only to then drop the gloves with an allied demon immediately afterward was something of a mystery to Sirzechs, but those were some of the more _tame_ moments of brutality and betrayal.

It wouldn't be a surprise to some devils that fought in the Great War when the supposed reinforcements was actually a small ambush from a rival demon, going from a total victory... to a complete orgy of violence and death...

But those events didn't last long...

It was only a matter of time until some demon decided to fuck with the wrong house...

The demon Gremory had a small disdain towards the Abaddon house; mostly because Abaddon possessed far more offspring then it did – that being _9 daughters_ – and seemed to prod the Abaddon demon like an elder brother... completely forgetting its own age difference to the corrupted angel of the abyss.

... And what happens when a daughter falls in combat.

Sirzechs knew that day well, or more accurately he couldn't forget it...

During a massive invasion on a large scale angelic force in the underworld, Gremory sent in Rivia and her 7th younger sister to ambush the enemy forces and hold position until they managed a flank...

Gremory didn't plan on flanking the angels...

No...

It wanted a mate instead...

Sirzechs hated that memory; the lustful sneer the damned demon picked up when he gazed upon Rivia's younger sister and the fact he was fully informed on what they were truly flanking.

Vile snake...

Sirzechs didn't know what had gotten into Gremory's mind when that idea sprang up. Rivia was doted on by Abaddon for unknown reasons while her other sisters were the lower ranked generals under Rivia's command, yet even with that both Rivia and Abaddon cherished their siblings like no other... targeting to rape one of them was _not_ a healthy choice in preserving one's life.

Sirzechs could feel his guilt welt up when he recalled his inaction during that day; he knew that the Abaddon demon had already lost 6 of her children and all of them didn't go out with a whimper or cry for help...

Instead they took everything with them... silent like a void... merciless genocide with no regard of friend or foe

 _The abyssal requiem_ it was called...

When Gremory made its move it had decided to wipe out all of the devils under the 7th Abaddon's command, the effect was done in order to break the resolve and will; make it easy to dominate its target without resistance...

How wrong Gremory was to assume such weakness in an Abaddon heir...

Sirzechs ceased his memory trip – fully knowing the outcome – before reopening his eyes to look to Rosalina.

"What could have caused..." Sirzechs stopped mind comment, his stomach suddenly dropping further then it already had before while his mind made the connection instantly. "Ryden... where's Ryden?" asked Sirzechs, his eyes slightly panicked.

Rosalina glanced away slightly, unable to keep her eyes on the General due to the guilt that suddenly rose up from within her; the mere action being all the answer Sirzechs needed...

The mood in the room dropped instantly from the silence and grief within Rosalina's eyes, followed closely by a few other devils actually dropping to their knees in despair at the mention of their lost idol. Ryden's effect on the many with just the few moments he'd been in public eye was an astounding accomplishment and his actions during that small period was enough to warrant a small token of worship from the lower classing devils in the Anti-Satan forces. His loss would shatter the resolve of hundreds...

 _Damn it all!_

Sirzechs felt anger rise within him but it was an anger directed mostly to himself. He knew it was a massive risk in sending the human into live combat so soon yet he'd done so anyway; blindly holding faith in the human's mysterious powers... a foolishness that cost them the life of a possible game changer.

Sirzechs quelled his guilt instantly, dropping it like a sack of rocks. Regardless of the matter at hand, he had his answer. Ryden had been the one to unsheathe the _Infernum Armis_ , therefore becoming Rivia's sworn duty; with his death everything left for Rivia was void...

The Abyssal requiem was all that remained now...

"We need to stop her" spoke Sirzechs, resolve hardening into steel as he straightened his back.

Serafall – in the midst of her own grief – tore her mind away to regard Sirzechs, confusion mixed with anxiety bearing into the crimson devil without relenting. "What trouble does this bring to us? What does this 8th penance mean?" she asked, uncaring of the possible leak in information.

Sirzechs sighed audibly before answering "Nothing good for either side, complete annihilation is all that follows an Abaddon's code of penance... if we don't act now, she'll kill everything within a few thousand miles in every direction..." he paused before looking everyone present in the eye. "All three of our legions would be cut down to such a state we'd have nothing left to fight with"

Praxis' eyes widened at the news while everyone else including Rosalina followed in the commander's example. The idea that one devil could end an entire civil war was something unheard of, yet when it came to the topic of Rivia Abaddon it skipped passed the 'how' and ran straight to 'when'...

A former commanding general from the era of the Great War was nothing to ignore, especially when it was widely known to all that the very devil in question was notorious for wiping out entire armada's of angels within an hour... and that was when she was calm.

Rosalina looked to Sirzechs, a distraught expression now permanently etched on her face. "How do we stop her?" she asked hastily only for Sirzechs to shake his head.

"Stopping her is out of the question" started Ajuka, eyes set directly on the holographic map that he'd summoned to his palm. "Words alone won't halt an Abaddon; we'll need to get creative if we want both parties alive..." replied Ajuka as he regarded Rosalina.

"How creative?"

Ajuka for the first time picked up a trouble expression that which he redirected to Sirzechs. "I'm still working on it. Keep in mind we'll have to factor in what kind of mental state lady Abaddon will be in if we even manage to stop her"

Serafall's eyes peaked up at the topic at hand. "You're saying she'll be an enemy..." stated the petite General.

Ajuka grimly nodded at her observation. "There's a good chance she may not like the idea of being interrupted... from what I can remember, Abaddon had selected priority tasks and distributed them among her daughters as absolute creeds that could not be ignored; Only until recently did we learn what Lady Abaddon's creed was. No one knows what happens when an Abaddon completes the task given to them as none so far had managed; hence the fact that there have been _seven_ penances, but what I do know is that the penances are deeply linked to the demonic energy within them. Once they fail it goes critical and reason is one of the first things to go" Ajuka eyed Sirzechs as he finished speaking. "She may not even recognize us..."

Sirzechs nodded solemnly at the comment, fully understanding what they would be facing, yet even still, he did not like the course of events. With Ryden dead and Rivia slowly going rampant, the whole invasion was a wash. The best case scenario would be their return but at the cost of killing Rivia before she could complete her abyssal requiem and that end meant the loss of two highly powerful allies...

A complete defeat in his eyes...

Praxis eyed the situation closely, his mind playing over the possible routes towards any kind of victory that could at least give them a foot hold in the Territory of Thorns. Praxis knew this situation was far from desirable; regardless of his personal disagreements regarding Ryden vale Gremory, he knew the devil was powerful by just the comments from his ancestor and the demonstration of power regarding Ryden's sacred possession...

Praxis' eyes widened quickly, an idea forming in his head to which he immediately acted on by stepped forward and directing his regard at Sirzechs, his steel eyes locking with his Generals resolved ones. "General, if I may recommend something..." he spoke

Sirzechs merely nodded, having seen the metaphorical sigil appear over the devils head a second ago.

"Shoot..."

Praxis nodded before licking his lips, his anxiety regarding the matter had caused his mouth to dry up rather quickly. "What if we trick lady Abaddon?" he proposed, enticing a multitude of reactions from most present.

Ajuka almost swallowed his tongue at the prospect, followed closely by Serafall. She may not know about everything regarding the Abaddon demon and it daughters but even she knew tricking Rivia Abaddon was a fool's errand... if not downright suicidal. She'd seen the distrust in the woman's eyes, a predatory gaze usually seen in prowlers and even dragons and it was perfectly clear to her that Rivia didn't seem like the kind of woman to enjoy prolonged company or trust for that matter. Whatever her experiences, Rivia Abaddon had a stare that could pierce through even the most well secured facades and an aura that even caused her to question her honesty.

Tricking a 5000 year old devil was not a task most would even think of attempting... especially if it was an Abaddon.

Serafall knew what to look for in a person, the small nuanced signs of mental fortitude and the danger present in ones gaze alone. For Praxis to even mutter the idea of tricking a devil of that caliber spoke of the man's inexperience... and lunacy.

And she thought Sirzechs was the fool... tsk... good thing he was not in charge.

Sirzechs eyed his uncle with a narrowed gaze, the gears in his mind demanding him to at least make sure his elder relative wasn't insane. "Explain commander... how do we trick an Abaddon?" he asked slowly, unsure if this was a real proposition or if it was a hallucination born from his own stress.

Praxis swallowed as the collective gazes directed at him started to tack on the pressure. "I wouldn't say it's a trick but rather a recovery of sorts" he started, gaining a raised brow from Rosalina and Sirzechs.

He continued

"We know lady Abaddon's creed is to protect the Arbiter, and the Arbiter is the one capable of wielding an _Infernum Armis..._ every one of those weapons are linked to an elemental trial"

Ajuka nodded slowly in agreement to the information provided, enticing Praxis to continue his explanation.

"One of those trials was completed, meaning there is nothing stopping someone from taking the _Infernum Armis_ freed from its monolith... we just have to have someone else wielding it"

Praxis stood by as his words reached the ears of all present. Sirzechs and Ajuka stood by mulling over the possibilities while Serafall merely stood by hating the idea of taking from Ryden, she had a small feeling that the idea of lying to an Abaddon was probably much worse then what was happening right now and she also had a small feeling that there was much more to what made an Arbiter then by just being able to hold a sword...

A life-linked creed didn't sound like it could be so easily passed around... there must be a selection process.

Before Serafall could say anything regarding her worries towards the venture, both Sirzechs and Ajuka locked eyes with Praxis. "It's worth a try; worst case scenario could end up doing nothing at all anyway"

Serafall frowned at Ajuka. "Or it could piss her off more then she is now" she warned, garnering his gaze momentarily until he ultimately looked to Rosalina, ignoring Serafall's negative comment.

"Do you have _Infernum Fulgur_ with you?" asked Sirzechs in Ajuka's stead, the crimson devil stepping slightly forward towards the holographic Rosalina.

The woman in question nodded quickly at the haste in her Generals eyes and tone before turning off screen to confirm Ryden had the Infernum Armis still sheathed on his back...

Only to widen her eyes at what she saw...

Sirzechs' eyes narrowed at the woman's odd reaction, a small gut wrenching feeling rising in him at the reactions meaning while Ajuka and Serafall merely narrowed their eyes at the woman's clear shock at something off screen.

"You do have the _Infernum Armis_ right?" Sirzechs all but questioned with a low growl.

Rosalina nodded slowly at the devils question, her eyes still remaining locked on something off screen. "I did General, the Infernum Armis was secured on Ryden's body; no one made to remove it under my explicit orders" she replied back.

"What do you mean by 'did' sentinel Phenex?" pressed Ajuka

Rosalina looked back to the Generals, ghostly shocked by whatever she had seen

"It's gone... and so is Ryden"

* * *

Rivia was calm with herself as she advanced through the tunnel, her mind clear off all annoyances and nuanced thoughts that only brought distraction to her mind and poise. The walk was quiet and filled with rapt excitement from all those that followed the elder devil deeper into enemy lines. They all knew what awaited them once they engaged enemy positions but it didn't scare them anymore; only invigorated them to fight just as hard as the woman standing before them.

If they would return to ash and be sent to purgatory then they'd do so swinging with a smile on their faces and blood on their blades.

The advance was short lived in dulled silence before a glimpse of light shone further in the tunnel, leaving the remaining advance to be caked in fake sun light. Rivia acknowledge the presence as her queue to ready herself for close quarter combat. A small hole opened up above her right hand until a long shaft slowly dropped from within to reveal a small black metal staff with a glass like orb on the tip. Rivia hummed at the weapons sealed appearance before giving the weapon a small twirl to activate its true form. As the weapon twirled, the shaft began to writhe in blackened flame – gentle and smoldering – and the tip of the shaft bent slightly back to give the supposed staff a curved appearance; once this was complete Rivia smirked almost darkly when she stepped from the tunnels entrance and before a large force of Inquisitors, the eyes of the many Old-Satan extremists widened quickly when Rivia finished twirling her mysterious weapon.

With one quick swipe to the side, the blade of her weapon sprung to ethereal life; curved and masterfully jagged like wings of an angel, forged in demonic energy and tempered within the chaos of conflict, the white flames of annihilation blistered brightly before all that witnessed as Rivia gently twirled the black and white _scythe_ like a maiden of war... tranquility personified in her demonstration.

"Breach! We've been Brea –"

 _SIIIIING_

" _Silence_..." commanded Rivia in a dominate tone, the body of the inquisitor in question merely falling in two parts, perfectly show casing to all present the ranged capability her weapon possessed

?!

Many devils of the Old-Satan forces stood by in terror; having witnessed the death of their commanding officer by an unmoving ultimate class devil. Not many had seen what had caused the devils sudden death and not many would live to remember if they did anyway... Rivia was not about to spare anyone.

" _Your deaths shall be dealt in silence... where no one will hear you scream"_ her voice echoed out darkly, a tone that carried a calm and tranquil energy yet possessing a dread inducing undertone that forced shimmering whimpers to escape the few with weaker spirit, while those with sterner fortitude remained silent and motionless; primal fear gripping them in place.

She stepped forward, silently issuing the order to those behind her to remain where they stood and stopped directly in the middle of the wide open staging area they found themselves in. Dozens of devils littered the area in small squads of four or three and all of them remaining motionless, terrified of the _demon_ that had casually walked into their numbers. While Rivia merely sauntered over to the center of the staging area – making sure she had eyes on all inquisitors present – the many inquisitors that bore her approached only saw something else entirely...

They knew of the term 'tranquil fury' yet none could truly personify it in a physical sense, however the woman that stood before them managed it like nothing they had ever understood before. Bathed in blackened light, the woman that stood calmly amongst them looked every bit as tranquil as the definition... while her very aura did the exact contrary...

 _A spectral mass of black flame that shone with an ethereal splendor of light..._

 _Bearing an appearance to that of a hooded angel wreathed in onyx black robes and obsidian wings..._

 _Its true face... An abyss of infinite darkness..._

 _Its gait... perfectly matched with the one it was connected to..._

Rivia calmly watched the inquisitors now surrounding her, their eyes unmoving from her form and the ghostly specter that mimicked her every action. Her eyes skimmed the surrounding area – matched perfectly by the 'angel' behind her – and gazed back to those that stared at her for too long...

 _They had forgotten the first rule..._

Rivia casually closed her eyes after a moment, lazily listening to the symphony of bodies collapsing to the floor; their life force being easily swallowed by her aura of abyss... by the image of her true self.

 _ **Never**_ _stare into the abyss..._

 _ **...**_ _Because it stares_ _ **back...**_

Rivia could feel the energy swell up within her, the invigorated sensation of consumption completely enveloping her senses before settling into the crystal orb at the center of her scythe's two-sided blade; the once completely black crystal ball now gleaming with a small light within its center...

Rivia regarded the image momentarily before glancing off into the distance; her distant eyes masking her heart wrenching emotions at what was happening, at what she was now forced to do with her failure. Her mind was so preoccupied with her true objective that she barely regarded the knight that stood behind her until he repeated himself.

"Lady Abaddon?" questioned the tower knight, an unease tone mixed in with the devils worry.

Rivia could understand the unease well enough to know it was her own doing. Now that nothing remained for her, her very core was becoming undone and it was only a matter of time until her very presence devoured everything...

Rivia quelled her emotions upon that dreadful reminder and nodded before staring off into the distance; not even turning to regard the knight behind her.

...the knight required Orders

Rivia realized her small folly before remembering the current enemy lines. If her memory served well then a small contingent of Old-Satan extremists were currently pinning down allied forces at the top of the hill from the trench line behind her...

They could remove that threat easily enough and it could also help in placing distance between her and allied lines before she went completely mad... she had enough time to at least make sure her penance didn't punish the unworthy and instead pave the way ahead for Sirzechs at least.

Of that she deeply hoped...

"The enemy currently has position on the hill above the trench line... remove that threat for me" she spoke, her scythe pointing gently in the direction desired.

The tower knight nodded before looking to Rivia's back again, noticing her lack of motion. "What about you lady Abaddon?" he asked, clearly seeing the woman intended to do something else.

"I will remove the artillery and the towers further in land... that is all; proceed as order" she replied before beginning her gentle walk forward.

The knight stood rigidly, a firm salute at the elder devils order. "It shall be done lady Abaddon"

Rivia made no move to regard the knight's vigor with a nod or smile, her sole intent being to gain enough distance as possible from allied lines. So instead she ignored the devil as he returned to the dozen knights of the 3rd platoon and merely chose to disappear into a rift...

...Unaware of the one that watched her vanish

* * *

 ** _[one mile inland]_**

The image that greeted Rivia Abaddon upon exiting her rift was another woodland area rife with activity. The previously thick forest that had resided had been cut down and opened well enough to allow full operation within the densely protected camp. The massive roots that rose from the ground were leveled down for much more flat terrain, while the massive trees themselves fueled the fires that feed into a dozen massive cannons that continuously fired off into the distance. Within the massive forward operating base stood ancient ruins from the time of primordial demons that stood weakly in the area, having been long since reclaimed by the lush forest that had been its once proud home but now refurbished to accommodate the temporary presences of the Old-Satan forces.

However that accommodation would soon come to an abrupt end...

Rivia stepped from the rift, its position of appearance having been directly in the center of a mass teleportation sigil where a large force of inquisitors had been quickly approaching. With her sudden arrival however, the mass of approaching inquisitors suddenly froze in place at the sight of her, the aura that emitted from her very being demanding absolute silence and attention.

It was immediately clear to all present that she was not a friendly, as noted by her actions the moment she glanced up to regard the lead inquisitor...

Rivia moved without care or greeting, seeing no need in the action as her own motives would soon become noticeable within the coming seconds. Her scythe cleaved downward, bisecting the Adeptus Inquisitor in two without a sign of resistance and then twirled her scythe skillfully and gracefully to greet the retaliatory strikes of three other inquisitors who met the same end.

By then the action had begun and without a trade of words or ego...

Rivia saw it fit to distract the reinforcing inquisitors with enough chaos so as to stave off an overwhelming rush. After dismembering three devils with graceful swings, a rift opened in the shape of a tear in space, to which she then swung her scythe into and then retracted it and continued her assault on the large number of inquisitors. The effect of this action was immediately noticed when the tip of Rivia's scythe appeared at the base of the cannons, the white ethereal blade having glanced a large enough wound in the shaft of the cannon that caused it to release a large amount of volatile demonic energy once the cannon fired its routine barrage.

Rivia swung her scythe wildly and decapitated three adversaries before twisting around and jumping into the air to avoid a pincer from three inquisitors. Ignoring her attackers for the moment; Rivia pointing her free hand at the leak of energy without a glance and shot a small jolt of Arc energy from her index finger.

The effect was as she expected...

 _ **BOOOOOM!**_

The cannon erupted in a fiery explosion that gouged it from within, the excess demonic energy used to weaponized the contraption having been the true source of the explosion while Rivia's off hand spell was merely the ignition to the dangerous mixture of energy.

The explosion caused the intended effect, even though she was but one woman, her sudden arrival caused the entire operation within the opening to become immediately chaotic and the entire zone was soon replicating the appearance of a full scale invasion. Yet even with her success in halting the artillery and the complete destruction of the Old-Satan operation within the sector, Rivia continued her effortless advance and slaughter on those that stood before her... the black crystal slowly filling with the energies of the fallen as she pressed on.

The efforts of the Inquisitors that stood before her were barely regarded as dangerous; mere flies were the best description she could come up with and as she blooded the forest with dozens of them, Rivia began to indulge herself...

She didn't need to keep appearances anymore... those that opposed her deserved nothing but death by her hand and so her true emotions began to slowly surface; fueled by the wrong doings towards the innocent and to her.

In a rare moment, Rivia allowed the most savage of smiles to grace her lips, her eyes soon filled with bloodlust only matched by the demon's of yore; her mercy... none existent.

Her leg came down on a howling inquisitors head – the devil having lost both of his legs – and crushed the mongrel's skull under her metallic heels while her scythe twirled around her with sonic speed, dismembering dozens of quickly advancing inquisitors with both close range strikes and augmented ranged slashes that continued on to kill even more unlucky Inquisitors that approached to stop the demon that had suddenly appeared.

There was no distance she couldn't reach...

There was no cover safe from her scythe...

There was nowhere to run...

Nowhere to hide...

The spectral form of her aura materialized as she continued her dance of requiem, _its_ features showing off the true ferocity that was represented by Rivia's actions and brutality. Where she sung, it followed... what she killed... it devoured.

A ghostly howl emanated from its abyssal gaze as Rivia continued the slaughter, releasing a massive spike of ominous energy to all that surrounded the Abaddon devil. The effect caused the many too weak to face her to cower and flee in terror at the storm of death that ripped through their lines like paper. Only those that were strong willed posed the most minimal of threats... the fear staying their hand and feet only served to bring them to death faster.

Rivia paid no mind to the objects that stood before her, where before warriors assailed her now stood mere statues of terror and fear; there armor a perpetual rattle of uncontrolled despair and their eyes mere empty sockets without will...

 _Such pathetic mockeries..._

Rivia's mind played back the times when the low-class army of the inquisition was a hailed army of true warriors so rife with loyalty towards their lord Lucifer that only death severed that loyalty. Only then were they regarded respectable by her standards, yet what stood before her now were goons, rapists, murders and greedy fools that wore armor twice their worth...

Her anger rose at what would have become of her had she been successfully delivered to _Lucifaad..._

The thought of being rendered to a mere toy for those very mongrels to enjoy sent a jolt of immense rage through her. The idea that that brat Rizevim could even touch her was enough to ripple disgust throughout her body... not only was her disgust towards the weaklings around her so apparent but it was even directed to herself.

How could such pathetic mongrels even come close to her?

Her eyes grew wild with anger with her declining control before her hand gripped a flanking inquisitor by the helmet. Her eyes narrowed dangerously before her hand casually crushed the helmet like it was nothing, instantly killing the foolish devil that attacked her...

 _Unfortunately her emotions clouded her senses_

Rivia's instincts rapidly became aware of a sudden danger approaching and merely rift jumped a few yards from her previous position... easily avoiding a beam of purple demonic energy.

Rivia appeared casually, her aura having been concealed and her expression lined with clear annoyance and hastily repressed control on her anger as she regarded the one that had fired the demonic bolt, a bolt that she noted to be very familiar...

Her eyes slowly narrowed further when she regarded the cocky grin and lustful gaze on the inquisitor that had fired that very bolt. He was young in appearance and wore specifically crafted armor that covered everything vital while also supplying options of maneuverability, his features were well kept and his hair was neatly slicked back and tied into a small pony tail...

He was obviously low-class... given how Rivia barely recognized the man...

His skills had yet to be seen though...

"Rivia Abaddon correct?" he asked, a small knowing sneer worn professionally under a calm gaze.

Rivia knew immediately the man was more than some goon, though he possessed the same gaze as most males that regarded her, he still kept his profession in reach... a clear sign of a veteran spy.

Rivia didn't answer, her eyes glancing all around her while her defense rose just slightly... no one was dumb enough to face her head on as it was recorded in the Dantalion archives that her skills in one on one combat was unmatched and she had the track record to follow that fact up. The man was a distraction... and it was obviously so with his question.

He was a part of a capture unit; specialized agents that captured key targets for questioning and interrogation, since the man knew her by glance it was clear she was on his list...

"I'm gonna take that silence as a yes" he continued as he smiled arrogantly at Rivia, the lust in the devils eyes honestly forced her to role her own at the sheer obvious desire the devil possessed.

 _Such Pathetic imitations..._

She repeated mentally, her disgust rising as the man went to continue his cringe worthy speech. Unfortunately for him but her patience dried up the moment she thought of listening to the dregs continued words for any longer then it took to forget the insect existed and merely swung her scythe in his direction, casually sending a wave of annihilation towards the squawking devil.

The man in question smirked slightly at the sight before his image vanished completely, forcing Rivia's expression to morph into a mildly surprised gaze as she realized the man was a hologram image the whole time...

Hm... She could have sworn she was more astute then this...

"NOW!"

Rivia grit her teeth slightly when a powerful gravity field forced her to her a kneel, her eyes quickly noticing three interlocking sigils of grayish blue energy at her feet, the very sigil that was supplying the gravity field. Rivia knew her lapse in controlling her emotions was the main reason why this was happening. However, due to the circumstance and her declining composure, it was only a matter of time until someone strong enough actually managed to subdue her...

For now at least...

Off to the side and out of her line of sight, Rivia heard the distinct sounds of three approaching devils, their energy signatures each steadily matched to that of a high-class devil in terms of demonic energy power. With three of them assisting the conjuration of the gravity sigils, it was all that was needed to keep an ultimate class devil subdued for a small period of time... and a small period of time was all they needed.

"It's quite a shocker really..." spoke the annoying devil from before, the man's footsteps sounding as if they stopped just before the sigil at her left flank. "Here I was preparing all the ambushes required to capture my list of targets and I'm suddenly informed that Rivia Abaddon herself would be attending the front line invasion" he spoke arrogantly, as if his words were even reaching the ears of Rivia Abaddon.

Spoiler alert... not even close

"Do you guys remember my reaction when we were told of that?" he asked, turning to glance at the two other accomplices at stood behind the man. The first one was a tall and burly man outfitted in black heavy armor that protected nearly every inch of the man while the second was a woman, lightly armored in the same shade and outfitted with a long red cape that dangled down past the woman's knees.

Both of them sporting annoyed expressions...

"Do you really think we have time to gloat Grel? Stop drooling over the woman and prepare her for transport... the higher ups are not patient" spoke the large man, clearly disturbed by the man's luring gaze.

"Get a move on pervert; we don't have time for your disgusting habits" shot the woman cruelly, forcing a small look of exasperation from the devil now known as Grel.

The man regarded them both with a small pout before turning to Rivia with a small sneer. "Guess this is all business, though I would have preferred to give you a _test run_ but it seems my colleagues are in a bit of a rush" he joked darkly.

" _Their desperation is warranted"_

?!

A massive weight of demonic energy erupted from Rivia, forcing a small gap in the gravity flow which allowed her enough time to rise up and deliver a painful backhand to the annoying and disgusting insect of a devil that loomed over her. Unfortunately for Rivia – and fortunately for Grel – the gravity sigil was only temporarily disrupted and her strike was severely weakened to the point the devil only suffered a massive bruise and back eye rather than losing his head all together... the cockroaches always survived the first strike.

The woman stood by sharply, watching Rivia's form closely as the large devil behind her helped pick up Grel, the large behemoth of a man sighing audibly at the sudden event. "Told you... she's a fighter" he reminded before stepping back to the side of the female inquisitor.

Grel growled loudly, temper rising suddenly when he glared at the blankly staring Rivia, the woman's now standing form frozen in place by the return of the gravity field. The clearly angered Grel regarded the woman with a pained sneer before angrily gripping his bruised face and growling further at the wound...

Rivia smirked slowly, fighting the pressure of the gravity to express just how much she enjoyed the devils pain. Even as limited in movement as she was, she still possessed the explosive demonic strength to weaken the flow of demonic energy with but a flare of her own. The annoying snowflake of a devil couldn't so much as grope her without losing something in return and the gaze from the man explicitly affirmed that fact.

As much as the pathetic cretin before her wanted to dominate his prey, he knew doing so was impossible, as her power dwarfed theirs by miles. Considering the other two weren't doing anything either spoke of their complete focus in keeping her where she was. Any kind of distraction could potentially cast away their chance of capturing her and instead bring about their brutal deaths...

And that very distraction was the one named Grel...

Rivia slowly smirked when she identified the little devils short fuse; she had the opportunity and opening needed to break from her shackles and so she made to act on it... a small rise in amusement following her motive

"What's the matter Imp? Did my love tap actually harm you?" she spoke almost too sweetly, a dark undertone laced within her voice; a demonic edge only noticed by the two devils supporting the gravity sigil.

Grel glanced up to Rivia, his eyes a blatant sneer of hatred directed solely on the woman. "Eh? You say something whore?" shot the devil in return.

Rivia internally rolled her eyes at the insult, having been targeted by far worse in the past, and merely kept her gaze on him. "I think I may have damaged you a little more then I desired... perhaps you are weaker than I thought" she glowered, tone filled with clear mockery. "As expected from low born dogs... give them enough bones and they become unaware of how pathetic they really are" she added, lips slowly rising into a very clear show of enjoyment when her words did exactly what she wanted.

"BE SILENT WENCH!" roared Grel, his hand rising up to aim a demonic sigil at Rivia.

"Grel! She's provoking you, don't give into her words" yelled the nameless female, her eyes frantic and her form suddenly lined with sweat.

Rivia smirked darkly at the raging devil; her eyes practically begging the man to fire the shot. "What will you do _mutt_ , listen to those fools and be the dog you really are or will you take the shot and get what you really want?" she questioned, eyes slowly evolving into slitted pupils; predatory heat dimmed within maddened eyes as the devil slowly gave in.

 _A true demon knew the lyrics to every song..._

 _...Sing the right tune..._

 _...And they all dance to the beat_

" _Do it boy... prove yourself to me...prove to me just how strong you really are"_ Rivia's tone wasn't like anything as it was before, having been replaced with an alluring hymn that forced Grel's attention to focus solely on her; completely ignoring the others that fought to gain his attention.

Rivia knew the moment she heard the cretin's voice that the devil was only capable of capturing the weaker sort, the arrogance in the devils voice suggested he'd be successful only because his victims had been too weak to fight back. Her suspicions were even further solidified by his blatant allure to her body. Demonic energy helped in shaping the development of devils and pretty much anything it touched, since she was in possession of pure demonic energy and in large amounts, it only helped in shaping her physical appearance to stand trial to even the most glorious of angels...

Temptation was all that followed...

Clearly he was a professional – from the start at least – but when her allure seeped into the devils eyes, a devil that had probably only enjoyed the pleasures of lower-class devils, the desire was almost instant and it effected the devils professional approach to the task. By rights of the circumstance, had she been a low-class devil then she'd be grovelling at the floor, stripped and violated, yet the issue was all the more apparent by the true reality...

He couldn't have her and it gnawed at his pride like acid, her words only proving to further drill that message home with every comment, with every insult to his pride as an inquisitor capture specialist.

And it worked... _as it always did_.

"YOU CAN'T RESIST ME WITHOUT A HEAD BITCH!" Roared the devil, the bolt spell lighting up rapidly before firing at the widely smirking Rivia Abaddon, her eyes gleefully taking in the oncoming bolt of demonic energy...

What followed however, shocked all present...

...all except one new arrival.

A couple feet from Rivia was the bolt fired by Grel, but instead of continuing its travel, the demonic bolt of wrathful energy merely stood frozen in the air, writhing angrily at whatever was holding it back...

"That bolt looks familiar..." a deep loathing voice echoed out from behind the two unnamed devils, the tone being all too familiar to only one devil present; her eyes slowly widening into the size of dinner plates at just it was she was hearing.

"Who goes there?" called out a frustrated yet anxious Grel, his eyes locking specifically on a darkened spot along the tree line. "Show yourself coward!" he yelled as he glared into the dark of the forest, completely unaware of the darkened clouds in the sky.

The only answer that followed was a loud howl and a flash of light from within the tree line; a violent crack that echoed out loudly within the forest, forcing two of the three devils to shield their ears in pain while the third devil... clutched his crotch.

"AHHHHHHHH! AHHHHHHH!" yelled Grel as he fell to the floor holding what remained of the man's pride. The two accomplices of the former 'man' now violently turned woman turned to look at what caused their morally challenged comrade to cry out, only to pale at just what the man suffered; the large man suddenly growing very nervous at the possibility of suffering the same fate.

Suddenly, the sound of snapping twigs forced them to turn toward the tree line, their ghostly expressions soon staring at a single spot between two massive trees, the sound of light breathing emanating from that very location was their only hint as to just where the new arrival was but they couldn't speak or breath, the sheer ominous energy that caked the derelict area forced silence upon all, even the still howling Grel whose pain had slowly subsided to a cold numbness fell slowly into silent whimpers.

All that remained... was the slow and calm breathing from the unknown arrival...

Inhale...

Exhale...

Inhale...

Exhale...

 _ **Ignition**_

The sky itself cried out when the blade in the man's hand suddenly sparked to life. Like a vermilion star the blade shone with a crimson splendor that forced all that bore its appearance to gap at its ethereal beauty, the small arc's of red lightning that coiled around the blades edges only helped to demonstrate its potential and true natural affinity... the bright scarlet glow perfectly illuminating its wielder.

The man stepped forward slowly, his form being released by the mysterious darkened space that had risen from the very ground beneath him, the effects actually having hindered the devils natural night vision.

Rivia's throat hitched at the sight before her, a lump of emotion suddenly welling up from within her as the other two felt the complete opposite. The energy radiating from the new arrival was monstrous; commanding and irrefutable... even the blade that rest gently in the man's dominate hand released its own titanic energy, a dominate affinity to the storm above and to that of ancient legend so far from their league it was a miracle the vary sky didn't smite them from existence.

 _The blade emanated with that very desire..._

"So..." began Ryden, the man's complete features – unscathed and healthy – stared darkly at the two keeping Rivia trapped; His eyes alight with a crimson glow that emphasized the man's mood completely.

Ryden's blade rose up to point threateningly at the two devils staring at him, his gaze unblinking in their fervor while _Fulgur_ expressed its clear bloodlust. "...which one of you is next?" he started before pointing his sword to the female inquisitor, forcing a small whelp of fear to rise up from the woman's gut. "Is it you?..." he asked darkly before he slowly shifted his sword to the larger man, the light of his crimson eyes now shining with clear malevolence.

" _ **...Or you?"**_

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **At this point I think my promise for quick updates can be simply ignored.**_

 _ **A month again... a god damned month!**_

 _ **Don't think you're the only one slightly miffed at the update rate as I am as well. With the previous update I believed my free time was perfectly mine to command yet life had me cursed from the start. My work shift suddenly changed – forcing my attention to adjusting my schedule to write and manage other things.**_

 _ **Guess it pays to work hard...**_

 _ **Hmm**_

 _ **Anyways, with this chapter I decided to direct the focus onto other members of the cast, the first most glaring being the small period regarding Abigail and Nyx's time behind enemy lines. Waaaaay back when I first wrote a story I was bashed to deletion by fans that questioned why I didn't focus my attention on the main character and I'm even questioned that with my other story 'a light among darkness'. Ironic name aside the point was to show that not all attention needs to be placed on the main protagonist. Sometimes delving into the events of other characters helps in creating a sense that time is moving.**_

 _ **Characters gotta have a break sometime folks.**_

 _ **And another reason is to also make sure I'm not just developing one character, as my main goal is to expand a world's story and create new and exciting characters to root for. I'm not her to create a power trip fic... as much as it is fun to write a power trip story filled to the brim with lemons and limes and over the top action it only serves to entertain the writer with a small majority of readers to follow and it also does away with the steaks of the story.**_

 _ **Gotta have steaks man, makes the story manly and shit...**_

 _ **If I made Ryden the absolute powerhouse immediately then it would kill any kind of steaks in the story, kinda like if seven deadly sins had Escanor fight every battle... would be awesome but not really that entertaining when the same outcome is repeated over and over...**_

 _ ***sigh* anyways... you can tell I'm defensive of the matter since one of my other stories was harshly smashed to bits.**_

 _ **Just know that Ryden won't be the one to save the day all the time – perhaps it would be most – but not all the time. One of my (now silent) reviewer mentioned the growth in power of other characters and that it would be boring to see them suffer the same fate as every side character in fan fic history...**_

 _ **I want to fulfill that desire because I feel the same way... that's all.**_

 _ **One of my other reasons of diverging from Ryden was to showcase Rivia's power and what she brings to the table as well as open up a bit of history relating to her. Everything mentioned in the story will be explored,**_

 _ **Chekhov's gun will be fired... bonus points to those that understand that**_

 _ **Anyways guys and gals, Review if you want, favorite and follow if you don't feel like saying anything and just keep grinding folks**_

 _ **Peace!**_


	15. Abyssal Storm

_**-Abyssal Storm-**_

 _The first thing that I woke to after returning to consciousness wasn't something I expected, nor did I find it comforting; not even slightly..._

 _At first I believed Rivia's desire in protecting me was out of a simple creed or code, linked to the legendary weapons of hell, and by extension, yours truly... kinda like a knight and king..._

 _while at first it took me off guard – in a good way – that an extremely beautiful woman of great renown was going to be following me around, I never really thought too deeply in what would happen if things went south..._

 _...and how deep the code of honor went._

 _I knew then that I wasn't going to be the only one causing problems for both sides..._

 _...I had competition in that regard..._

 _Heh... we made one hell of a duo though_

* * *

Ryden stood silently at the edge of the tree line, his posture straight and ready while his eyes remained locked and waiting on the two devils that stood a couple dozen meters from him. He could see their slowly dwindling fear just as clearly as they could see the sword in his hand, pointed threateningly and glowing all the more brighter with every second the sky darkened.

Rivia couldn't care less for the small stand still or for the fact her body was still restrained by the gravity sigil, her own present desire was to make sure the man she had believed dead was well and truly standing before her. She'd seen him take a bolt round to the skull directly in front of her and while the demonic bullet of energy didn't take the man's head clean off upon contact she knew that the super conductive energy should have turned the man's brain to ash... or at least, that's what she at first believed.

Now he stood at the tree line, sword in hand, and present without a single scratch on him; like he'd never even been hit in the first place...

"No volunteers?" Ryden spoke coldly, snapping Rivia's attention forward to watch the man

The two devil's – save the third devil – suddenly tensed when the man's impatient words reached their lips, the large devil – caked in more armor then a tank – stepped forward and in front of the female inquisitor, her eyes glancing up to the large man with a troubled gaze.

Neither said anything in response to Ryden's question, the question itself being rhetorical in nature and all present knew the coming events well enough... the Old-Satan extremists not at all comfortable with the odds presented.

Ryden sighed loudly, his sword lowering before he gently held it at his side. "It's all fun and games until someone loses his balls right?" he asked as his eyes locked onto the helmeted behemoth. "What? Did you guys share that single set or did you borrow it from the woman?" he added, gesturing towards the now glaring woman with his chin.

The large devil grunted at Ryden's vulgar words, his hidden eyes sneering at the smaller devils choice of comment. "You are Vulgar for a noble..."

Ryden rolled his eyes at the comeback, if you could call it one, before he leveled a small smirk to the large devil. "That's rich coming from an Old-Satan attack dog, what? Did I offend what little pride you have?" he shot back darkly – silently enjoying the glare that appeared on the female inquisitors brow – before directing a small glance to a still shell shocked Rivia. Nothing was muttered between the two; only a cheeky wink from Ryden was all that was traded, forcing a small ripple of emotion through Rivia.

 _...it really was him_

Ryden smirked slightly when he noticed the reaction from Rivia before his eyes fell back onto the large devil that slowly approached him, obviously affected by his earlier words. "The only offence present is the wound you've inflicted on our comrade –" started the large devil as he forcing his demonic energy to rise up to challenge Ryden's... a rebellious notion

"A _permanent_ wound..." Ryden corrected before directing a smirk to the approaching threat. "I don't think Phenex tears counter sudden unexplained vasectomies" Ryden added.

"Yes... a permanent wound; a wound that which I shall return with great pleasure" growled the man, the devils former fear now replaced with calm vigor, forcing Ryden to role his eyes at the man's sudden development of confidence.

"Riiight... so does that mean you're volunteering?" asked Ryden, a sudden smile on his face – a smile that spoke of deep violence rather than a friendly variety.

"It would appear so... if anyone is to fight you then it will be me" countered the behemoth, his form stopping just a couple feet from Ryden, his towering figure easily making his height bear down on Ryden regardless of the distance.

Ryden's smirk rose into a humored one, his finger lightly scratching his cheek. "I guess you do have a pair on ya... but I gotta ask..." he said, eyes glancing up to the looming threat.

The towering figure above him lightly tilted his head at the Ryden's words. "And what would that be?"

"Whose gonna keep that woman standing behind you from joining?"

The large devil paused without thinking before his form leaned down to Ryden's level "She will not interfere; unlike you, we do not use dishonorable acts to accomplish our goals" he replied after a moment, his gaze not leaving Ryden's for a second.

Ryden's brow rose into a deadpanned expression. "Right, says the guy who was literally holding a woman down against her will while a colleague tries to have his way with her..." Ryden paused before glancing over to the silently writhing devil, his expression turning into mild exasperation at the sight of the devils state. "...as pathetic as it was to witness, the message was still quite obvious" he continued before nodding to the large man. "But yeah... you're really honorable, so honorable I think I might need to check up on the definition"

The armor on the large man groaned angrily at Ryden's comment, a shimmer of annoyance rippling through the devil before his helmeted visor locked onto Ryden one last time. "Your mockery is worthless..."

"And so are your comeback skills" chirped Ryden with a small smirk before he rose his finger. "Now before we continue spewing insults – and then ultimately try to kill each other – I need to correct you on something first..."

A loud metallic growl echoed out from the large devil, clear signs of impatience. "Speak swiftly, I'm growing impatient with you"... it seemed Ryden's observational skills stemmed to heavily armored bunkers on legs... his mood slightly rose at that.

Ryden casually rolled his finger in the direction behind the annoyed man but he didn't turn to look at whatever he was pointing at. "I wasn't talking about her... I was talking about _her"_ spoke Ryden with more emphasis on the latter, pointer finger slightly shifting to the right which slowly awakened the devils memory; His mind quickly remembering the presence of a second – more volatile threat – behind him, a threat he had failed to remember...

He turned slowly, feeling all bravado escape him when the sounds of gasping and struggling entered his ears, soon after and what little morale left within the devil was snuffed out when he saw Rivia Abaddon holding the female inquisitor by the throat, tightly gripping the smaller female in order to keep her silent while the form of Grel was below the woman, her metallic high heel boot placed painfully on the downed devil's throat, almost crushing it in her intensity.

It may have been because of Ryden's sudden and terrifying arrival, or the continues release of ominous energy from the sword at his side,but the large devils instincts had forced the man's complete attention onto Ryden, creating a massive disruption in his focus in keeping the gravity sigil in place and active. To add even further insult to injury, but not only was his attention distracted but his instincts as well. Every sense was directed onto Ryden in primal fear – a devil with power equivalent to ultimate class – which meant his hearing was all but directed onto the man's every action. His primal fear of the devil had caused him to lose track of everything around him... allowing the events behind him to occur without his knowledge.

"Seems my presence was more effective than I thought" began Ryden, his form now being directly below the large devil.

Ryden smirked towards the large devil, a mocking glint within his eye. "I guess I can say with certainty that the game was rigged from the start. Not only did I hold your attention but I did it long enough to buy my friend enough time to break loose from her bounds..." he said before a pressure fell on the large devils shoulders, forcing him to freeze where he was. "It's kind of a Shame really...I wanted to show off a little" he drawled before he leveled the barrel of _Cerberus_ upwards, directly into the large devils face.

 _ **BANG!**_

 _Cerberus'_ howl forced Rivia from her slowly declining control, her head whipping around to see the large devil collapse to the ground; its head missing completely, leaving only a fountain of crimson to take its place. Slowly, the sight of Ryden's approach eased her declining mercy, forcing her to do away with the annoyance in her hand by tossing the devil ruthlessly into a tree, a loud crack echoing out upon the woman's contact with it which rendered her completely unconscious. Her foot soon eased off of the unconscious Grel's throat before she stepped away from the devil without acknowledging the man further.

Rivia stopped a few feet from Ryden, the man himself casually holstering his odd weapon before leveling a troubled gaze towards her, worry written all throughout his features. For whatever reason, the sight of the man's worry caused a flustered wave to pulse through her, causing a small blush to rush to her cheeks. The event was surprising not to say the least; Rivia had prided herself on controlling her desires and embarrassments to the point where her reactions only ranged from smiles to glints of a mischief, yet for her to blush like a youngling in heat with just a small glance of worry was surprising to her...

...But most of all it was embarrassing

To live her entire life without losing control only to then lose said control to a young devil boy was... beyond her comfort zone... beyond her ideal choice of reaction when it came to such a menial expression. She'd counted the times others had expressed their worry for her, hell even Abaddon herself had expressed it, and every time she'd respond casually, sometimes even off handily to all of them; seeing no response necessary to such a bothersome concept.

She always shouldered pain alone, shouldered the deaths of her sisters without fail; if she didn't buckle during the Great War then she wouldn't–

.

.

.

Her mind blanked when Ryden closed in on her, saying nothing at all in warning; no snarky comment, no reprehend or shout... nothing was said; only acted...

Warmth was the first noticeable thing she felt when her head was forced into the crook of his neck, his body held tightly to hers like a protective blanket, shielding her from the moment and to everything else around her. His scent invaded her nose a moment later before the sounds of his steady breathing and her own heart rate filled her ears, muffled but audible to hear within the silence of the area.

He said nothing at all, only held her tightly – closely keeping her in his embrace. Rivia didn't understand what she was feeling at that moment because all the times she'd held her sisters closely she never felt anything like what she was feeling now, the feeling before being merely tradition with her family as all of her sisters had said that she was the most comforting and even now she never truly grasped as to the full meaning. She never thought on it, nor did she think too deeply on why some of her sisters slept with tears in their eyes because in the end, all that matter to Rivia was the content smile on their faces afterward... nothing else mattered but that.

 _Nothing..._

 _Content with the outcome_ _..._ _Ignorant of the reason_

It hit like a maelstrom; powerful and demanding yet comforting all the same. A rise of emotion unlike what she was familiar with cut through her like a knife, like a dam crumbling under the weight of the ocean. The feeling was foreign yet Rivia felt as though she could allow it to pass, her body subconsciously tittering at the emersion of raw emotion that escaped her lips in small cracking whimpers. The feeling of the man holding her only reassuring while his tightened hold only spoke of his answer in response to her cracking fortitude.

" _... I'm here"_

It was a whisper, calm and soothing; a tone so gentle that her emotions only demanded her to respond further; a demand she willingly accepted without care or hesitation. Ryden's form was her only source of protection at that moment, the moment her guard dropped completely along with her control.

All that time she'd believed her role in life was forfeit, that her sole reason of existence was gone in a blink of an eye. 4000 years of suffering, bloodshed and lose all wasted and in vain because of a moment of relapse and blind faith in a man she hardly knew. It was a mistake so easily avoidable that had she been her past self then none of this would have happened; all of this could have been avoided.

 _...Yet he didn't seem to care_

There was no anger in his grip, no rise in energy or sudden motion to throw her to the side; angry with her actions and constant displays of weakness. It was how she was raised to be; to be strong in her time, meant that no tears or displays of anger or lust towards trivial matters like revenge or grief were to be seen. To lose control meant you couldn't hold power and if you couldn't hold it then others would take it, by any means required. She took steps to make sure that didn't happen to anyone close to her, so in the end she built walls over her emotions and her sisters; carried a burden worth 9 devils and barely buckled when war waged and when her very sisters – the ones she'd sworn to guard – faded into history.

This moment was the first time she'd shed a tear, displayed weakness so blatant it pained her to even think about it and when she thought pain would come at her display of weakness... nothing of it came... only comfort and protection.

Without even releasing it, Rivia nestled deeper into the man's chest when the memory of his words reached her again in her moment of confusion. He'd spoken of her strength even when she had fallen so low, praised her for her strength even when she'd believed herself to be a failure; he raised her up even when she thought it wasn't possible to do so. The man holding her had no reason to do such a thing as she was his guardian, nothing more or nothing less... yet he did so anyway.

Rivia didn't understand why the man was so kind, as devils normally step on those that prove to be weaker than them; break them down so they could be the better in the end. By all rights she should be nothing more than his weapon – an expendable asset for him to use – and even less as such with her conduct thus far yet the man had rushed to her, comforted her when she broke down and became her pillar to lean on when the weight of his survival fell on her... this was beyond the norm for a devil and she knew it and yet...

' _Just remember what I said and you'll never fall again, not now that you got me by your side'_

 _...It didn't bother her_

Ryden's words from yesterday echoed out within her mind, forcing her to remember that she had already been at her lowest and that the only thing that stood before her now was to rise back up to her prime, to return to the glory of her passed self; maybe even surpass it. A comforting wave of relief encompassed her like a tidal wave with that remission and with it also came peace, relaxing her rapidly declining thoughts with a cooling sensation that caused her to release a tender sigh into Ryden's neck, effectively washing away her raw emotions with its simplistic action.

 _Ryden was alive..._

 _Her creed was still intact..._

 _And she was not alone anymore..._

Even though her wounds had been healed from her time being the Old-Satan's captive, she still retained mental scares regarding the terrible treatment she'd been through. And while she thought it was behind her, it was none the more obvious then to her that her control was far from what it had been before. However, instead of brooding over the past like she had been – masquerading around with calm and professional etiquette long sense honed to perfection – she now could look to a newer version of herself.

She'd been at her lowest already... now it was time to reach newer heights

 _And she wouldn't be alone..._

 _...she'd make damn sure of it_

"From this moment onward... you will not leave my side..." whispered Rivia, her lips mere inches from Ryden's ear, her tone husked deeply with heat. "... in this moment; I, Rivia Abaddon, swear to remain by your side... _forever_ " she added, slower than before.

Ryden's eyes bugged out at the woman's words and tone – blushing deeply – while his mind jumping through hoops to try and make heads or tails on just what the hell could garner such a deep response. His head leaned back so to look Rivia in the eye only to see the woman's fierce gaze boring down on his own... the gaze alone mimicking the perfect example of a cougar staring into its prey.

Rivia stared into Ryden's eyes a moment longer before her head titled to the side, cute confusion taking dominance on her features. "Will you not take responsibility?" she asked.

Ryden's mind blanked at the question, feeling as if a pivotal moment had been reached without his knowledge. Not only was Rivia's vow so eerily close to a wedding vow but her eyes didn't distract from the possibility of it being as such, which didn't help him at all.

The word _forever_ was not to be casually thrown into a vow damn it!

Ryden didn't know how to respond to such a heartfelt vow and merely nodded; instinctually accepting the woman's words without argument. "Sure..." he said blankly.

Rivia nodded in response to his words, accepting of his conceit, before stepping back from Ryden, a smile dotting her features as she regarded him with a glowing expression. "Good, then our roles have been established" she said happily, a wave of positivity radiating off of her like a heat wave.

Ryden blinked at the woman's rather speedy recovery, his eyes regarding the woman closely before his head shook away his confusion. Near moments ago she was softly weeping in his arms yet now she seemed no different than the moment they left for the invasion; albeit more humorous and radiant then before.

His eyes widened suddenly before he glanced off to the side, his mind quickly factoring in a certain memory regarding this type of behavior and with that memory came an exasperated chuckle, low and unnoticed.

To think bipolar behaviors pertaining to demonic beings could be so brutal... the woman didn't even have puffy eyes from the crying for crying out loud!

"Ah... right... that is good" he finally muttered before he shook his head and glanced around. "anyways... I think we're too far into enemy lines to be delving to deeply in character development" he commented, forcing a confused glance from Rivia... a glance he ignored completely.

Ryden nodded to himself at his choice of words before regarding the woman with a serious eye. "We should fall back to allied lines before we..." just as he was about to relay his words his senses suddenly picking up a number of approaching devils from further in land. Ryden cringed at the development before looking to Rivia and then behind her; his eyes slightly rising to a more serious glint then before when the new arrivals made themselves visible from the tree line. "...before reinforcements arrive" he finished just as a couple dozen Old-Satan extremists burst from the tree line, their pristine armor denoting to their condition... prime and ready for action.

Like it would matter anyway...

Ryden's brow narrowed at the development as he stepped forward to stand at Rivia's side; the woman merely glancing down to the scythe in her hand before turning to regard the reinforcements as well; her scythe primed gently at her side after a gentle twirl.

Unlike before, the numbers of the inquisitors sported a healthy variety of class units; ranging from standard classes to shield wielding classes. Other classes were obviously of the Bolt caster class while a few of them were fully fledged casters among the large number of devils that stood before them. However, before Ryden could dismiss the ambush as a minor hiccup in his desire to return to allied lines, he had to pause when two lumbering behemoths – taller than the headless devil behind him – emerged from the forest; pole axes in hand, and clad in mighty armor that completely covered every portion of the body in black and gold armor fitting a royal guardsman.

Ryden softly whistled as his eyes blinked witlessly at the sight of the new comers before glancing to Rivia. "Something tells me we got a big shot coming our way" he muttered observantly, forcing Rivia to lightly smirk at his choice of words.

"So it would seem..." she replied as an armored devil stepped forward between the two royal guards, the man's clothing and armor denoting his rank as _grand inquisitor_.

The armor worn on the Grand inquisitor was dominated in glossy black metal along with golden decal for its trim while red cloth and medal ribbons rested perfectly on the man's torso and waist – oddly appearing more like a medieval German officer from some odd dystopian future than anything remotely demonic. The devil didn't appear to have a helmet and the expression on the man's elder gaze spoke of extreme annoyance and frustration... possibly due to the sheer shit storm that had happened in the area they currently stood in.

It kinda made sense on why the inquisitor commander was glaring more towards Rivia then Ryden...

Whatever it was Ryden could hardly be bothered by it and instead glanced off to the side to see a massive cannon like structure, lying broken in the far side of the camp base, smoldering in a heated blaze of both fire and highly conducted arc energy. Its distinct design – from what remanded of it that is – it appeared to be more like a _Howitzer_ cannon then anything original, and had somehow been gouged out from within along the barrel. Whatever had caused it to explode had most likely been an internal matter as the metal shards surrounding its position seemed to bend outward.

Ryden's brow creased at the sight of the weapon, its detailed similarities to 20th century weaponry being far more troublesome to him then the small contingent of Inquisitors that surrounded them...

Speaking of which...

Ryden shook his head at his paranoia and lightly glanced back to the grand inquisitor only to see the man mere inches from popping a blood vessel, his face lined with excessive annoyance and extreme rage directed solely to him.

He blinked in confusion at the man's state of emotion, not at all understanding why the devil looked so angry. In his confusion, he believed Rivia had said something to provoke the devils temper; as she'd shown before when her mood was on cloud nine. Considering the fact her aura was a lot more 'positive' now then it was before _and_ the fact she seemed to enjoy the pain of others – in a passive aggressive way – he couldn't really put it passed the woman for throwing in a barb for shits and giggles. Ryden mulled the idea over before he glanced to the very woman of his thoughts... only to see that she was also staring at him; bemused instead of triggered.

"What?" he asked, genuine confusion filling his tone and expression; however, his question only seemed to garner an amused smirk from Rivia, the woman turning to regard the seething inquisitor with a contemptuous gaze.

"It would seem the Arbiter has little care for you commander... your words don't even reach him" she spat out mockingly, her expression seemingly enjoying the man's anger a little more then what one would consider 'sadistic'.

Ryden blinked at the woman's clear sadistic tone and expression before regarding the highly decorated corpse, clearly used to the woman's harsh choice of social interaction. "What the hell did he want?" he asked, tone directed to Rivia yet the volume was loud enough for all to hear... as clearly witnessed by the large tick that appeared on the commanders forehead

Rivia merely glanced to him casually before smirking. "The little insect desires the _Infernum Armis_ " she started, garnering a heated gaze from the commander – a reaction Rivia wanted – and then gestured to the sword behind Ryden. "He says he'll be taking it... over your corpse of course" she finished.

Ryden slowly nodded at the woman's relayed words, the message slowly sinking in, before his eyes narrowed in disappointment with the woman's added comment; his head gently shaking all the while. "It's always an insult, no matter what their asking they always gotta make it so personal and creepy" he said before glancing to the sword behind him.

He'd left _Fulgur_ there in order to hold Rivia during her small emotional revelation but seeing as how he had company to deal with – company that seemed eager to acquire the sword – he found it moot to drive the swords answer to that desire home... by killing them of course... twas _Fulgur's_ desire, not his _._

With a simple mental command the blade seemingly jumped from its resting place and launched into Ryden's outstretched hand. After catching the blade Ryden swung it to the side – cleaning it of the dirt – and then held it loosely at his hip; a bored expression plastering his face. "So, you wish to acquire this sword huh?" he asked before stepping forward slowly, his free hand running a finger along one of the blade's edge as he lightly gazed upon the swords crimson luster.

The officer stepped forward harshly; his dark grey eyes boring clear angry holes into his form. "Our orders are clear boy; we will be taking that blade for our mistress" replied the seething commander.

Ryden nodded at the inquisitor's words before he suddenly turned to Rivia; free hand lightly scratching his beard. "Now that I think about it, I don't think you've seen me in action yet" he stated casually – clearly ignoring the Inquisitors brazen desire – as he regarded Rivia with a self-disappointed glance.

Rivia hummed humorously at his comment and lack of care towards the inquisitor's words before leveling a similar gaze onto him. "I don't believe you've seen me in action either" she muttered before stepping forward to Ryden's side.

Ryden shrugged before nodding towards the silent and brooding inquisitor. "Perhaps we could share the count? You go right I go left?" he suggested, enticing a small smirk on Rivia.

"That sounds fair..." agreed the elder devil, her scythe slightly shimmering with anticipation. "I do believe the fool brought an even amount of bodies for us" she pressed, sadistic eyes boring holes in the Grand inquisitor.

Ryden smirked at the woman's words while the inquisitor sneered deeply at the Abaddon devil, his eyes lit with a fury that spoke of incredible frustration. "Mockery and arrogance is all I see before me; a relic of the past and a bratty child stand before my garrison and they have the gall to –"

"Oh shut up..."

 _ **BRVVVVVVV!**_

Without warning a massive rolling bolt of crimson lightning shot towards the inquisitor and sliced the tree directly behind the devil; missing the man's head by fractions and silencing the grand inquisitor as well as everyone else present... minus the two ultimate class devils of course.

Resting his previously swung sword on his shoulder; Ryden directed a deeply annoyed expression towards the inquisitor. "For the love of Satan and his seventy two pricks, can you _please_ not make yourself look less as intelligent as you were before?" he spat out harshly. "Fancy ass armor and a couple of goons doesn't boost your chances against two ultimate class lunatic's... it's actually quite the opposite" added Ryden with a dark smirk.

The commanding officer only sneered with doubt lining his features but his words didn't rise to counter the reasoning, yet Ryden merely took his expression alone as his substitute response.

Ryden raised a brow at the inquisitor, sword falling to his side calmly. "Don't believe me? Well then I guess it's time for a demonstration" spoke Ryden before he nodded to Rivia, the woman smirking at the unvoiced command.

Ryden raised _Fulgur_ with his right hand and shot forward, sword primed for a downward slash directed to the Grand inquisitor. While the man's eyes rose in shock at the speed that which Ryden moved, his fate was saved by the fast acting guardsmen to his right and left; the shafts of their weapons halting Ryden's blade somehow. However, instead of showing off his surprise at the development, Ryden instead held his gaze on the Grand inquisitor unblinkingly while at the same time holding the strength of the two devils without any sign of effort.

Sparks cackled during the stale mate, the two royal guardsmen doing everything they could to hold back Ryden who was fighting their augmented strength with nothing but _one hand_ on his sword _._ The strength shown wasn't lost on the grand inquisitor and nor was the blood thirsty glint in Ryden's blank eyes as the very gaze itself conveyed the devils motive clearly enough to send a shiver up the inquisitors spine... his following words were merely instinctual.

"Attack!" he roared out, gaze held tightly onto Ryden.

The many devils lining the tree line suddenly surged forward at the command of their superior, the previously estimated number of inquisitors suddenly rising when even more funneled out of the tree line to follow the first wave; clearly intent on swarming the two devils with sheer numbers rather than a controlled assault.

Ryden noticed two inquisitors coming to his right and left flank and dropped his gaze on the grand inquisitor for the moment and loosened his footing and resistance against the devils guard; allowing their combined strength to send him flying directly back to Rivia's side.

"Well I guess it was worth a shot" he idly commented while landing gracefully.

Rivia smirked at his words but said nothing in response and merely regarded the numbering inquisitors besieging them with calm yet eager eyes, her scythe primed in an elegant high pose... reminiscent of a grim Reaper.

Ryden sighed at the woman's lack of response – taking the lack thereof as a clear sign of Rivia's focus on the matter – and simply twirled his sword casually in order to ready himself as well; the action causing the blade to ignite with cackling arc energy. Taking a ready position of his own, Ryden held the sword off to his right side, blade pointing upward and stepped just slightly forward with his left foot, perfectly priming himself for action.

"Alright _Fulgur..._ " he began, while eyeing the rapidly approaching inquisitors. "You wanted blood... here it is!" he yelled out righteously, the blade in his hands shining brightly at the promise upheld.

Once Ryden's words rang out, both of them shot forward in two directions towards the oncoming horde of Inquisitors, Rivia having gone right while Ryden shot out to the left; both of them intercepting the charge with brutal skill and power.

Ryden swung swiftly to the right, bisecting an inquisitor with little resistance and released a small jolt of arc energy that caught three others in the chain effect. Ignoring the writhing bodies Ryden ducked low under a horizontal slash and rose up and swung his blade in a similar fashion, cleaving the assaulting inquisitor in half while also incinerating a large number of inquisitors from the energy wave the blade release upon every swing.

Ryden smirked at the added effect before jumping a dozen feet into the air – nearly avoiding a large pincer attack on all sides – and then tossed _Fulgur_ like a tomahawk into a cluster of advancing devils.

 _ **BRVVVVVV!**_

Upon contact with the ground, _Fulgur_ released a massive dome of arc energy that incinerated a dozen devils instantly before also arcing over to clear out the devils below Ryden, giving him space to land. He whistled at the effect before drawing out _Cerberus_ and landing in a roll _;_ the hand cannon howling three consecutive times as he did so, dropping three devils with clean headshots.

Ryden smirked at the clean kills – his accuracy having been attributed to his reaction time and adrenaline – before continuing forward causally with _Cerberus_ aimed forward, the gun howling whenever an inquisitor chose to approach too quickly.

Tossing _Cerberus_ to his left hand, Ryden reached out to _Fulgur_ and caught the blade swiftly before slashing at an oncoming inquisitor and then trained _Cerberus_ on the follow up devil, a single howl and two bodies dropped to the floor in quick succession.

An almost perpetual smirk stretched across Ryden's lips as he skillfully utilized the synergy of _Cerberus_ and _Fulgur_ with rapt brutality and efficiency. Whenever a devil got too close _Fulgur_ would greet them brutally and without resistance while _Cerberus_ was used to deal with the casters that stood at range; providing cover for not only himself but for Rivia as well...

The woman in question was graceful in her movements, effective with every swing and aware of every assailant. Her scythe whistled loudly as it tore through the air in order to reap five assailing devils, before she twirled it around her body like a dance of death; the action actually having caught two flanking devil's mercilessly, the ethereal white blade whistling through the air with apparent glee as its aura perfectly match with its wielder.

Unlike before, the blade was no longer contained with bloodlust, nor did its edge become contaminated with rage and hate. With its master's mind at peace and the events of the _Abyssal requiem_ forgotten completely, its flow was more elegant then barbaric; its grace only matched by the elegance of an angel...

Rivia hummed gently in slight excursion, her scythe reaching out through a hole in space in order to hook a caster in the crook of the blade and shaft. With a single tug Rivia hauled the devil partially into the voided gap before closing it prematurely; effectively severing the devil in half.

With that done, Rivia continued to twirl her scythe around her as she moved forward like an unstoppable storm of death, every swing killing at least two or more devils with every motion; bisecting and cleaving all that fell to her blade. A continues motion and flow was all that could describe Rivia's style, the scythe itself posing as the absolute extension of her will as her dance continued forward unhindered by even the casters that stood at range; their demonic spells rendered useless in the face of her perfect perception. With every swing her scythe took more than one life as her sheer knowledge in positioning gave her the edge in cutting down her assailing devils with nothing but elegant grace as her witness and corpses as evidence of her skill.

 _Rivia was not stopping for anyone..._

The grand inquisitor stood rooted in place, his eyes locked on the massacre while his posture slowly deteriorated with every casualty amounted to his garrison. Orders were orders by most accounts but these orders were down right suicidal; no one had told him the power of the _Infernum Armis_ and the sheer crowd control it possessed and nor did anyone tell him who exactly wielded the now witnessed blade of crimson.

To make matters for him even worse, he wasn't completely briefed on who was escorting the one who was classified as ' _the_ _Arbiter'._ Had he known it was none other than the _Devil Reaper_ herself then his bravado in taking the mission would have been more... or less... boisterous.

He didn't know of the legends pertaining to the weapons of hell but for some unknown reason his commanding General did... to an extent at least. He'd been briefed on the weapons value and power yet he wasn't completely briefed on just how destructive it was upon initial release. His General believed the weapons to be more conceded then what stood before him, considering the legends spoke of the weapons incredible rage towards anything, it was obvious they didn't wish to hand over control without the chosen wielder proving worthy of it. So even if someone managed to acquire it, they still needed to prove themselves in order to control the corresponding element.

 _Oh how wrong that fool was..._

It was like a storm, miniaturized down to a controllable view yet nothing was lost in it's downsize. Red angry tendrils of arc energy chained out to multiple devils with extreme brutality upon every swing; vaporizing them with even the slightest of contact. The arc storm wasn't without its thunder however, as the loud cracks coming from the man wielding the bladed storm used an odd weapon to take down his caster class units with extreme precision; the projectiles moving too fast to dodge and the damage being too great to survive even a single hit.

Not even a couple minutes and it was clear that his men stood no chance; the one classified as _Arbiter_ made it look easy in taking down dozens of devils without any issue; his movement speed and reaction time seemingly unnatural in their quickness while his deep awareness of his surroundings made flanking him all the more fruitless.

The grand inquisitor felt cold; not because of the decline in temperature but because the man wasn't alone in his brutal killing spree. The _Devil Reaper_ was just as effective as the _Arbiter_ , yet she was more refined and elegant then her male compatriot, as her elegant dance with her black and white scythe was almost as beautiful as she was. Every twist was a practiced maneuver; every twirl was a deadly swing that took more lives than any other; her reach was limitless and her aim was perfect... a true beauty of annihilation.

Nothing could be worse than this...

While a _crimson demon_ tore one half of his men asunder with the sheer might of a true storm...

... An elegant beauty – like that of an angel – did the same with the other; movements like that of a silent requiem, null and void of mercy... like a true abyss.

 _Just like an Abaddon..._

The grand inquisitor could feel his poise almost vanish when his eyes locked onto the _Arbiter_ ; the crimson devil's posture being slightly slouched while his large sword was loosely held over his right shoulder, _Cerberus_ held low in his left hand as the bodies of his slain lie sprawled around him in bloody heaps and smoking husks. A cold shiver rose up the devils spine when Ryden held his gaze; a blank and fierce expression bore into his while Rivia merely stood ominously among her victims; scythe held loosely at her side while her eyes were held calmly onto him.

The sudden shaking in the grand inquisitor's knees was almost understandable to most if they had been able to see it and the slowly rising desire to flee was easily agreeable as well. However the inquisitor commander knew he'd only die tired and cowardly... running was not an option.

Ryden rose slightly from his slouch, his breathing steadying as he did so while Rivia fell in beside him, her posture and breathing as steady as it was before.

Ryden stifled a chuckle when he noticed the woman's lack of fatigue, something that was noticed by the taller woman.

"What is so amusing Ryden?" she asked while gently checking her features for any specks of dirt or blood.

Ryden shook his head before taking in a deep breath and holstering his weapons. "It's nothing pertaining to you Rivia, I just realized how short of breath I am" he answered truthfully before sighing loudly, enticing a small smirk from the woman as she followed Ryden towards the stock still inquisitor officer.

"It would seem you are out of shape Arbiter"

"So I've realized..." he agreed before sighing again "I'm gonna sleep like a log when this advance is over with" he added while scratching his head, a tired glint rising into his eyes. "Damn it... now I _am_ sleepy" he drawled before stopping a couple meters before the grand inquisitor.

Ryden yawned briefly before he shook away his fatigue and regarded the officer with a tired and bored expression; Rivia doing the same albeit with clear signs of sadistic joy at the man's clear sign of fear towards them – a warranted expression if she had to say. Ryden noted the slight change in the woman but ignored it, if Rivia decided to show her enjoyment at the suffering of her enemies more often and openly then all the more power to her, he didn't care in the least just as long as it didn't reach Nazi level... that shit drew the line quickly.

"So..." Ryden began before glancing behind him towards the large contingent of corpses. "...got anymore comrades to sacrifice? _Fulgur_ rather enjoyed that" he cooed casually while the crimson blade shone in agreement on his shoulder.

The grand inquisitor didn't get a chance to respond to the mocking words as the two large guards at his side stepped forward and engaged the two without warning or comment; their pole axes dropping down onto the twos location with extreme prejudice. Rivia had enough time to step back out of range but Ryden merely stood his ground, seemingly caught flat footed by the suddenness of his enemies attack.

Rivia's eyes widened at the sight of Ryden standing casually, a pole axe dropping down onto him far too quickly for her to call it out...

 **CLANG!**

Rivia's vision became obscured when a massive plume of smoke rose up from the ground; the guardsmen's strike having carried enough force to displace the surrounding area to block out Ryden's form and the assaulting guardsmen completely; leaving the fate of the man unknown to her. Rivia felt a slight rise in panic when a moment of silence descended the area but it was vaporized a moment after, killing her rise in panic instantly.

"Well that was a close one... I might've even felt that" commented Ryden dryly as the dust settled to expose a portion of Ryden's form. Rivia made out his casual stance and lack of pain as a good sign but her eyes slowly widened when the rest of his form was revealed... more specifically, _his left hand_.

Rivia's eyes couldn't believe what she was seeing, nor could any other living being in area because directly between Ryden's index finger and thumb was the blade of the guardsmen's axe blade, the strike having been perfectly _caught_ between a set of fingers.

Rivia was having a hard time grasping reality at that moment. She didn't know what the man's power was but she did possess a grip on its potential, as it seemed to be close to telekinesis in nature; as witnessed by his previous actions in calling weapons to his side and manipulating a variety of other aspects with no sign of gesture or motion. However, catching an axe or a sword with ones fingers – especially when it was augmented – wasn't something that could be easily done by normal means, and even more so when an attack came so suddenly. Rivia hadn't expected the guardsman to attack so quickly and she knew perfectly well that the only thing she could do in time was retreat back a couple feet, not try and catch it!

Seconds were cut down to milliseconds to even _nano seconds_ depending on the attacker and she knew the guardsman was an expert in the use of a pole axe. The form and technique was commendable while the torque in the devils swing was strong enough to move close to the _speed of sound_.

No one should have been quick enough to counter the blow; let alone catch the damn thing between a set of fingers...

 _Yet Ryden did so... effortlessly_

 _And even he looked shocked_

Ryden couldn't voice his surprise at the moment, nor could he truly explain what the hell just happened as the very prospect of it seemed far to _anime_ for him to truly come up with a composed response. The only thing he _could_ feel was the shaking in his body from the sheer rush of adrenaline that had washed over him when the guardsmen lurched forward... all he felt was danger, shock and slight surprise; like a jump scare even, he just froze in place and that's when it hit him.

Ajuka had told him of his heightened reflexes a week ago and while he enjoyed the idea of heightened reflexes and increased adrenaline, he believed that it was just enough to keep him in the same ball park as most devils rather than see blurs of motion all the time; yet as time passed it became a little more obvious...

Sword play was easy – _intuitive aptitude_ was a big help in that regard – but what followed that field of training yielded many more results; some of which baffling him even to his moment.

Sirzechs had prided himself on his mastery of the sword, having spent a millennia honing it for combat against the likes of angels and fallen angels. The devil faced down many foes – some more challenging than others – yet he stood victories in the end, got beamed with a brand of heroism and yet he'd gone toe to two with that very devil on almost day one... _him_ – a mangy little mortal – the guy who sucked ass at playing swords was suddenly dancing around a war hero like it was a simple spar.

 _...All because he could react faster than the devil._

Positioning and footing was mastered by Sirzechs, and Ryden had only managed to get a simple grasp on the concept by merely holding his desired weapon, but he still managed himself well enough with his reactive attention. By all right of reality and the laws pertaining to it; Sirzechs should have schooled his ass in almost every corner of the week yet because he could react faster than the devil made the step in correcting himself far easier than required... much to the annoyance of Sirzechs... for some reason.

As the week progressed the answers began to unfold much more obviously then what Ajuka had phrased it. Whether it was because he was an anomaly among devils or that his powers were just too rare to fully comprehend could've possibly led to a slight underestimation on the jade devils part because he didn't _just_ react faster than normal... he reacted _waaaaay_ faster than even a devil could comprehend. Everything in view when his adrenaline kicked in slowed down to a dull – agonizing – crawl which Left actions like catching swung weapons as an actual _tactical possibility_.

Or it was a good way to flex on his enemies... no matter how weird it was...

Ryden shook his head before drawing _Cerberus_ in a fluid motion and leveled it towards the guardsmen facing Rivia and pulled the trigger, the following shot effectively shattering the helmet and skull of the devil, caking the trees behind his target in a spray of crimson gore and brain matter. With his grip suddenly shifted to fully grasp the shaft of the devils pole axe, Ryden dropped the hand cannon to his hip and fired two shots straight into the second guardsmen's abdomen, tearing two softball sized holes into the devils stomach.

Within three seconds, both devils hit the floor; one dead and the other soon to follow...

Rivia blinked, her mind slowly resolving the events that transpired with only minor difficulty. She knew of odd antics before from a few acquaintances of hers but she knew this moment was one of the top three of them. Rapidly kill two highly lethal royal guardsmen directly after catching one of their attacks with a bare hand... and look surprised at the end.

Rivia couldn't quite comprehend the sheer awe she felt at the moment but she shook her head a split second afterwards. She'd already dwelled on the impossibility of Ryden's actions so there was no need to do it again... only the need to bask in the moment

Ryden clicked his tongue while holstering _Cerberus,_ his hand rising back up to hold it out to see the limb shaking profusely. "Hands are shaken... but I'm still shootin"

Rivia rolled her eyes at the man's words with a followed shake of her head before her gaze regarded the shaken inquisitor with clear venom. "I'm surprised you're still standing before us. Normal maggots run with soiled clothes in your place yet here you still stand; shaking like a fearful child" she muttered darkly as her aura slowly rose to push the fearful inquisitor further over the edge; her form closing in proximity. "What was it you said before? About a curtain _relic_ of the past?" she asked slowly, her hand gently finding a hold on the officer's mouth; grip tightening instantly upon contact.

Ryden raised a brow at the woman while Rivia herself slowly hoisted the devil into the air, her eyes boring deep holes into the devil. "Such ignorant barbs only reach the minds of children when confronted by their inexperience, and only fools of the highest caliber disregard the power of their elders..." she spat while applying more strength to her grip, the man's expression slowly morphing into barely contain pain. Rivia smirked at the man darkly – a primordial instinct flaring to life as she did so – while her eyes shimmered with clear sadistic amusement. "The deaths of those before you stand testament to that foolishness and as punishment for your arrogance and greed, I grant you mercy..." she muttered before dropping the devil, the man's fear causing his form to crumple at her feet in an almost reminiscent bow, his fearful eyes gazing into her as if she was death itself. "Scurry to your handler _whelp_ and pray to the Satan's your path doesn't cross my lords again"

With Rivia final words, the form of the inquisitor made like a tree and got the fuck outta there before the woman changed her mind, leaving the two completely alone in the smoldering camp opening.

Ryden watched as the fleeing grand inquisitor made his escape, his opinion of the once established powerhouses dropping lower as the moments passed. For all the talk pertaining to the inquisitor order and the danger they brought as well as the demonic energy they all seemed to have, it only seemed to be for the common folk that the danger of them was considered irrefutable, yet to high-class devils – especially ultimate class devils – their level of danger was laughable and only seemed dangerous if one suddenly went full retard and underestimated them; however the chances of that happening with him or Rivia was null and void.

Ryden blinked before he glanced over to Rivia. "I didn't take you to be the ominous type" he commented as he holstered _Cerberus._

Rivia lightly smirked at his comment before she directed her own amused expression towards him. "And I didn't take you to be the reckless type..." she countered.

At her words Ryden left out a small chuckle. "To be fair, the blade was moving at the pace of a snail" he placated. "I blocked my Brother's _Dragonite_ blade with my wrist before in one of our spars so catching a meager black iron blade is a lot less dangerous than you think" he added, sparking a look of shock from the elder devil.

"That's... not possible" she muttered slowly. "Catching a blade is unheard of but it's not out of the realm of possibility but to react the way you did is not even comprehensible, it's unnatural" she said while her gaze remained locked on his. "I've heard of devils developing unnatural powers before but yours is well beyond theirs... if you don't mind me asking, but what exactly are you capable of?"

Ryden slowly breathed in a sigh, his mind slowly relenting at the inevitable question spoken to him by Rivia. He was surprised it took her this long to ask but now that she did he couldn't avoid it; however that didn't mean he had to tell her the true story... he wasn't very clear on just where the woman stood in regards to humans so that would be a question for Sirzechs when he got the chance to see him, but even if he did get the go ahead to tell her, he still felt the need to keep his true identity a secret and only tell those he trusted and so far that was only Sirzechs and Ajuka... a list he wanted to keep to only two people for now.

Guess he had to play it by ear again... lovely

Ryden sighed before glancing around the area to make sure she was the only one capable of hearing him. He breathed at ease when there was only corpses and Rivia to be seen; allowing him the moment to answer. "When mother birthed me I didn't inherit the family trait of destruction from the Bael house, nor did I acquire fortune telling from the Gremory house. Yet even with that, Venelana still loved me without care to my situation, but even she knew my time would only be suffering if I remained in the light of noble's. So to make sure I was kept from them, she sent me to a close family of middle class devils to live my life in distant peace from the Great War" Ryden explained

"The house of Vale..." Rivia stated solemnly and with a gentle nod

Ryden nodded along. "Yeah, they lost their daughter a couple years before I arrived so they took me in with open arms and raised me well. For a while I lived in the Malphes territory with them, training myself and working to supply them with enough wealth for all of us" Ryden took a breath and released it in a fake reminiscent sigh while Rivia regarded him silently, her eyes slightly widening when her memory slowly recalled a certain event some time ago pertaining to the very territory the man had lived in.

 _The one that was destroyed..._

Ryden continued without noticing her revelation...

"A few hundred years down the road and it happened..." muttered Ryden, enticing Rivia's apprehensive attention.

"What happened?" she asked tenderly

Ryden smirked at her question before he raised his hand; the action alone was enough to lift a few dozen scattered swords in the area from the ground, leaving them to float aimlessly in the air. "This happened..." he revealed humorously as Rivia regarded the floating swords with slight awe.

"Telekinesis..." she muttered

"Indeed"

With a few simple commands from his fingers, Ryden controlled the swords until they lined up into a vertical line in the air and aimed them towards a lone tree off in the distance. Once his aim was perfected in suddenly dropped his hand; sending the salvo of blades towards the tree like arrows, the swords sheathing deeply into the bark like paper in perfect formation.

Rivia watched the small display with rapt attention while Ryden merely glanced down to his hands casually; odd interest displayed towards the small limbs. "I could control whatever I wanted, sharpen whatever I touched and strengthen the composition of whatever I sought to wield... even my own body was not ignored" spoke Ryden as he listed off his more basic of capabilities.

Rivia glanced to him with clear confusion. "Then how did you manage to react as fast as you did? Nothing of what you listed explained that level of absurdity"

Ryden raised a brow at the woman's response, his lips slightly rising into an amused glint. "Everything I listed was all I learned on my own time before I returned to the Gremory house; my powers were limited by imagination but when my brother took me to Ajuka to find the root cause of my development, we found my powers were far more 'complex' then the basic telekinetic attributes I listed" replied Ryden, evidently skipping over a large gap of his past.

Something Rivia noticed completely yet she made no move to pry...

 _...Some wounds were not meant to be opened so brazenly_.

"How complex?" she finally asked, forgoing her previous question

Ryden smirked thankfully towards Rivia before tapping his head gently in response. "My aging is more advanced than others, my bones are harder than _Dragonite_ and my brain works ten times faster than normal, and even that is still only a _fraction_ of what I got under my belt"

Rivia blinked in confusion but her mind was already accepting of the information. Even though she had her questions – even more so now than before – and her doubts; Rivia understood the concept of professional distance well enough to not pry into a man's past when it was clear he didn't desire to speak of it completely. Yet even with all she now knew regarding Ryden, she still had one question left to ask...

Rivia blinked gently before her eyes glanced over to Ryden, the man quickly regarding her when their eyes met. "Now that I know all this Ryden, now that I realise your power and all your strengths... can you explain to me how you came back from the dead?" she questioned, forcing Ryden's eyes to widen at her words.

Now it was Ryden's turn to be confused, more evidently then she had been. "I don't believe I understand Rivia," was his lax reply, a reply that sparked slight frustration from her.

"Ryden... when you were hit every ounce of demonic energy vanished completely" she spoke with absolute certainty, her eyes brooking no counter argument.

But Ryden argued anyway...

He stepped forward until he was directly in front of Rivia before his hand took hers and placed it on his neck... right where his pulse was. Rivia felt odd with his actions but soon enough she understood what he was doing when she felt a soft 'thump' against her palm, faint but noticeable.

"I'm not so sure why, but my power doesn't pertain to demonic energy and instead uses physiological energy and desire to power my abilities" he spoke, slowly causing Rivia's eyes to widen further at the direction of his words. "Ever since birth I never possessed demonic energy. However, before deploying to the crucible the other day, Venelana gifted me the family crest as a way to fully accept me back into the family fold... my desire to be a pure blood was what allowed me to activate the sigil without issue"

At Ryden's reveal, a small pit opened in Rivia's gut, a feeling of foolishness enveloping her as she realized her own actions and how pointless it all was. Her creed was never in any danger to begin with, which now explained why she was so _calm_ during herself presumed _abyssal requiem_. Had it been traditional and real then the three capture units would have never been able to hold her as her magic core would corrode everything and absorb all...

No...

It was not her creed undoing her... _but her emotions instead_...

At some point, Rivia had made Ryden her sole pillar in life, a beacon she needed to rise back into her past self and a shoulder she'd subconsciously leaned on under the precepts of duty and loyalty... with his 'death' she lost that pillar and became rampant on her own accord, not because her creed demanded it but because she couldn't accept it...

Rivia couldn't believe it...

She'd _overreacted..._

However, before Rivia could dwell further on the matter – as noted by her look of shock – Ryden flicked her nose, rocking her attention back onto him before his finger wagged disapprovingly.

"Before you go diving back into an emotional roller coaster again, please remember that whatever the circumstance or whatever the situation, shit just happens... mistakes are made and small nuances get left under the rug..." he supplied seriously, having seen the woman's decrease in aura; a clear sign of emotional turmoil. Ryden sighed while crossing his arms. "...whatever kind of light show you planned on stuffing up the Old-Satan's ass is now –"

 _ **BANG!**_

"...Behind us" he finished while holding _Cerberus_ over Rivia's shoulder, the body of Grel falling to the floor gracelessly along with the sword the man had scavenged; magic bullet having ripped the man's scowling face clean off.

Rivia's eyes – wide in shock and surprise at Ryden's quick draw – turned to see the body of her assaulter laying dead mere feet from her form, her senses not at all picking up the man's approach yet how could she anyway?

 _The man had been invisible..._

Her mind was blank yet resolute at the same time as she watched the body of Grel paint the ground in his blood and brain matter. Whatever protectiveness she felt towards Ryden was slowly dwindled down to slight worry; In almost quick succession, Ryden had proven he was more than capable in protecting himself and know that she knew the man couldn't be truly killed so easily, it made her worries an nervousness almost flutter away in the wind.

She smirked at that before her hand rose up towards a tree behind Ryden – her arm resting gently on Ryden's shoulder – before a wave of annihilation fired directly from her palm; erasing both the tree and the nameless female inquisitor hiding behind it, her cry of shock falling on deaf ears as the wave muffled out all sound.

Ryden glanced over to the now present trench in the ground and then back to Rivia. "I knew she was there..." he commented with a small smirk

Rivia countered with her own cheeky glint. "Too slow..." she muttered while pulling her arm back to her side.

Ryden rolled his eyes before holstering his hand cannon. "Right... anyways, I think it's time we return to allied lines, I'm sure Rosalina is gonna chew us both out for be so reckless so how about we –"

Ryden paused suddenly when the sound of a low pitched hum entered his senses, forcing him to grip his ears gently at the sheer volume emitted.

"What the hell? Is Sirzechs trying to call me again?!" he muttered with an annoyed growl, the low pitched hum seemingly growing as the seconds ticked by. "Fuckin hell... what now?" he cursed as the noise crew louder.

" _Enemy... con-tact..."_

" _Personal made contact... Zero... survivors... all... stand-by"_

" _Long... range personnel... landfall... good... hit"_

" _Breach... enemy lines... contact... trench line fallen"_

Ryden lowly cursed as he realized the same thing that happened in the crucible was happening again but this time it was louder and less forgiving. Low uncoordinated voices – dozens of them – entered his ear forcefully, the context spoken being lagged by some kind of interference while also being jumbled by the symphony of voices that echoed out in his head; forcing Ryden to slowly drop to a kneel as the sound grew to that of a loud whistle, sharp and painful, while the voices continued to yell out.

" _Repeat... contact... frontal camp base...Rose Garden... two hostile contacts... hyper lethal... standby for orders"_

It was difficult to make out but as time moved on and the minutes passed by in seconds, Ryden focused deeply, focusing his senses to latch onto a signal that was louder than the others and as he did so the voice became comprehensible, the words ringing clear in his ear while the rest was drowned out by his mental force; his desire to quelling the excess voices overrode the wave of energy until he was completely alone with the signal that he know knew to be originating further in land, it's origin being linked to a monolith that coursed with hundreds of other signals...

 _A nexus_

Ryden slowly smirked through the pain when he realized what he'd done, his form rising up slowly while his eyes met a worried Rivia's.

"What happened?" she asked, confused as to why Ryden had dropped to a knee so suddenly

"My senses picked up a large spike of demonic energy deeper into enemy lines; unfortunately that very demonic energy was linked to a communications monolith which accidentally tuned me into Old-Satan radio" he spoke, causing Rivia to regard him with wide eyes. "It hurt for sure but I managed to clean up the chatter enough to overhear our friendly neighborhood inquisitors talk about a certain pair of hyper lethal badasses"

Rivia didn't acknowledge the humor, only interested in staring at Ryden with clear dumbfounded shock. "You picked up demonic frequency... with your mind..." she muttered before her head shook at the ridiculousness of it all.

Ryden shrugged. "I ripped open space before" he supplied with a shit eating grin "apparently I reopened a teleportation sigil by ripping open a spatial scar... that was how we got to the _Lucifaad_ territory in the first place" he said, dumping an even big topic for Rivia to chew on.

Rivia shook her head again while her hand gripped it tightly. "Truly, my lord's ridiculous knack for doing the impossible knows no bounds it seems" she drawled with acceptance, clearly not wanted to fight the nature of Ryden's character.

Ryden chuckled before turning towards the direction of the signal. "Change of plans Rivia; Rosalina should be able to handle the platoon for now so how about we go and see what the deal is with this monolith... if my hunch is correct, then this thing might be what monitors communication sigils and helps coordinate the artillery units fire missions; taking it out will open up allot of opportunities for us" he suggested with clear conviction.

"It is indeed a priority not worth ignoring, just point the way and I'll get us there" replied Rivia, her scythe vanishing into a summoned hole.

Ryden nodded with a large smirk, heart rate racing in anticipation with the goal before him. "Alright then, the signal is –"

"NOT SO FAST YOU SON OF A BITCH!" yelled out a voice, forcing Rivia to tense and Ryden to twist around quickly...

...Only to take a metal high heeled boot to the lips...

 _ **BAM!**_

In the midst of the chaos and the slight pain, Ryden only managed to see his attacker for a second before his body slammed into the tree that he'd been flung to; However, in that very second, Ryden locked eyes with a very pissed off _Rosalina Phenex._ In that one second after, Ryden only managed one comment before impact...

"Hm... didn't expect that" he muttered before impact was made.

 _ **CRASH!**_

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **Alllllllllrighty then! New chapter is here!**_

 _ **For those expecting a large one then I'm sorry to disappoint but I was hoping to get a chapter out before Christmas as I may be gone for a little bit (not to long but work won't be done for a small moment so expect a small delay)**_

 _ **Anyways, as for regards to the last chapter I just wanna say I'm glad it didn't get smashed with negativity as I thought it would. Safe to say I'm not gonna be doing any future chapters without Ryden being involved; the last chapter was merely to open up a bit of Rivia's story and character and what Nyx and Abigail were doing... Chekhov's gun right?**_

 _ **So to make up for that chapter I have one with only Ryden and Rivia in it, I could have involved a few others but that would have gone on long into the holiday; no, I wanted a chapter out before Christmas or there wouldn't have been one at all. Next chapter should be the last of the invasion into the territory of thorns before we get into the meat of the story and by 'meat' I mean the adventure aspect**_

 _ **Shits looking up so I can't wait to get into it...**_

 _Review **if you're feeling the Christmas spirit,** favorite **and** follow **if you feel like it, and join Ryden next time when he yells 'Gooooood morning Vietnam!" at the top of his lungs...**_

 _ **Merry Christmas!**_


	16. House of cards

**-House of cards-**

 _My expectations for the invasion had been a simpler sort... one that centered more on my experience with the brutal and grueling nature of front lines combat; neither weighing on either critical strikes or assassination to answer who the victor was gonna be... a good ol battle of attrition..._

 _Too bad for me that my low expectation on my knack for putting myself in the spot light kept that from coming true..._

 _Who knew that one strike to the noggin could lead to something like this?_

 _Events upon events and once again I was heading towards a critical opportunity... just like clockwork_

 _It was common knowledge that the Old-Satan's possessed communication surveillance and with it they managed to create a perfect synergy with both that and their mysteriously advanced artillery; making so that no one could open long range comm's without taking a couple perfectly well placed shots to the goodies..._

 _But I wondered something..._

 _Was it as crucial as everyone made it out to be?_

 _And if so then how big was this house of cards?_

 _And how painful would it be if I tore it down?_

* * *

 **[Rose garden/ forward operating command base]**

Sirzechs stood rooted in place on his command platform as he took in the sight of all his officers scrounging about in a haste, the general consensus of their hurry was highlighted by the sudden disappearance of the Old-Satan's artillery fire mere minutes ago, allowing the main bulk of the red legions advance force a clear opening to push forward and into the belly of the beast. The development was sudden but not an unwelcome one and Sirzechs knew perfectly well that it wasn't a simple mistake on the Old-Satan's part that had left the massive opportunity open for his forces... someone had struck a heavy blow to the Old-Satan's and he knew who the suspects were.

Sirzechs couldn't explain the sheer degree of relief he'd felt when the knowledge of Ryden's status was revealed to him, but he guessed the relief he'd felt was minor compared to his advisers. Most of them knew of Ryden's possession of a legendary sword yet none of them held much faith in the ancient myth and the fact that it was a possible game changer for all of them. However, their relief stemmed more towards the fact that Sirzechs wouldn't be charging head first into a conflict that had recently gone up shit creek. The fact Ryden was alive and on the move meant Sirzechs wouldn't be stepping in and that relieved them more than anything else...

Sirzechs lightly smirked at the concept before looking up towards the darkened sky above – a clear reminder to all that Ryden had not fallen – and smirked even more when a few red tendrils of arc energy cackled within the blackened sky, further solidifying his point.

" **General, all forces have breached the tree line and are making their way towards the towers"** reported a praetorian knight.

Sirzechs nodded without looking to the new comer and held his gaze towards the front-line. "Good, report back to praetor Saladin and have him coordinate the remaining platoons, once the towers are destroyed move on to Phase 3" replied Sirzechs, tone hardened.

" **Consider it done General..."**

"Carry on praetorian"

Sirzechs ignored the thoom of magic behind him when the elite knight disappeared into a magic circle and simply held his gaze on the front-line; watching as the chaos played out from where he stood. The situation had lessened to their favor and now that a massive chunk of artillery fire had been done away with, his vision was greeted by the sight of hundreds of a knights rushing up the hill; bright colored lights shining from within the trees in quick bursts soon after – evident signs of small arms resistance on the part of the Old-Satan's.

Surprisingly, not a moment later and one of the two remaining towers suddenly exploded in white hot flames, obviously being courtesy of a rather angry Rosalina Phenex... that was quick.

The sudden destruction of a tower – mere moments after he'd ordered them to be destroyed – and the fact that he knew who exactly had done it caused a small ripple of humor to escape his lips, a light chuckle echoing out admits the clutter of movement around him, confusing a few witnesses as a result.

Serafall didn't see the cause of Sirzechs' humor when she teleported to his side, but for some reason she felt an odd sense of acknowledgement towards it. Regardless of this, Serafall shook away the odd feeling of annoyance and regarded Sirzechs with a regal and hardened expression, a typical attitude for female officers if Sirzechs had to say.

"What seems to be so funny, Sirzechs?" she asked calmly as her arms crossed over her chest

"Nothing truly worth repeating" he answered before he lightly cringed. "I just find it kinda hilarious that the usually cold and collected Rosalina Phenex could be affected by Ryden's habits to such a degree; I don't think I've ever seen a woman so angry before... minus Katerea leviathan of course" he added anyway, having seen Serafall's gaze bore into his own.

The woman in question mildly huffed in agreement before a small pout developed on her lips. "It's only natural she would be angry, the situation she had before her was well above her level of expertise" reasoned Serafall in a dismissive tone, almost a bit _too_ dismissive. "Breaking comm silence and seeking help was probably the only thing she could do in her situation; with the fate of our efforts on the line and with an _Infernum Armis_ user dead, it was the only thing she could do" Serafall continued calmly as she regarded the front-lines with moderate enthusiasm.

Sirzechs nodded at her words. "And when her actions proved to be meaningless it may have been more of a dent to her own pride than anything else"

Serafall lightly huffed in disagreement. "No, her anger is probably more towards the fact that she stepped over her bounds for no reason" Serafall corrected with a shake of her head. "The _abyssal requiem_ was something of a touchy subject to you; and I'm not prying myself for answers, but whatever it was, she knew that you knew about it and sought to tell you... even if it meant insubordination"

Sirzechs sighed audibly upon understanding the reason for Rosalina Phenex's anger. A woman's pride – especially a noble's – was very fragile; if Rosalina called in for help then that meant her pride was secondary, rather than the usual priority. He can only assume her immediate thought upon realizing her pointless actions was to make up for it.

How very considerate...

"With all that aside, sentinel Phenex had done what she could and I won't fault her for taking the steps towards doing the right thing. Had I been kept in the dark about Rivia going rogue then things would have been a lot worse" he reasoned.

Serafall followed Sirzechs' previous example and sighed audible. "At least Ryden is alive..." she muttered gently, forcing a small Cheshire grin to rise up on Sirzechs.

"You seemed awfully heartbroken when news of his supposed death reached your ears... got something you wanna tell me?" he asked with a small knowing smirk.

Being caught off guard by Sirzechs words, Serafall nearly choked on her own spit when the meaning behind his question was fully downloaded, but by that point the damage was already done. Small chuckles escape Sirzechs in small bursts when the blush on Serafall rose up to moderately encompass her cheeks.

Soon after and Serafall pouted almost cutely, the walls of her official attitude crumbling in the face of her mentor's humor. She had taken steps in keeping her interest for Ryden in the dark from both Ajuka and Sirzechs, but now it was clear her efforts didn't manage squat in the face of both of them. Ajuka may have picked up on her small nuanced glances and expressions but menial interests didn't really catch the emerald devils attention as much as she expected it would with Sirzechs, but now it was clear they both very well knew of her small interest in the young Gremory... her comment being the final nail in her metaphorical coffin.

Her mother always said her face spoke more than her lips...

Serafall clenched her eyes closed, her brow twitching rapidly. "I do not see the reason for your humor Sirzechs, my interest in your brother only stems towards our compatible mind sets; unlike you he understands tactics and strategy... even principles of conflict have a home in his repertoire" she countered harshly as her tone took on a cutting edge. "There is no carnal desire in my interest with him"

Sirzechs grinned lightly at Serafall's seemingly armored argument, yet his simple reply was enough to cripple her. "So you're saying you normally drool during debriefings? Or was it a habit you picked up right after meeting Ryden?" he asked, garnering a choked lamination in response and nothing else. Sirzechs scratched his cheek in confusion "And I think my brother was in the middle of an aura showdown as well at the time. I believe it was both Rivia Abaddon and Rosalina Phenex Verses you" he added with a dangerous smirk, one that spoke of ending Serafall's career in the field of verbal combat. "I'm beginning to think our definitions of the word 'conversation' have two _very_ different meanings... I didn't take you to be such a pervert General Sitri, and for my brother of all things as well"

.

.

.

 _Target eliminated_

Sirzechs smirked triumphantly at Serafall's stunned silence, the young woman merely regarding him with a blank expression. How could she find a counter argument to that? It wasn't her fault her mind blanked out in excitement at the prospect of conversing with Ryden! Out of all the devils she met, he was the only one that seemed approachable enough to have a lasting conversation with. Most devils couldn't help but look at her breasts – or 'rack' by more recent terms – the second she entered the room.

It wasn't her fault that ninety precept of her development went to her chest, and some even claimed her demonic energy was stored there... she didn't know who started that rumor but whoever it was must be suicidal.

Aside from her odd development issues – if she could really call them 'issues' – Ryden didn't seem at all attracted to them in the way most devils were as upon first meeting he didn't immediately comment on them, rather her small stature was more of a glaring matter to him more than her assets. Even though his comment was slightly rude in value she never found it particularly harmful as most officers stood roughly over the six foot range and she was only close to 5'2", making his assumption on her being a kid to be more realistic then insulting. However, even though Ryden's first words were rude, everything afterwards was more inviting then the usual 'chest observers'.

Serafall grunted dismissively at Sirzechs' tease, her eyes turning back to regard the frontal efforts of the red legion and the others with a small frown. "Believe what you wish, only I alone know what I desire; your suggestive words prove nothing" she spoke lowly, uncaring to Sirzechs' words from before.

Sirzechs' brow rose at Serafall's dismissive reply, his gaze slightly shifting to understanding. A small part of him suspected Serafall's true desire was more conventional then what her previous actions suggested and now he was sure that Serafall was indeed interested in Ryden _only_ because he was more approachable then most, and that interest stemmed more towards her status as General then her status as a woman. Her more _questionable_ moments were probably more of a primal reaction than anything else as the effects of a male devil 'flexing' his power usually has a serious effect on some female devils untouched by lustful desire... basically devil virgins.

Taking down _Lucifaad_ , ripping open space, commanding respect from the most powerful Dragon king, wielding an _Infernum Armis,_ and commanding the utmost respect and loyalty from the _Devil Reaper_ herself... Rivia Abaddon. The points just kept stacking in Ryden's favor – whether it was good or bad only stemmed to Ryden's opinion – and it was only natural for most female devils that occupied his company to fall victim to his power and charm.

How effective was it?

Well two have already fallen... point proven

 _Now_ _ **that**_ _made more sense..._

Sirzechs' eyes rose up to regard the smoldering pile of rubble that once stood proud within the tree line and then remembered who exactly had destroyed it so suddenly. With his thoughts lined up, Sirzechs smirked knowingly before a chuckle escaped his lips, garnering Serafall's frowned gaze.

"What's so funny this time?" asked the slightly annoyed Sitri heir

"No need to be so defensive Sera, I just realized our previous observation on Rosalina's actions were wrong" he said while stifling his humor. "Rosalina's character is 'difficult' to control because she holds her reputation closer in value then her own true feelings, it wouldn't take much to consider that maybe her anger is directed more towards Ryden rather than herself" he reasoned while he scratched his chin.

Serafall blinked at Sirzechs small burst in wisdom. "I take it you studied Sentinel Phenex's character?" asked the Sitri General.

"Indeed I did, from top to bottom and backwards" answered Sirzechs. "Everything about her screams arrogance but her deeper character reaches tactical genius when her 'hair is down' as her mother put it. when she forgoes her desire to uphold her image, nothing really stands in her way; this fact was why I had her pair with Ryden, because he was able to garner the interest of the Great Serafall Sitri with his words and character..." a small twitch sprung up on Serafall's brow at the mocking barb but she kept silent as he continued. "... so the reason I paired her with him was because Ryden has a knack for bringing down emotional barriers, however it seems his skill in doing so is a little too effective"

Serafall tilted her head in moderate confusion. "And how do you know that?"

"Calling for help is not in Rosalina's character, even if she lost an important ally in combat she'd only keep going without hesitation, except in this case, she faltered; a clear sign that Ryden had managed to affect Rosalina in more ways than normal and she knows it, which explains her anger"

Upon Sirzechs' clarification Serafall delved into thought only to spring back a moment later with a glint of realization in her blue eyes. Sirzechs smirked at her sudden realization before he pat the woman's head in pride; sparking a glint of annoyance from the woman, her hand swatting away the offending limb within a second.

"Heheh... my point stands to reason; no woman enjoys having their emotions laid bare and Ryden had done just that without realizing it... well... he'll realize it soon enough" he muttered out calmly, smirking at Serafall's pout.

"Now it's just up to Ryden to quell the woman he has angered... that would've been rather amusing to see"

Sirzechs smirked at the change in atmosphere; at one moment the situation for their side had been grim and seemed all but hopeless to overcome yet now the winds of change had dwindled down the enemy lines enough for them to break away from their defeat and claim victory for their side. All that remained was the effects of the many individuals that would rise to challenge the dangers within and overcome the horrors the Old-Satan's laid in store for them...

Sirzechs softly chuckled to himself; his mind closing in on the supposed 'horrors' his adopted brother was facing. Out of everything that he could be facing, Ryden was instead facing the wrath of a woman that had unknowingly fallen for him.

Leave it to Ryden to find the most 'odd' of situations in the most dangerous of circumstances

* * *

 **[Deep in enemy lines/ several minutes later]**

Ryden blinked slowly as he positioned himself comfortably against the tree he'd slammed into a few minutes ago, his eyes regarding the seething woman in front of him with a slight glint of confusion. It was certainly out of the blue for Rosalina to appear as she did and it was even more surprising to be struck by the woman out of some kind of anger. Whatever is was, it must be something serious because he was sure that if the woman hadn't alerted him before contact and she might have actually knock him out with the sheer force applied in her kick.

By the time he smacked into the tree – denting it to some serious degree – the angry Phenex began laminating her grievances and annoyance's in such a rapid speed he honestly didn't find any kind of foot hold to grasp onto in order to forge a counter for the woman's high speed argument; leaving him dreading the incoming response period the woman was most likely going to grant him. Quiet honestly he didn't understand the reason for her anger but he knew asking that was only gonna cause more harm on his end then prove his innocence's. His dad did say that asking what the issue was only caused the situation to dwindle down further into hell itself – no pun intended – and the only way to figuratively 'win' an argument against a woman was to admit defeat... whipping sounds shortly following afterwards.

Ryden scrunched his nose at the prospect of admitting defeat, especially over something he had absolutely no idea what he did wrong in the first place. Sure he was humble at most times but he wasn't without his pride to some degree and bending knee was certainly out of his jurisdiction at the moment... he'd done enough of that.

By that point when his mind was made up and his footing in the argument was held, Rosalina was merely breathing heavily in front of him, her lamination finally coming to an end with a mighty 'asshole!' as her final declaration towards him.

Long winded and ultimately pointless anger directed towards an individual of particular interest... that was all that Rivia had gotten from Rosalina's words but she kept silent a few feet behind the angered Phenex, intent to not further push the devil over the edge. Instead of doing that, Rivia smirked slightly and kept her eye on the situation before her, her gaze held expectantly on the form of Ryden.

The man in question seemed to notice the older woman's lack of assistance and sighed audibly at the lack of back up coming from her. "Thanks for the heads up Rivia... you're a real help" he whined as he rose up to his feet, ignoring the mock hurt expression on the elder devil.

He sighed again before regarding Rosalina, however before he spoke his hand gripped his mouth tightly, eyes clenching in slightly pain from Rosalina's powerful kick. "May I ask why the hostility?"

Rosalina's eyes shone with anger at his predictable question. "You deserved it..." she all but growled.

Ryden's eyes shifted left and right, expression practically ablaze with mocking confusion as his mind centered quickly on the true reason of Rosalina's anger; a rather petty reason if anything. "Ok then... next time I get shot I'll be sure to stay dead" he countered, forcing a look of surprise from the Phenex devil. "I mean it's not my fault none of you dumbasses checked my damn pulse"

At his words Rosalina nearly lost all source of anger, a hint of realization adopting her features as a sense of dread enveloped her. "You mean... you were..." she muttered, slowly delving into stunned silence.

"It took me by surprise as well Sentinel Phenex" began Rivia, stepping up to the woman's side and placing a gently hand on the woman's shoulder. "Ryden's demonic energy only stems to the crest Venelana had given him, his power subconsciously feeds off of his desire which allows him the ability to utilize the crest without focus. However that ends when consciousness fades" she explained calmly, smirking understandingly when Rosalina regarded her with shocked realization.

Rosalina became overwhelmed and fell to her knees, a crest fallen expression taking hold of her features. "You mean I called the generals – breaking comm silence in the process – for nothing?" asked Rosalina, her tone becoming horrified as she spoke.

Ryden scratched his brow softly before replying. "Not really, considering the other issue that stood before you, it was only natural that you'd call Sirzechs for help" he eased casually. "I didn't hear the whole story but apparently _someone_ has some serious explaining to do" he added as his gaze fell on Rivia, the woman in question slightly recoiling at his suddenly developed expression of annoyance.

Ryden's brow twitched at the woman's returning gaze before pressing onward. "I'm not at all sure if I got the right for an opinion in this, but I sure as hell hope you didn't do what I think you did" he muttered with a glint in his eye.

Rivia recoiled again at the words spoken, the small feeling of shame rising to her features. "I'm not sure I understand Arbiter"

Ryden sighed, easing off his accusing aura before adopted a more casual expression. "I just don't appreciate the fact that my life holds such profound danger at bay. I don't like the feeling that if I was to actually die then everything that I've been through, every minute of _suffering_ that I've grinned passed and every life that I've saved thus far, would be placed in danger by one of the very people of saved" he spoke clearly, sparking a rise in emotion from Rivia; a profound one.

Ryden sighed again before resting and hand on both Rosalina and Rivia's shoulders, his eyes first regarding Rosalina's surprisingly meek gaze. "Even though we have only known each other for a day, I feel slightly ashamed that I've harmed you in some way – even if I'm not aware at what it is that I've done – I just hope that you'll let bygones be bygones" he spoke softly, a small smile rising to his lips when Rosalina's eyes met his briefly.

For a split second, Rosalina's eyes widened before her cheeks shone crimson, forcing her gaze to shift away suddenly out of embarrassment, the simple 'Tsundere' action enticing a small chuckle from Ryden who immediately afterwards turned to regard Rivia. Seeing as how the woman found the ground more interesting than him, Ryden gently squeezed her shoulder in order to gain her attention which surprisingly; the gaze Rivia gave him when she finally regarded him was one of shame. Ryden didn't know the whole details in the expression but he merely pressed forward anyway.

"Rivia, I do not know the origins from which you came; nor do I understand the circumstances in your upbringing, but please understand what others would feel if you were to throw away your life so easily..." at Ryden's words Rivia's eyes slowly opened further than usual, realization dawning as his further words reached her ears. "Heheh... I didn't make a deal with Tiamat just so you could throw away your life because of my foolish mistakes, or because some brainless Inquisitor got a lucky shot on me... that would only hurt me more than the shame of dying in such a way" he jested softly, small smile rising to counter Rivia's silence.

Ryden softly chuckled at the meek silence from both devils – the previous situation practically vaporizing – before his hand lightly tapped the older woman's cheek and fell back down to his side. "Anyways, before we fall further down the rabbit hole of forced character development, how about we go out and make a difference... whatta ya say?"

Rivia blinked at Ryden's sudden change in tone, her cheeks lightly dusted pink at his words and simple actions before her head lightly nodded without her consent. She still couldn't find the reason of it, but Ryden's words and actions – regardless of how one could perceive them as intrusive – seemed to garner a desire of servitude that she couldn't honestly believe existed in her. His words dug deep but the meaning within was what dulled the sharp pain that she'd felt when his previously annoyed gaze regarded her. All this time she believed her creed was a simple notion; failure meant death, it was that simple. Yet now her realization had lessened her opinion on her honor to instead regard the after effects of it.

Rivia's internal smile slowly grew bitter upon realizing something she could not abide with.

The last thing Rivia wanted to do was cause Ryden pain and if her creed demanded her to cause him pain in his darkest hour then she honestly couldn't accept her mother's wish... especially if it interfered with her duty to the Arbiter.

Going about doing that was simple... all she had to do was pay Ajuka a small visit.

After resigning herself to that later task; her eyes lit back up with her previous aura of slight mirth. "I shall follow your lead, Ryden" she replied dutifully.

Ryden nodded at her words before his eyes landed on a silent Rosalina, her gaze still facing in the opposite direction from his own. "What do you say Rosalina, care to join our little raid?" he asked jovially

Rosalina's brows furrowed in confusion at Ryden's question, her pride forgone the moment she'd heard his words. "What raid?" she asked while turning to regard Ryden with a confused frown.

The man in question merely smirked at her before tapping his head gently. "I managed to pick up high frequency demonic signals from a distant control nexus a few hundred meters further in land" he said, making Rosalina pause in shock.

"You what?" she questioned with deeper realization

Rivia merely chuckled at her response, a mirthful glint in her eye. "My lords abilities know no bounds Sentinel, the impossible is not out of his reach" she gloated with pride, forcing a second level of further confusion to envelop the younger blonde devil.

Ryden waved his hand at her flattery, dismissive of the praise. "Your praise warms me Rivia but I wouldn't go that far" he said with a smirk, enticing Rivia to return one of her own. Ryden lightly huffed at the woman's teasing glint before glancing in the direction of the target. "... Never the less, an opportunity has presented itself and I wish to take advantage of it as soon as possible before those pricks bug out entirely"

Ryden dropped his hand from Rosalina before glancing around, noticing that no knights from their platoon had joined Rosalina. His brow rose in confusion before a small wave of guilt rose into his chest; a small feeling of trepidation creeping up his spine. "Before that... where is the rest of the platoon Rosalina?" he asked slowly

Rosalina glanced at Ryden before mildly waving her hand at his nervous tone. "they're fine; before I found you two I joined them in taking out a large portion of inquisitors at the top of the hill, directly after that and I destroyed one of the two remaining towers... in the wake of the event I dismissed the knights to follow protocol and move to the targeted area for rendezvous while I dragged you two back into formation" she informed seriously. "But I guess that's out of the question at this point. While it's a shame we won't have the numbers to smoothly accomplish this little raid of yours, however I feel like the knights would only get in our way in the end" she drawled out in annoyance.

Rosalina sighed to herself before her shoulders drooped, garnering a look of confusion from Ryden.

"Something bothering you?" he asked with a blink

The former Phenex heir sighed audibly before pointing accusingly at Ryden. "I'll admit it this one time, but you were right about preparation..." she commented before growling to herself. "Who knew I'd be going off the beaten path again... *sigh*... this better be worth it"

Ryden smirked at the woman's choice of wording, followed shortly by Rivia; the woman struck a mocking pose at Ryden's side, her form almost hugging the man. "Don't seem so pressured Lady Rosalina; we are not forcing you to follow..." she said calmly, a small heat in her words that Ryden couldn't figure out the full meaning of. "...If you want, you could always run back to your post" offered the elder devil, her eyes – out of Ryden's view – shone with a glint that threw Rosalina almost over the edge.

 _This woman..._

Rosalina's brow twitched at her words, enticing Ryden to blink at her sudden development of annoyance. Rosalina regarded Rivia darkly, her eyes unblinking in their heated lock with Rivia's. "Don't get a head of yourself, Abaddon..." she growled out.

"Get ahead of myself?" questioned Rivia, completely ignoring the look of confusion on Ryden. "I'm afraid I'm closer to victory then you are... maybe you might stand a chance against me if you forgone that barrier of yours... _spread those wings_ if you will" she countered with a glint of mischief in her eye.

Ryden glanced between the two female devils, his right brow at its maximum height when he could figuratively see the conflicting 'lightning bolts' between the two females as their gazes clashed before him. He knew that Rosalina and Rivia had a small confrontational habit; often falling into small heated arguments that immediately ceased the moment he asked about it, but to fully see a showdown like this up front and in person was something of a unique experience. He could ignore it for the most part but he couldn't help but feel like a slab of meat in the middle of a lion's den.

Was that a paranoid analogy?

 _...Probably_

Even though that feeling rose up from time to time – most often when Rosalina and Rivia began their heated arguments – he honestly didn't feel at all threatened by it and seemed more accepting of the notion by just natural instinct alone. His dad did tell him that a 'cat fight' – while amusing to watch when pillows and a lack of clothing was involved – it did come with a form of danger towards any male that sought to quell the rage of _two_ woman.

Easing the rage of one woman was hard enough – previous issue not withstanding – so he could imagine the danger on facing double of that could lead to his previous analogy, IE; being torn apart by two raging beauties that obviously have a small beef that didn't entirely involve him so it was best to say out of it.

Rivia didn't come across as the type to bully a younger woman, her words sounding more 'encouraging' then belittling and for the most part it seemed to work in her favor. Rivia's words seemed more directed in getting Rosalina to open up to her desires more than ignoring them in the effort to preserve her reputation. Ryden could acknowledge the effort and simply chose to leave the elder devil to her devices, thus allowing the small conflict to continue without his further investigation.

 _... Just another shock for a later date_

"As much as it assuring to see you two getting along so well; but I feel like we should get moving before our chance vanishes" he reminded while smirking to Rosalina and Rivia casually, both of them regarding Ryden instantly upon him speaking.

"How far is this monolith?" asked Rivia as she ceased her teasing towards Rosalina

"About a couple hundred meters further inland, I'm not sure of the terrain but if you can get us their quicker then I'm all for it" answered Ryden as he pointed in the signals general direction.

Rivia nodded before waving her hand, a hole opening instantly upon the action. "After you Arbiter..." she offered with a simple gesture of her hand.

Ryden smirked at the woman before stepping forward through the rift, followed shortly by his blonde compatriots.

* * *

 **[1200 meters inland/ Rose Garden]**

The terrain for the location was marginally closer to the large open camp field that Ryden had just stood in, the only difference being the slight incline that suddenly twisted his senses upon exiting the rift Rivia had summoned, leaving him momentarily confused as to where exactly the elder devil had dropped them. Ignoring the arrival of Rosalina and Rivia behind him, Ryden focused on the signal he could still feel around him; the direction of it leading further forward, meaning Rivia hadn't over shot his desired drop spot.

"Did I miss?" asked the elder blonde

"No" he shook his head. "You got us close enough without compromising our arrival, but we can't be sure if they have motion detection sigils activated... we should cloak up just to be sure" advised Ryden as his thumbed the sigil on his palm, vanishing the second it activated.

Rosalina nodded before following his lead; Rivia doing the same almost at the same time as her. "Abigail mentioned that her stealth sigil allows her to bypass the motion detection effect so we should be good as long as its active"

Ryden nodded at Rosalina's words as his hand pointed to his 12 o' clock. "Stay frosty ladies..." he muttered before pressed forward in that direction.

"No need to remind me knight sentinel... this isn't the first time we've done this" countered Rosalina as she followed along with Rivia.

Currently, the three devils of anti-Satan forces stood alone in a dense section of forestry, well enough out of relative sight but too deep for Ryden to get a grip as to just how close or how far they were to enemy lines. However, the confusion on their location mattered little to Ryden, as the signal from the Old-Satan communications nexus allowed him the directional guidance needed to navigate through the dense forest.

Ryden moderately mulled over his plan regarding their coming engagement, quickly realising that Abigail wasn't around to help them with support fire; leaving them at a slight disadvantage when it came to stealth. Even though they had the element of surprise, and the might to overcome extreme situations, Ryden felt the lack of Abigail and Nyx left their full potential at a serious disadvantage. Long range support fire was a godsend in any situation and Nyx's fluid skill in the art of the hunt was a terrifying addition to their roster.

All they possessed at the moment was three 'Area of effect' specialist's and he wasn't gonna lie and say he didn't have a knack for breaking shit. However making too much noise this deep in enemy lines spelt greater danger then anything and he wasn't up for the idea in trying to take on hundreds of Inquisitors at once, it was bad enough that his mind was numbing every now and then – meaning he was close to his limit – but Rivia wasn't as 'immortal' as Rosalina and as indestructible as he was, so in the end, he had to factor in the status of his allies, a gouge their strengths for strategic use.

Ryden paused in his thoughts, his ears picking up the bustling sounds of activity ahead before halting in his advance. "Hold" he muttered, stopping the two devils behind him with a raised fist. Rosalina sighed at the pointless gesture before stepping beside Ryden calmly, her senses picking up activity a few hundred yards from their position.

"I sense a couple dozen inquisitors ahead; low class to mid... a couple high-class scattered about" she reported.

Ryden nodded before glancing over to Rivia. "How many do you sense?"

The elder devil shook her head. "About the same... we might need to find higher ground so we can see what it is we're walking into." She suggested before leveling a questioning eye on Ryden. "Is the signal coming from here?"

"Yes, it's almost directly in the middle of all of that... I'm picking up hundreds of incoming reports regarding our lines from multiple sectors... they know of the rendezvous but not everything regarding Phase 3" replied Ryden with a frown. "...That doesn't sound good"

Rosalina grumbled at that. "No it isn't... which means were on the clock here" she said grimly before looking to Ryden. "What exactly are we looking for?" she asked

"When I picked up the signal I took a small mental ride on the magic flow which led me to see a mental image of a large black – glass like – monolith that was covered with hundreds of sigils over a larger sigil as its base, I sensed a moderate amount of interference so it must be inside something, shouldn't be hard to see from a vantage point however"

Rivia pointed to their right, the natural synergy of their cloaking magic allowing both Ryden and Rosalina clear sighting to see the woman's form. "Over There" she muttered suddenly. "There's a collection of ruins in that direction which sit on a nice cliff edge, we should be able to see the camp from their"

Ryden nodded along with Rosalina. "Good eye, let's move"

Wordlessly, Rivia ripped open a hole – that which Ryden would soon dub 'rift' for convenience sake – and stepped through it, followed closely by Ryden and Rosalina; all three of them stepping out a second later to see a handful of inquisitors lounging about at the base of what seemed like an ancient plaza from some bygone age. Luckily, Rivia had sensed them prior to the jump and placed her exit rift a few dozen meters from them; directly behind a rock pillar and out of sight.

Rivia paused upon exiting the rift, her back gently resting against the pillar wall while Ryden made sure to do the same to the opposite side of her.

" _I see six inquisitors..."_ reported the elder devil in a whisper as she observed them cautiously. _"They haven't noticed our arrival, should we take them out or move on?"_

" _We can't have anyone flank us, nor can we risk any survivors reporting our presence here, so we need to remove them... quietly if possible"_ replied Ryden as he silently unsheathed _Fulgur,_ the blade easily masking its own presence.

Rivia smirked before she stepped back and pressed her hand against the pillar wall. _"I can mute the area of all sound and dilute any magic energy in the vicinity... does that help?"_ asked the woman, her brow raised in silent question.

Ryden blinked at the woman's words before she shook his head out of exasperation. _"Like a miracle... your damn right that'll work"_ he replied deeply, forcing a moderate blush on the woman's cheeks. _"One question though..."_ he pressed, drawing out _Cerberus_ _"... can it mute this?"_ he asked hesitantly.

The woman merely regarded Ryden without looking at his chosen weapon. _"I once_ _used this spell to mute the loud cracks of thunder and lightning... Cerberus doesn't even compare"_ replied the woman with a small smirk.

Ryden drew upon his own smirk when the weapon was called by its name and the fact he could use it openly and without drawback. Speaking of which, Ryden found himself moderately wondering if Ajuka could outfit the weapon with a 'silencer' mode. If coming operations meant he'd lack Abigail's support then having a silencer mode would help him fill the boots of a support role, rather than being the 'loud and proud' badasses most people believe him to be.

Adaptation was key...

Ryden glanced over to a slightly pouting Rosalina, tapping the woman almost instantly on the head to gain her attention. One pat on the head and the woman was glaring at him, yet he ignored the expression and pointed over to a pillar that sat a few feet from the lounging inquisitors. _"Take up position over there and hold until my signal"_ he ordered, enticing a smaller pout from the woman.

He blinked at the response before realizing why. _"Chain of command doesn't mean much when it's just the three of us"_ he commented upon seeing her pout.

Rosalina merely glanced off to the side, her brows furrowed as she directed her glare to the ground. _"That's not what I..."_ she began only to suddenly blush lightly and sigh _"...never mind"_ was her hesitant reply before she silently moved to the designated location.

Ryden's brow rose gently at the woman's odd behavior, his mind – busy with everything around him – not at all picking up the hints laden at his feet. Luckily for him however, Rivia was easily more observant then he could manage and merely gripped his hand before he could dismiss the issue and leave to his own devices, her oddly disapproving glint catching Ryden by surprise.

" _Rivia?"_ he asked quietly, taken aback by the woman's sudden change in demeanor.

" _Ryden, I know you have a lot on your mind right now, but please remember to consider the uses of both of use, and not just myself... playing favorites only dismantles cohesion"_ she advised seriously, widening Ryden's eyes by her meaning. His gaze slowly regarded the location in which Rosalina had gone to before he turned back to Rivia and nodded in understanding, now seeing his mistake.

" _I shall endeavor to follow your words Rivia..."_ he said in understanding

The woman simple nodded in approval before her hand dropped back down to power the mute sigil. _"Signal when you're ready Arbiter"_

Ryden nodded briskly before he circled to the right side of the open plaza, almost completely parallel with Rosalina's position. The plaza area was sparse for cover for the most part, having only a few pillars and a single wall as evidence of its existence. Since this was case, Ryden had no choice but to creep down into the forest slightly and then come back up when a single pillar was between him and the conversing inquisitors. Abigail had stated that the cover provided by her sigil mostly worked when there was only a moderate degree of light in the area, making it easy to avoid and simple to fully use the camouflage at its maximum potential. However considering the time of day and the presences of a sun – albeit a fake one – the possibility of avoiding such an issue was null, as the rays from the fake sun easily created and accentuated their motion blurs.

It wouldn't be hard to spot what would mostly seem like a 'glass' figure slowly move in the open.

Ryden had a skill that _could_ block out the sun but considering the fact meteorological events didn't usually happen in hell – unless you were directly in front of one of the four 'storms' – only meant that if he suddenly summoned black clouds to block out the sun it would instead spur on a full alert, rather than a few umbrella's and a couple harsh comments to shit weather changes...

He silently grumbled to himself upon thinking that, his form snaking through the thick shrubbery easily before his destination was reached in time. Shaking away his annoyance at hells lack of weather, Ryden merely picked up a small pebble and stood with his back against his desired pillar; the now audible conversation between the six inquisitors echoing out behind it.

He was in position, now it was time for him to give the signal... But the conversation the six were having forced him to pause; his lips slowly rising into a devilish smirk.

 _Word had finally gone around..._

One devil who sat silently with two other's regarded the three standing in front of them, their distinguished medals expressing their slightly higher ranks. The first one, a male, glanced from the floor to the trio; his eyes expressing a deep shock that rooted itself in every inquisitor present.

"So that was the reason General leviathan handed command over to Lord Foras" he spoke with a glint of realization in his eye. "To think they managed to destroy _Lucifaad_ – our crown jewel – so easily" the man muttered out quietly. However, the devil paused in his lamination before glancing up to the female inquisitor that stood in between two other lesser inquisitors. "Who did it?" was the devils question; a question shared by the two others sitting beside him.

The female sneered at something – a memory Ryden presumed – before she growled out a response. "No one truly knows who it was; either the culprits managed to do it completely unnoticed or the higher ups are keeping knowledge on the full matter confidential... either way seems plausible but that doesn't factor in the current situation" she replied seriously while a helmeted inquisitor stepped forward from beside her.

"The lines have broken formation, the Rose Garden is destined to fall in a matter of hours so order has come down from General Foras to fall back deeper into the territory; the General himself specifically requested that our formation proceed to the abandon territory of Zagan, There's a division currently awaiting the arrival of the monolith, which is to be transported there Via sigil... we can't risk it falling into enemy hands so this is priority" explained the female inquisitor as the three received documents from a silent and helmeted inquisitor.

The middle man smirked while skimming over to the pages; however his eyes soon narrowed before regarding the female again. "This may be a mild issue, but I can't risk over looking this" he said, garnering the female's attention.

"Hmm..." hummed the woman

"About a couple minutes ago we received word that an artillery position a couple hundred meters away from here, engaged two hyper lethal knights of the Anti-Satan forces; one of their identities matched closely with a supposedly captured _Rivia Abaddon_ while the other one was..." the man paused before receiving a document from one of his fellow inquisitors sitting with him. His eyes skimmed over the page before handing it to the woman who immediately took it without hesitation.

A few seconds and the woman began. "This is... by the Satan's" muttered the woman, her features suddenly overcome by a cold chill.

"It's a file pertaining to the devil that claims to be a pure blooded Gremory; I don't know if the Gremory family suddenly dropped a kid off the cliff for a period of five hundred years or they just up and adopted a potential retainer, but that's my thoughts. However considering the man looks so oddly similar to the Anti-Satan's General of the Red legion, I wouldn't place my gamble on the latter possibility" explained the devil as the woman continued to read the file.

The woman nodded dismissively at his words but ultimately her mind was else were and Ryden could see that look perfectly well from where he observed. He'd begun assessing just who it was the inquisitors in front of him were, but now it was obvious that they were of official ranking and not just a collection of lazy grunts skimping out on tasks and judging by the context of their conversion that much was obvious.

The inquisitor standing beside the shocked female stepped forward, his wrist shone with a small green sigil that held an identification list... a list that seemed oddly familiar to Ryden, his eyes squinting dangerously upon noticing it.

"Ma'am... the documents pertaining to Rivia Abaddon says that she was scheduled to arrive at _Lucifaad_ yesterday, late afternoon, but the convoy that she was filed in was marked down to be several minutes late" reported the younger inquisitor, garnering an even deeper shock – and sneer of disgust – from the woman.

"So that disgusting pig wanted to do _that_ to the famed _abyssal Reaper?_ tsk, makes me sick that I have to follow his lead" she sneered out before shaking her head – a cringed frown added in with the action – while a few others also followed her expression. "Aside from that... with the knowledge of her escape, that means we can assume the fall of _Lucifaad_ was closely related to her; I should report that to command... maybe they'll issue a capture unit on her so we can learn who it was that broke her out and find the true culprit that destroyed our home city"

" _You won't need to look very far"_

Ryden smirked when a collected number of gasps and swords being unsheathed echoed out upon his words, his form quickly being revealed when he stood out from behind the pillar; Cerberus drawn and a mirthful smirk held confidently on his lips. "Though reporting it is another issue altogether, but we'll get to that" he added in before the sound in the area vanished completely, garnering an even deeper smirk from him.

The inquisitor's that regarded him with hard expressions suddenly grew surprised when nothing but the beats of their hearts echoed out within their ears, any and all sound they produced being completely nullified within a single second. The surprise and hesitation was enough of an open, and while Ryden dearly wished he had a flash bang, the surprise of the 'mute sigil' was easily good enough to allow him the advantage to get the first blood.

His targets were simple but the formation the six jumped to immediately upon him moving, cut Ryden off from killing the male officer the woman was speaking to; his status closely being an Adeptus Astarte's by simple observation. He didn't see it before but the man possessed a good number of medals pertaining to the rank – not like the one in the trenches but enough for him to brand him as a priority target – however, the first blood was only a simple grunt and that being the helmeted inquisitor from before.

One trigger pull and a flash of light later and the devil was dead and gone without issue but Ryden pressed forward without a second glance. By that point the devils of the Old-Satan forces knew exactly the danger they were in but a second arrival cut off their attempt at a hasty retreat. While it hadn't been Ryden to do in the Adeptus Astarte's, Rosalina however managed to do so with a precise jab of her custom sword; its blade sheathing deeply into the chest cavity of the officer.

Rosalina regarded the man briefly before her blade ignited in flames, practically scorching the devils insides instantly with the sheer heat emitted from the action. The female inquisitor's eyes were wide in shock at the death of the man and that proved to be a mistake on her part when Rosalina's leg flashed up directly in the woman's gut. The force applied sent the woman careening into what remained of the ruined castle walls and knocked her out completely upon impact.

With the main targets of theirs eliminated and out of action, all that remained was three inquisitors, but even then it matter little to the two; especially for Rosalina who disappeared into a burst of smoke and embers, the cloud of ash seemingly passing over the three within a small blitz of motion. Ryden paused in his assault when the three devils suddenly whittled down into burnt husks, almost as if their internal organs were slowly burnt down into nothing but simmering embers.

Ryden glanced over to a reformed Rosalina who stood a couple feet from him, the woman in question was merely swiping her blade off to the side but the action was more formal then necessary as any droplets of blood on her sword had been evaporated completely, leaving the simmering blade completely clean

Who would win?

... An a thousand degree sword?

... Or a couple of inquisitor's?

Well he knew the answer well enough at that moment and it was oddly terrifying to think about if he was being honest.

Once the bodies hit the floor the sound in the area returned, oddly sending in a cold breeze by the return of it which made Ryden sigh slightly at the feeling before he regarded Rosalina with a playful smirk. "Does it got a name?" he asked knowingly.

Rosalina rolled her eyes at his question, a small smirk following as she held the blade out for moderate inspection. "If you must know, its name is _Ira Flamma_ and you shall respect its authority" she replied while giving Ryden a challenging smirk. "I'd say its heated bite can compete with your own sword, Lord Ryden"

Ryden smirked at her unintentional reference before his own eyes regarded her with mock surprise. "Oh? You think that blade could compete against _Fulgur_?" he asked before immediately waving it off with a light chuckle. "In sharpness you may perhaps stand equal, but with sheer destructive capability? Doubt full" was all he countered with, garnering a look of challenge from Rosalina; the woman's eyebrow twitching softly at his boasting.

"Wanna bet on that?" she growled out with an unflinching gaze

"What would you have to gamble? Your pride seems more important to you than a simple bragging right" he argued with a teasing glint, however it seemed his words measured to no effect as the woman waved off his comment with a flippant wave.

"It is precisely because of my pride that I challenge you lord Ryden; the opportunity to test my blade's destructive potential against a legendary sword such as _Infernum_ _Fulgur_ would benefit me more than it would damage my pride... I'd feel more shame in letting such an opportunity slip me by then lose in a test of might" she counted confidently.

Ryden nodded gently at her words as a small smirk rose to his lips when her argument only sparked a larger desire to compete against her. The difficulty that stood before them was moderate to say the least; considering Rivia and himself had just faced down forty inquisitors without issue in open ground made their current situation all the more... laughable.

Stacked didn't exactly come close in measuring just how terrifying he and Rivia were when fighting together, but now that Rosalina was present it only made that level of terror rise further beyond the realms of insanity.

Ryden shook his head before he drew out his sword; the blade vibrating lightly at the action as its desire to compete against Rosalina bearing itself completely before him in its vermilion glow. He smirked at the weapons restless state before holding it out horizontally towards Rosalina. "It would seem _Fulgur_ has taken a liking to you lady Rosalina, but its intrigue is only temporary... you can understand what that implies right" he said with a confirming smirk, his declaration in accepting Rosalina's challenge being enough to spark an almost fiery glint in Rosalina's eyes.

She flipped her hair with a prideful light in her gaze before a confident smirk – slightly alluring in its entirety – was directed to him. "Its intrigue is to be expected; I am more than a mere beauty and a weakling I'm neither. My flames are white for a reason and that reason will be shown to you soon lord Ryden... try not to fall behind" she proclaimed with extreme confidence, her own sword swelling with immense internal heat.

Ryden blinked at her momentarily before his attention fell onto his sword; the crimson blade was practically shining in response to Rosalina's sheer confidence, before his face matched the swords crimson glow when its reply entered his mind; his eyes soon widening at _F_ _ulgur's_ chosen words towards the Phenex devil.

Such comments... such vulgarity...

... Could not be repeated in good company

Ryden stood frozen stiff, shell shocked by both Rosalina's continued smirk of confidence and by _Fulgur's_ sudden dip into depravity. He knew _Fulgur_ was old – its age most likely matching the time in which the earth had been first created – but its comments and level of vulgarity couldn't possibly be matched by any known god of lust or sin; quite honestly, Ryden was beginning to think the blade itself had been the origin of the very sin.

And why the hell did the blade have to involve Tiamat?! Like hell the dragon king would join in on something like... Oh god... why... why did it have to involve Venelana?!

Ryden shook sporadically, his eyes glaring holes into the blade before his mental command thoomed out over _Fulgur's_ hasted comments of high impact sexual violence. _"GO BACK FROM WHENCE YOU CAME! OR SHALL I USE_ _ **NAMELESS**_ _INSTEAD!?"_ he howled internally, his hands slowly inching the sword back to its sheath.

Instantly the thoughts ceased upon his commanding threat, the image of Rosalina's _ahegao_ face – of all things – melting away with the sword spirits manipulated vision, his gaze returning back to instead see Rosalina's continued glint of confidence and to also see Rivia standing off to the side; the woman possessing her own glint of amusement.

"Perhaps it would be best we didn't ask what you just saw" commented the elder devil knowingly before she ignored the subject all together.

"As much as I'd love to know, we instead have a much more pressing matter at hand" Rivia began before she dropped the unconscious body of the female inquisitor before the two; the woman's aura slowly delving down into a much more serious tone than normal and it slightly unnerved Rosalina in its intensity. Ryden however felt slightly reminiscent of the change – mostly because he'd grown used to the devils abnormal relation to bipolar tendencies – but also because Abigail had done the same thing before.

Ryden's brow slightly rose at the woman's sudden glint of authority; oddly put off by her sharp gaze with such a simple situation. "Ooook... I don't suppose you recognize the woman?" he asked, seeing no other point but to pry.

Rivia shook her head at the question, dismantling his assumption quickly. "I do not Arbiter; I merely desire to see what you wish to do with her, that is all" she corrected simply as her eyes only regarded him and him alone; leaving Rosalina slightly off put by the sudden change in atmosphere.

Ryden suddenly hummed in realization upon hearing her words, his eyes then dropping onto the now peacefully sleeping officer, her rank now fully distinguished as an Adeptus Astarte's as evident by the color of her armor and the medals in which she wore upon it. His brow rose in confusion however, when the woman's question and state of mind slowly returned to his senses, which forced him to glance up to Rivia again to further comment on the devils odd desire.

However he froze before he could ask for clarification, his eyes slowly widening upon understanding why Rivia desired his answer so seriously.

It was a test... or more accurately a clarification of his true character

Rivia may have completely pledged herself to his side with a slightly 'questionable' declaration, but that didn't immediately fill her in on what kind of lord she was following. Rivia didn't know who he truly was as a person; she may believe him to be kind and caring to others – often to a further degree than normal – but she hadn't truly seen what became of him when his enemies were laying at his feet... their fate at his own discretion.

Ryden should have know Rivia was far sharper than most, even Rosalina was a lot sharper as her own gaze landed on him when the subject graced her understanding and at that point Ryden was in the spot light again.

He shook his head slightly at the degree the situation was hinting towards. He may have had many reasons to hate the existence of devils – the Old-Satan's made sure of that – but he'd seen both sides of the coin in the six months in wonder land; but whether the devils knew it or not, he was curtain they'd failed in their intended goal once they revealed the other side of the coin. _Grayfia_ may have been an imposing figure to him – as much as he loathed admitting it – but even then Ryden had to question the woman's intelligence when she began to issue execution orders on civilians.

By that point; the idea that they could forge him into a 'pet' for their lord was long out the window and they failed in their objective the second the first blood was spilt.

Morals seemed to trigger most devils of the Old-Satan faction but they forgot to realize that morals draw the line between friend and foe. Kill a child and you're bound to create enemies; step a little bit further down that path and you'd be surprised at how many people want to put you down.

It was common for most to generalize when faced with nothing but suffering and pain, but Ryden couldn't quite help but gravitate away from that mindset. He couldn't honestly explain the feeling but it felt almost as if he just couldn't hold any resentment towards the entire devil species for no longer then a second. He'd witnessed both compassion and evil; which stood to further deviate his hatred away from seeing total fruition. However, just because he found no reason to loath every devil he saw, that didn't mean he didn't feel absolute hatred towards a curtain single target...

 _ **GRAYFIA LUCIFUGE**_

He had his answers by that point and he merely hand to voice it...

Ryden smirked at Rivia after finally understanding the woman's sudden desire before lightly scratching his neck casually. "She is an officer that possess very important Intel on our enemy, sparing her can yield far more worth then to kill an unconscious enemy" he answered seriously

"What intelligence can she yield that we don't already know?" asked Rosalina as her gaze shifted to Rivia, the woman's gaze having briefly shone with approval before acknowledging Rosalina's question with a simple shrug.

"The context of their little conversation prior to our interruption revealed that she knew more about _Lucifaad_ and Rivia then any other devil present... she also seems to possess knowledge on enemy positions and the name of the general in charge of the _Territory of Thorns_ " Ryden spoke as Rivia nodded along his words.

"His name is Hallen Foras" Rivia began. "he's somewhat of a familiar figure as I knew some time ago... while at times he can come across as clueless and slightly naive, he still possesses a good head on his shoulders" she revealed casually before her hand slightly rubbed her temple in minor annoyance. "Though I'm slightly confused why Katerea left the entire territory under his charge; of all the people at her disposal and she leaves the most important territory in the hands of _that_ man"

Ryden raised a brow at that small tid bit. "He a friend of yours?" he asked after seeing the reminiscent glint in the elder devils eye.

Rivia however shook her head at his question, appearing almost terrified of the prospect. "Satan's no, I merely knew him due to his sheer interest in myself and the legends I preserved regarding the four weapons of hell" was her quick response.

"So he knows about them?" asked Ryden before he quickly nodded to himself. "Oh right, that grand inquisitor from before had been tasked with acquiring _Fulgur_ ; I guess it's safe to assume that he was personally assigned that task from the General himself" at Ryden's realization, Rosalina's eyes bugged out before her head whipped around to regard him suddenly; eyes almost frozen in shock.

"You ran into a Grand inquisitor?" she asked harshly, forcing herself to keep her voice down

Ryden nodded casually at the question. "Yup... him and a couple dozen of his goons tried to jump us before you arrived; we managed to do away with them so efficiently that we may have let the little sop run away with his tail between his legs... well... that was _after_ Rivia gave him a serious verbal thrashing" he replied, smiling reminiscently along with Rivia.

Rosalina's brow twitched in absolute exasperation but her tongue remained sheathed for the time being.

"Indeed..." Rivia muttered before her eyes dropped back down to the previous topic "anyways, to answer your previous question Ryden, I actually didn't tell Hallen Foras the complete story of the _Infernum Armis_... I kept most the finer details a complete secret" answered the woman truthfully.

"And what secret would that be?"

Rivia regarded Ryden before smirked darkly. "That the weapons are sentient and completely willing to serve the one that unleashes them"

Ryden's lips curved downwards into a small frown of confusion, his gaze leveling itself onto Rivia. "And what seemed to be the reason to keep that from him?" he asked hesitantly.

"Would you be at all surprised if I said that he was obsessed with the legend?"

Ryden fully accepting Rivia's meaning at that point. If the calm and cool Rivia Abaddon saw it fit to keep you from something, then it was obvious that there was a damn good reason to do so in the first place.

Rivia gently shook her head at the topic, a clear display of annoyance and disgust present in both her eyes and on her furrowed brow before Rosalina spoke up upon noticing the woman's expression. "I'm getting the feeling that he's the 'persistent' type..." she guessed as she tried her hardest to not shiver in complete annoyance. "Those types repulse me to no end"

Rivia chuckled lightly at the woman's words which caused a look of recognition from her. "It would seem we have a common loathing... but while it indeed has a positive quality in of itself, there is however a limit at just how far one should push... General Foras stepped across that line on multiple occasions" she replied while directing a gentle smirk to Rosalina; one that for some reason caused the younger blonde to blush slightly – possible due to the elder devils celebrity status – while Ryden himself merely nodded at the information provided.

"So I guess you kept the info on the _Infernum Armis'_ mainly because this General Foras would stop at nothing to acquire the weapons, and if he's aligned to the Old-Satan faction _and_ obsessed with the legend, then that means he would've stooped to immoral practices to acquire the swords... I guess that was a good call to say the least" Ryden summarized while rubbing his chin.

Rivia however shook her head with a frown. "Unfortunately my attempts at keeping his insatiable interest at bay was in vein as he had already conducted dozens of 'experiments' on low-class devils and even his own men" she corrected harshly; forcing Ryden's skin to go cold at the prospect of a General using his own men to progress towards a mere legend, that for all intents and purposes, could have been completely hocus pocus.

Faith drives men crazy at times... and immoral

Ryden's nose crinkled but Rivia proceeded anyway. "at first I was unaware of the conduct my so call 'number one pupil' was doing, but it didn't take me long to discover his deplorable acts. By that point I had no choice but to reveal the locations of the _Armis'_ because he believed the weapons were spiritual in nature; only taking shape when a individual reaches a curtain state of mind" Rivia's eyes narrowed while her nose crinkled darkly; a clear sign of disdain at such a notion. "The beating I gave that mongrel was probably the only time he'd tasted true pain and I relished the moment when he returned to me, nearly burnt to a crisp because he thought he could approach Ignis in Ashfeld without consequence" Rivia paused to smirk humorously at the memory before a sigh escape her. "I thought I could compel him to quell his obsession by revealing that the chosen wielder is never made nor created and that he himself is not the chosen one – thank the damned Satan's for that – but I could see the fires of his obsession only burned brighter when I revealed that to him. Soon after and the civil war started to draw the lines and the Old-Satan's began taking the major cities and territories by force... I never saw Hallen Foras after that; though it seems he has retained his status as General... funny"

Rosalina released a deep breath after Rivia's small story – probably one of the only times so far that the woman opened up so casually regarding her past – before lightly tapping her own cheek sheepishly. "I guess you've got some small regrets to fix huh?" she asked while Ryden merely drank in the information and back story provided; a file on the Devil Hallen Foras being perfectly crafted in his mind.

Rivia lightly smirked at the younger blondes question before she crossed her arms in fain annoyance. "Not sending that hubris scoundrel to the abyss was probably my biggest mistake I've ever made, so yes... he is one of my many regrets, but that's mostly because he has chosen to target Ryden for his petty obsession; such a sin cannot be ignored" she replied with a slowly increasing glare; the target of which being the floor just before Rosalina's feet. However, a small sigh escaped her lips while her eyes rose to regard Rosalina's with a more refined and accepting expression. "Unfortunately however; as much as I wished to relieve the insect of his head, I was a Lordess and he was a lord and we were both firm in our political positions; had I killed the little runt at that point then the civil war might have started just a little bit earlier than normal"

Rosalina nodded gently at the words provided before she directed a slight glance to a silent Ryden, his eyes almost glazed over in complete thought. "Ryden?" she asked while blinking.

Ryden's gaze refocused suddenly upon hearing his name, his eyes immediately locking onto Rosalina. "What?"

"What were you doing?"

"I was making a mental file on this Hallen Foras in case I run into him... considering he's got a super boner for the weapons of hell and the fact that he knows I have one of them, then I'm sure we'll be running into either him or his goon squad sometime down the road" replied Ryden seriously while pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's best to have a grasp on his character and the lows in which he'll use in order to make it easier to forge contingencies for anything he might try"

Both Rivia and Rosalina nodded at the logic before Rivia replied. "Very wise choice Ryden, Hallen is a persistent devil, his greed and lust for power is apparent in his character and now that he's overseeing command over an entire territory again it won't be too much of a stretch to assume that he'll invest in dozens of capture units just to hunt you down"

"Lovely..." muttered Ryden before pointing to the still unconscious female at Rivia's feet. "Anyway... with that problem acknowledged, I think its best that we deal with our prisoner and finally get a head on this monolith hijacking before we focus on the head honcho of the territory; we've wasted enough time on dwelling so let's get a move on" ushered Ryden as he sheathed _Fulgur_

"Go on a head and scout out the encampment, I'll make sure our prisoner gets into the right hands" Rivia promised; her small smirk and lit up eyes all but expressing her assurance.

Ryden's brow rose slightly in confusion; not really seeing the point behind the woman's change in emotion but none the less he followed after an eager Rosalina, the both of them vanishing out of sight via stealth sigil just as a rift opened at Rivia's side.

The elder devil smirked brighter than normal when she watched the two disappear before she leaned down and hoisted the smaller woman into her arms, and by that point a strange – playful – thought entered her mind as she thought deeper on the action she was planning to do... a smaller level of mischievous energy gracing her usual stoic attitude.

"I wonder what kind of rumors will follow after this..." muttered Rivia as she forcefully contained an even wider smile, the evidence of her humor being openly apparent by her short chortles and giggles as a playful thought entered her mind.

With her resolve set into motion, Rivia all but _threw_ the unconscious devil into her rift and by then any kind of hesitation or regret was completely forgone... the damage was done

 _Now all she had to do was wait and see the after effects..._

With the odd action done, Rivia stood motionless momentarily after she practically chucked the young unfortunate female into her abyssal hole, her shoulders slightly shaking for no apparent reason related to a woman of nobility. One could assume her amusement was out of a small sense of childish humor but the sole reason was much more childish then even that.

Rivia couldn't exactly explain why she felt so 'giddy' at the moment; anytime she mentioned her past to anyone it was usually followed by solemn silence and a couple shots of her fine spirits. But while her past was mostly lined with blood – soul crushing despair and lose not included – there were a fair amount of times when she couldn't quite contain her embarrassment during the more _laid_ _back_ hours of her time prior to the civil wars beginning... Hallen Foras was probably one of those very topics she almost always refused to speak about.

The less spoken about that creature meant there was less alcohol needed to forget about it.

However, at the moment she couldn't quite help but open up about it. Though it was obviously better to do so from a tactical standpoint then a personal one, but even then she had no other reason to keep silent about it if it meant it would help Ryden down the road.

But that wasn't why she was giddy... that main reason was solely focused on the test she had pushed onto Ryden – as late as it was considering the pledge she had made to him prior – was a rounding success. She may have pledge herself to him back in the forest, but that didn't mean she didn't have a personal desire to see just who it was she was now following.

A killer or a murder was about as far as she could lower herself to following and thankfully Ryden wasn't anywhere near that kind of level. Had he chosen to kill the officer without hesitation then there was a small chance that she'd have doomed herself to following a blood lusting murderer with no sign of control or care.

A harrowing fate for her if anything else...

Fortunately however Ryden was nothing like that; sure he'd killed before but most of those killings were quick efficient kills and not long drawn out murders for entertainment or for kicks, however there was the 'de-cocking' of the capture unit named 'Grel' but she couldn't honestly find herself disagreeing with that action. There was no telling just how many women had suffered at the devils hands – or any lower extremists for that matter – and merely killing the devil quickly seemed more like a waste than a primed opportunity for a little 'justice'.

Oh the things she would have done...

Rivia shook her head quickly, forcing away her own dark – murderous – thoughts before turning to follow after Rosalina and Ryden, her own rare levels of excitement rising up at the prospect of fighting beside her lord and 'rival'. It was a sudden feeling but at that moment, a small – genuine – shrill of joy, enraptured Rivia; oddly confusing her due to it bearing it's presences just before a fight, but Rivia paid no heed to the reasons behind the feeling, only intent on relishing in the moment...

... A fickle little habit of hers she supposed.

* * *

Rosalina laid prone over a large cliff edge while Ryden did the same directly to her right side; the both of them gazing intently on the large compound below them. The terrain from before had changed marginally after the two managed to find the large cliff overseeing the majority of the compound and now that they could see their target, it made planning their engagement all the more simple.

The camp was large and curved; being perfectly nestled in between two large ridges that sloped down into a dense forest biome that would lead further into enemy lines. A multitude of tents, watchtowers and bungalows – small to large – were perfectly lined along both sides of a large dirt road that ran all the way down the middle of the camp; currently being used by a small convoy of carriages that deposited supplies and even a healthy number of reinforcements before carrying on up the sloped hill and towards the front-lines, taking with them a large number of battle ready inquisitors.

" _Think this might be a little too much?"_ whispered Rosalina as she watched the convoy disappear off to her left.

Ryden little chuckled. _"Having second thoughts are we?"_ he countered with a teasing smirk

Rosalina however shook her head at his tease, her correction coming out just as Rivia joined them; her form lying prone at Rosalina's left side.

" _That's not what I meant Ryden; I was talking about our previous idea on just attacking from the front. Such an action only funnels our enemies back into their lines, so I was considering a pincer"_

Ryden hummed in agreement while Rivia remained silent and ready. " _I was gonna mention that as well... considering the camp curves down deeper into the forest i was planning on having you take the front while I go for the rear"_ Ryden planned out before reaching over Rosalina and tapping Rivia's shoulder in order to gain her attention.

" _What is it?"_ asked the Abaddon

Ryden merely pointed north – directly forward – towards the second overlooking ridge in front of them. "If I was a commanding officer in charge of protecting a vital communications relay, then I'd have men up on high; overlooking the operations and in a perfect position to lay down covering fire in case a merry band of three idiots decided to attack half cocked" Ryden paused while Rivia directed a knowing smirk to him; Rosalina oddly doing the same thing.

Ryden hummed in slight amusement before carrying on. "With that in mind Rivia I want you to jump on over to the northern hill and give any Inquisitors my regards... hyper lethal regards preferably; no wait... _stealthy_ hyper lethal regards" Ryden order with a small excited smirk; enticing a look of exasperation from Rosalina and a similar smirk from Rivia herself; the woman having come to enjoy Ryden's odd social casualness. "After you've K-word them, I want you to wait for the signal, and that very signal may look similar to a flaming chaotic orgy of death – mixed closely with some electrical spice and the loud cackling howls of a sexually frustrated sword... you get all that?"

Rosalina felt as if her mind would over heat from personal embarrassment, the reason probably due to having been in the same sentence as the word 'orgy', while Rivia chuckled softly to herself; her humor from Ryden's odd choice of words – innocent in their wording – now finally forcing a genuine response of amusement from the now visibly excited devil.

"Honestly, what manner of schooling did you learn such dialect?" asked Rivia as she stifled her soft chuckles. To be in the same presences as a man that could somehow mix sexually orientated words with everyday sentences was somewhat of a relief on her end, and she couldn't understand why it was such a relief to her.

"Nothing special I'm afraid, just the usually education mixed with personality..." replied Ryden as he scratched his nose. "Anyway, the communications signal is located in the central bungalow right along that Plato in the center of the camp, far side of the road" Ryden added while pointing to a large octagonal tent/cabin sitting perfectly on a level grounded Plato on the far side of the main road. Out of all the tents in the area, this one sat on a perfectly level plate of ground in the middle of entire compound; clearing showing signs of importance.

Ryden hummed to himself before looking to Rivia. "Head to your position and remove anyone in the area, once the party starts I want you to remain on the cliff to provide long range bombardment in case reinforcements arrive... while me and Rosalina close in on the objective you can easily remove any convoys that come in behind us... though it would be nice if you could keep a low enough profile so to not paint yourself an immediate target" he instructed briskly

Rivia nodded before standing. "It shall be done Arbiter..." she said while bowing lightly and then subsequently vanishing into a rift.

Ryden smirked at the woman before he glanced down to a silent Rosalina; her eyes remaining on him completely.

"What?"

"You seem very comfortable in leading..." was all she commented before standing and brushing herself off. "I don't suppose you've had training in this type of field?" asked Rosalina as her gaze of curiosity locked with his steady gaze

Ryden gave the woman a lopsided grin, his gaze almost amused by her line of questioning. "Now that's a compliment if I've ever heard one... especially when it comes from thee Rosalina Phenex" he muttered out with a slight teasing tone, clearly prodding the woman's pride.

"Flattery doesn't answer my question..." countered Rosalina

"Yes... but you like it right?"

Rosalina's eyes narrowed at the reply while Ryden merely gave her a knowing smirk; fully knowing it was getting a rise out of her. A moment of silence passed with Rosalina regarding Ryden harshly with an accusing glare while the latter individual merely kept a hold his knowing expression.

After a moment longer Ryden snorted out of humor before he lightly patted Rosalina's head, the sudden action causing Rosalina to freeze the second his hand landed on her head. "You are a stubborn one Rosa, I'll give you that much..." he commented before dropping his hand away from Rosalina.

The woman merely rubbed her head gently in order to fix any small issues with her hair before pouting to the man; clearly annoyed by his lack of reply.

However he already knew what she truly wanted...

"I have knowledge in leadership merely because I was responsible for others back when I was in the Malphes territory; at that time I _did_ need the skills to lead others... but it was only for a short while"

At his words, Rosalina sharply regarded him with wide eyes; the small relenting of his past slightly forcing her into silence but yet her curiosity still persisted her to know more... a deep feeling within her practically demanding her to unveil the mystery before her.

Ryden however beat her to the punch...

"Why are you interested in my past?" he asked suddenly which garnered a wild blush to spring up onto Rosalina's cheeks, a reaction that forced a Cheshire grin to rise onto his lips. "Wait a minute... could it be that your more interested in _me_ then my experiences?" he asked with a rising smirk. "How adorable, I feel honored"

"T-t-t-t-that's n-not what I'm a-asking" stuttered Rosalina defensively

Ryden's brow rose in mock confusion. "Oh? Then why did you ask?"

"I asked because... because I wished to remind you your place" she proclaimed after a moment of thought, sparking a further raised brow at the woman's seemingly harsh words, yet her maddened blush and previous hesitance only seemed to lessen the effect; yet Ryden played along anyway... his intended goal already accomplished.

His form leaned down to regard Rosalina with an intentionally cute expression "And what is my place Sentinel?"

"Y-you are my knight sentinel, I will not t-tolerate disobedience... a-am I clear?" she growled out between stutters, causing Ryden to smirk at the woman knowingly.

He knew Rosalina was a prideful woman but her Tsundere type habits only continued to reveal more of what she truly was as a person; the idea that she really wasn't acting the way _she_ truly desired.

Light blushes, sporadic stutters, rapid eye movements, easily provoked by teasing and physical contact and refusal to express or even show emotional reactions were clearly the signs of a repressed woman; a woman bottling away herself in order to keep up appearances and subsequently sacrifice personal desire and joy all for the reputation of a controlling tradition. It was almost common sense to him upon thinking of the effects that mindset had on someone, and he immediately had a very profound feeling, that if the woman was to remain in the grasp of such a state for too long, then when the time came when she truly desires something or someone, but it infringed on her image and reputation, then she would only regret it more when it inevitably slips through her fingers when her duty demanded her to.

 _The curse of royalty... to know only that of which you were raised to know; void of personal desire and joy... empty and sunken..._

A hollow life would soon following afterwards with any previous signs of joy being slowly sapped away until nothing but a brooding, bitter, woman remained and he couldn't find himself enjoying the thought of being around a truly negative Rosalina Phenex.

Ryden slightly cringed at the mental image of a hollow eyed Rosalina staring at him robotically; sputtering the same boring noble courtesies until the vultures picked both him and her dry.

He cringed a second time before lightly patting the woman's head again, a soft chuckle escaping him as he walked past the now completely flustered woman; his own desire to help the woman open up catching flame as he did so.

"As you say Rosa..." he muttered while keeping his back to her, making sure he stood proudly and spoke with a tone more of acceptance then condescending. He paused momentarily however, before glancing back to the woman – smile still present – and eyes lit with nothing but friendliness. "...however, before that; how about taking the fight to the Old-Satan's before we go back to that little dominatrix fantasy you got cooped up in that mind of yours"

Just because he desired to break down her walls... didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun on the way

At his words, Rosalina froze in horror, not at all expecting Ryden to say what he just said. The human in disguise lightly laughed at her look of terror before turning and waving over his shoulder. "I'll be in touch Rosa, and don't worry... I can keep that between us" he pressed on before vanishing altogether; leaving behind a beat red and completely embarrassed Rosalina Phenex in the wake of his distant chuckles.

* * *

Ryden lightly grunted as he jumped down from a cliff edge; landing softly within a thick section of forestry before pushing forward towards a dirt road that led further into the forest of the Rose Garden. A light sigh escape him as he halted by a downed tree and adjusted himself within his cover, his sword having already been drawn and ready just before he had arrived.

Thankfully, upon arriving near the edge of the camp, no other bases or outposts were spotted further inland; leaving the large encampment as the sole target of interest and without a possible QRF force waiting close by.

Ryden lightly sighed again at the development before he pushed forward towards a second log and stopped there. Using it as a perch, Ryden observed a small collection of inquisitors mull about along the street, while a handful of other inquisitors hustled to action among the many bungalows and cabins that lined the dirt road.

Ryden raised a brow before dipping down into cover and nestling gently into a seated position. He was prepared to allow Rivia enough time to clear out the northern hillside and to also give Rosalina enough time to clear her head and get into position as well. With the current hustle and bustle, it was clear the enemy was preparing to move – thus enforcing the female inquisitor's reports from before. Whether they had enough time to infiltrate and neutralize the enemy forces _and_ hijack the communications monolith was yet to be seen, yet he couldn't attack half cocked. Since they didn't possess the ability in short range communication, they had to time their attack to almost synchronize perfectly with the other.

Well... _as_ synchronized as they could with what they had...

The plan was more of a _domino blitz_ then a normal infiltration. Since Abigail wasn't around to provide long range support and Nyx wasn't around to help increase the ground covered, blitzing the enemy with sheer fire power and force was all they could do that could create the same outcome as a stealth op.

No one can sound the alarm, if there is _no one_ to sound the alarm...

Ryden lightly smirked before he gently readied Fulgur; the time frame was closing in and he hoped Rosalina had gotten into position or else he'd be taking the full retaliatory force of the camp by himself, and he didn't favor the idea in taking another bolt shot to the face.

But it was now or never so he had to move...

" _Alright Fulgur, time to see what else you can do"_ he breathed out, enticing the assuring words of _Fulgur_ to enter his mind; the blade cueing its confidence with long drawled out whispers that eased Ryden's doubts. He couldn't help but smirk at the swords reply and he also couldn't help but appreciate the positive – yet rational – side of _Fulgur's_ comments.

He cracked his neck before standing, however in order to maximize his effect he remained cloaked while approaching the rear left side of the camp. Due to the canopy of trees from above him, the rays of light from the fake sun couldn't interfere with his invisibility, so he didn't need to worry about being spotted so easily; making his approach seeming less and uneventful.

 _Fulgur_ knew that its master was attempting to eliminate a few straggling Inquisitors silently before going loud, so it made itself none existent by dipping its demonic elemental energy signature to almost vanish entirely; making Ryden's first kill almost perfectly executed.

Ryden's hand clamped down over an inquisitors helmet from within a collection of thick shrubbery that had been at the devils flank; his augmented strength practically crushing the feeble metal and the inquisitor's mouth completely – staunching any yelp of surprise – before he pulled the now silenced devil into a darkened corner of the forest and out of sight. Within an instant the long blade of Fulgur punched through the devils back and out his stomach, severing the mid thoracic spinal column which caused the devil to immediately lose function of his legs and then ultimately succumb to his injuries a second after.

After disposing the body within a bush, Ryden pushed forward until his back was against a wooden support beam that held up a cabin that sat just to the entrance of the encampments main road. The cabin stood roughly five feet off the ground which was supported by several other beams underneath a large deck that both overlooked the encampment and the forest on either side. The relative position of the cabin was odd as the sounds of arguing could be heard within; the context of the argument was official business as Ryden knew perfectly well that regular foot soldiers aren't given instruction on troop movements and seemingly classified Intel regarding VIP locations. The possibility of it being between to high ranking officers was almost solidified by that thought, which garnered Ryden's attention.

 _It was a heated argument after all... a lot of insults were being spewed and the word 'treason' was sprinkled around almost constantly_

By then Ryden was interested in seeing what was happening as the possibility of _mutiny_ among his enemies was almost too sweet to pass up...

The large cabin possessed a rear entrance that had a small set of stairs that led to an entrance way into a possible employee area. As much as it seemed odd, but the main forest of the Rose Garden seemed awfully close to being a vacation/camping get-away resort then a simple forest by itself. Ryden knew the small history pertaining to some of the territories and the territory of thorns was known for its large – a severe understatement – unexplored forestry that was rumored to possess ancient ruins from a nearly forgotten age of demons.

 _Spooky_

Ryden knew the devils possessed curiosity – more so then most species – and the idea of using the large unexplored forest as a vacation adventure was probably one of the most popular trips for the mid-class devils which explained the numerous cabins and billboard maps that sat along the front entrance.

Too bad it was now a large unexplored cesspool of old-Satan controlled space... figures

Ryden ceased his mulling before he began to approach the rear entrance in order to get a closer look at the argument within but frozen when a young black haired inquisitor stepped out and trudged right passed him, completely unaware of the immense danger that he'd just walked right by.

"Damn fools... I knew placing this camp so close to the front would only last so long, but no, they just had test fate" laminated the assumed officer as Ryden circled around to the devils flank, his eyes and ears practically focusing in on the lone – fuming – devil. "Bad enough it'll take a while for us to pack up, but that _witch_ Katerea had to just vanish out of thin air... leaving us with that obsessed fool Foras... Satan damn those foolish descendants"

Ryden's brow slightly raised at the officers comments but he ignored his growing hesitance and slowly positioned his blade at the devils neck, seeing really no point in his interest with the man's anger. However, just before the hyper sharp blade could separate the devils spine and skull, a second inquisitor stepped out of the cabin; this one possessing short white hair with a thick beard and he looked more annoyed then the first devil... and even insulted it seemed.

"Speak of the True leviathan with respect _Astarte's_! The matters that pertain to her are far more important than your lazy habits, and General Foras' commands are extensions of her will... know your place and do as you are told" growled the second devil.

"Sorry, did you say something? I can't hear you with her dick in your mouth" shot back the first devil, very quickly forcing Ryden to cover up a snort of amusement at the feud before him.

"Tsk... vulgarity is no place among the inquis–"

"—you do realize what some of the inquisitors do to pass time right? Your own men do the same thing as them so don't preach to me about vulgarity when your own men contradict your words, so stuff it up your ass _Calris_ and piss off... I got no time for your obsessed loyalty towards that bratty woman Katerea, because unlike her, _we_ don't run off and delegate command to lunatics" rounded back the first devil, quickly overbearing the devil known as Calris with a vicious counter. "While she lets her arrogance blind her, _we_ are left to deal with the consequences from her own fuck ups. She placed a strategically valuable asset just a few hundred miles from the front-lines when the range of the monolith could have been just as effective from Zagan castle... That's not lazy thinking bootlicker, its common fucking sense"

Ryden silently watched as Calris seethed after every word spoken before pointing a finger at the first devil, his face almost snarling like a barely restraint dog. "Mark my words Valois, your own words will be your undoing; Katerea _will_ know of your treason..." growled Calris as he lumbered back up the steps, however Valois had one more comment to make.

"Pfffff... Your implying that she'll actually acknowledge your existence?" he questioned loud enough for Calris to hear before directing a condescending smirk to the glaring devil. "... good luck with that" he added before Calris vanished into the cabin.

Ryden stared at Valois as the devil slowly sauntered over to a log and sat down on it heavily, a slow sigh escaping his lips as he did so.

He stood there momentarily, silently watching the devil before his mind delved down a path he never believed he'd follow. He never formulated complex plans or schemes other then the resent attack strategies on both _Lucifaad_ and the present engagement before in his life.

However...

Grayfia was older than him by far, and possessed an intelligence and experience in the art of warfare that far out reached him. Yet his previous accomplishment in _Lucifaad_ had given light to his confidence, and that confidence was what he needed in order to find the woman who tortured him. She alone had done more atrocities to him than anyone and she used almost every form of manipulation possible in order to get to him... her determination in breaking him was almost awe inspiring, and that in of itself was the only thing he could compliment in regards to her methods.

 _Everything else was shit..._

If he wished to make his promise to her true, then he needed the same level of determination as her; and that meant he had to shake up the hornet's nest...

As his plan forged itself within his mind, Ryden evaluated the devils character before proceeding.

Obviously the devil was loose in his loyalty towards the Old-Satan forces – as evident by his previous actions – and his comments directed to the Old-Satan's prime leaders – mostly Katerea leviathan herself – were spoken with very clear signs of disdain and even hatred of all things. Whether it was because he was lazy was up for debate, but the idea that presented itself to him was at least acknowledgeable enough to give his far-fetched idea a try.

Valois did seem like a good enough man to not instantly kill without hesitance and Ryden would be lying if the man's comebacks didn't humor him enough to try and at least converse with him.

With his resolve hardened, Ryden stepped forward...

"That was an interesting conversation you had there..." commented Ryden as he stepped over the log and seated himself beside an extremely surprised Valois; the man's lips seemingly being silenced by an unseen force, a courtesy of Ryden's quick action. He hadn't thought on the possibility of the devil calling for help, so prior to making himself known he took the steps to make sure the devil couldn't speak. Big shocker that a mere thought was all it took for his desire to come true... a nifty thing that was.

Ryden lightly shook his head at the small thought before he directed a newly confident smirk towards the silent and suspicious Valois. "sorry for the intrusion but I didn't expect to come across such a conflict between equals, especially between two inquisitors... guess you can't really predict what you come across when you wondering around in a forest" continued Ryden as he directed an almost predatory like glance towards Valois; clearly assuming dominance by the mere action.

Valois remained rooted in his seat, his desire to calm himself practically forgotten the second the crimson haired man made himself known to him. For all his skill in sensing, he didn't feel anything from the man... nothing at all, and now he couldn't speak somehow.

The danger just kept increasing...

Ryden smirked when the man's confused eyes rounded back to him, his emotions slowly calming enough for him to speak. "For the time being – or until I know for sure that your not a screamer – I have rendered you speechless, because I feel you and I can come up with a sort of deal... one that will ensure your survival in the coming minutes" Ryden revealed ominously, sparking a look of slightly shock from Valois.

Ryden didn't need to say anything further to Valois as he need only show the devil the instrument of the coming destruction, and when the crimson blade of _Fulgur_ came into the devils view it was clear enough that his point was painfully driven across. Ryden smirked at the look of horror on the man's face before pressing on.

"Here's the deal and I'm gonna be frank about this; I kinda like you..." he said clearly, sparking a genuine look of confusion from the forcefully silenced devil "... Your comeback to that Calris fellow was quiet amusing, and your morals towards the despicable actions pertaining to the inquisition is somewhat comforting to hear... quite honestly, I think your very character saved your life"

 _First step in shutting down rebellion... instill fear_

By that point Valois' was almost completely silenced by Ryden's words; their meaning being enough to hint towards the fact that Valois had not been alone in the forest in the first place... he'd stumbled into danger without knowing the gravity of his first mistake, and whether this was his last minutes alive or his salvation, was ultimately up to his own decision.

 _Second rule... establish an ultimatum_

The look in the man's eyes didn't seem very merciful – or even normal for that matter – but the opportunity to avoid whatever fate the man wished to inflict on him was almost too much to pass up... especially if it meant he'd die before he got to see that hypercritical fool Calris get what was coming to him.

Slowly, Valois' head nodded in acceptance, which gave Ryden enough incentive to give the man his speech back. Once the man could feel his own ability to speak return, his first comment was something of a shock to Ryden... eerily due to how vehement it was.

"Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it... but I want that fool Calris' life to end first, let his death spark the others" he said darkly, almost as if a true set of emotions had been freed from captivity.

Ryden calmly raised a brow at the devils wish, his eyes slightly blinking at how flawless his sudden plan was unfolding, yet Ryden didn't hesitate to press onward. "That was a lot easier than I thought... do you not possess loyalty towards the Old-Satan's?" Ryden asked genuinely.

A look of pain, or slight regret, passed over the Devils eyes before they slowly reigned in into nod. "I have no love for them anymore... it was only because of my honor as a knight that pressed me to follow the one I was sworn to ages ago. Although now my loyalty falters with every dishonor mounted upon my creed, and every slate and crime committed only dulls my will further" again. A look of pain creased over the man's eyes as Ryden's own widened upon realizing who he was talking to...

 _An original Inquisitor_... a long forgotten follower of the original creed; many of which having been lost prior to the end of the Great War and their lord had been the very cause of the Great War itself... _Lucifer_

"I've seen many atrocities... many of which I ignored because of my blind faith in my loyalty to the fallen son, yet when my loyalty called me to slay and torture my own kind – sometimes do even more then that – I could no longer ignore myself... and that fool Calris ignores it all" briefly a look of extreme rage creased over the young men's face before a snarl escaped his lips. "we swore to the creed long ago and served for almost ages without faltering, yet that fool dishonors both himself and our lord with his foolish feelings towards a brat without honor or limits... he has lost his way and I will be damned to purgatory if he lives long enough to dishonor my fallen brothers and sisters any further... this is my deal to you, kill that fool and I shall do whatever it is you want me"

Ryden blinked at the vehemence behind the man's words, genuinely shocked by how easily twisted the man truly was. He couldn't exactly explain at how well this was going either, as just a small minute ago he was assuming he'd need to 'negotiate' the man's loyalty yet all this man really needed was a way out, a way to redeem both himself and the creed in which he'd sworn himself too and Ryden had literally been the one to give him that opportunity.

 _Devils sure loved their creeds it seemed... the old ones anyway... but... holy shit was this convenient_

Shaking his head away from the distracting thoughts, Ryden nodded to the man before speaking. "Then I shall tell you my wish" he began as Valois regarded him solemnly, the idea of actually betraying a brother in arms still bearing some effect... Ryden could understand the feeling, moderately at least.

"There's a woman I want you to relay a report to, her status is that of a Lucifuge; more specifically her status is _Lordess Lucifuge_... I want you to report to her that 'Ryden Vale' was last seen in the city of Lilith... that is all"

Valois blinked at the request, a slight feeling of trepidation flowing through his body as he registered the gravity of the situation. "That woman is out of my league, she will not have audience with a mere inquisitor like me, so I don't see how I can help with that" he worded sullenly, however Ryden waved it off.

"Sure you will... spouting the name _Ryden Vale_ is sure to gain her attention because that man escaped her capture, because that man is her greatest failure, and the reason he's her greatest failure is because it was that very man that destroyed _Lucifaad_..." revealed Ryden, sparking a massive look of shock from Valois. Ryden however ignored that and merely tilted his head gently, an innocent glint in his eyes. "Understand? It would surely cause her great pain if say... Rizevim found out... wouldn't it?"

The meaning behind Ryden's words caused the inquisitor to shiver at not only the dark tone spoken but at how deeply manipulative it was. It took a curtain amount of luck to do it, but anyone could take control of someone with the right amount of leeway and that very leeway was this man named Ryden Vale ... Valois found the name to be familiar – probably from having read it in some report before – but he didn't think much into it because he had other more pressing matters to deal with.

It was clear to him then that the man was trying to use the importance of Ryden Vale as a way to divert the attention of the Lucifuge house towards a false end; the end result only causing more damage to the lucifuge woman when nothing was found.

Valois slowly nodded again after seeing through the wish well enough to know that it was indeed plausible before speaking his acceptance. "Then I shall see to it that the Lordess gets your message... though I hope she doesn't kill me for giving her false information"

"Who said it was gonna be false?"

Valois paused suddenly, immediately identifying the root beginnings of an assassination... and on a fellow devil that had sworn to follow Lucifer's wishes no less. However Ryden already knew the possible complications this may cause and merely spoke accordingly.

"If you think sexual abusing captured woman is intolerable, then you can agree that executing children and families is an even worse offence... _that_ is what this woman had committed, pointless slaughter for nothing... what does that creed of yours say about following a woman that has the next generation killed like imps?"

Valois paused again, yet this time he was more horrified then anything. His stomach churned every time he watched the younger inquisitors laughed at the expense of another's suffering, mostly to the ones that had a personal contribution in, yet knowing that one of the ones that he'd followed into battle before; one that had followed the same lord as he had, fall into the deplorable act of mass slaughter of children and families... was a hard pill to swallow indeed.

"My creed says to put her down... put her down deeper than all the others" he growled out while clenching his fists. "How far has our kind fallen? How tainted have we become in our sole existence of conflict? We were suppose to topple the white palace... lay that false paradise into the open for the lie it was, yet now we slaughter our own over petty political disagreements" laminated devil.

Ryden rolled his eyes at the words spoken. "Poetic brilliance aside, can you fulfill your end of the bargain?" he asked quickly, patience dwindling as the thought of an impatient Rosalina came to mind.

Valois only nodded at the affirmed question with a slightly downcast expression, which caused Ryden to sigh in relief before smirking almost brightly to the devil. "Alrighty then... kill Calris, seems simple enough..." he muttered while standing suddenly. Valois merely snorted at the comment before commenting his counter to Ryden's confidence.

"Easier said than done I'm afraid, we both hailed supreme in swordsmanship then any of our brethren... killing him will not be so easy"

Ryden merely waved his sword around momentarily. "Do you see what I'm holding?" he asked almost mockingly, enticing a look of recognition from Valois.

"Oh..."

Ryden smirked lightly at that. "Yeah... that's what I thought" he said while causally walking up the stairs to the cabins rear entrance.

Valois blinked. "Wait, what are you doing?" He asked in immediate confusion as Ryden paused just before knocking.

Glancing over his shoulder, Ryden shrugged at the question with a clear sign of confusion in his eyes. "Up holding my end of the bargain? Isn't that what you want?"

"Yes but I expected it to be–"

 _ **KNOCK KNOCK**_

"—A little bit more thought out"

Ryden shrugged while stepping down from the stairs and dipping down under the cabin. "Thinking things out is for nerds..." he muttered in response before vanishing from sight, leaving behind an almost entirely exasperated Valois in the open.

Everything that was happening was happening to fast for him to even attempt to fully think through, so he simply shrugged away the questions that sprang up in his mind. Whatever the man was doing was obviously well thought out – as much as it was against the man's previous comment – and all he had to do was stand there and wait, obviously being the very bait that drew Calris out.

His nose slightly crinkled at that, when the thought of standing by and letting someone else kill his former brother in arms, but he knew it had to be this way or the conflict would never end. By all rights it should be him dealing the killing blow, yet he knew such a thing was impossible, as both he and Calris had very similar skills in the art of swordsmanship. Whenever they spared neither side claimed victory; even after a full day of fighting, not one of them claimed the upper hand and not once had they been holding back.

 _Every swing had been laden with killing intent_

He knew it had to be this way, but that didn't stop the bitter taste in his mouth that increased further when the door to the command cabin opened to reveal the man of the hour. Calris' gaze was antagonizing and infuriating but never the less the man stepped out and into the forest, his form practically stomping towards Valois. "What now!? I've got bigger things to deal with then you Valois so get on with it" he growled.

Valois merely smirked gently, the man's usually infuriating words only seemingly giving rise to his impending relief. His previous feelings of disgust towards his dishonor almost vanished however upon hearing the absolutely abhorrent tone the slightly older devil carried and by that point his honor was hardly damaged when Ryden stepped out from underneath the cabin, thus solidifying the man's impending death with his reveal.

"Hello there" called out Ryden in a moderately 'obi-wan' type tone, forcing the white haired devil to twist around and glare at him instantly, the slight rise to the reply 'general Ken-obi' practically mimicked in the expression alone which caused Ryden to smirk to himself.

"Who are-mmmmm?" Calris' half question came out quickly, yet Ryden managed to silence the devil a second after with a mere snap of his finger.

Ryden lightly eyed the man coyly, his finger rising up to his lips when the devil continued to try and force himself to speak. "Shh... only rodents squirm when captured" he whispered as he leveled _Fulgur_ towards Calris; the man's eyes very quickly identifying who he was looking at the minute the crimson blade laid itself bear before him.

Ryden smirked at the look of recognition in the man's eyes before he casually inspected the sword; thus showcasing it to the Inquisitor and further illuminating at just how fucked Calris was. Valois may not have immediately recognized him but this one had... so it was a good thing he silenced him when he did.

"I hear you are a fickle little man... a man who once followed a creed that held such an importance that it demanded your absolute obedience... yet it seems your honor has shifted and the creed you once followed now comes second to that of a woman that only seems to dishonor your former allegiance with every breath she breathes... yet it seems you could care less" Ryden gibed as he casually strolled towards Calris in a very slow pace.

The man in question however merely stood rooted in place; his former annoyance with Valois almost completely forgotten as the characteristics of the Anti-Satan standing before him continuously invaded his memory. He'd read the reports and skimmed over the detailed rumors that leaked from the seems that was the Anti-Satan's civilian channels. The red, black and gold outfit that came as official noble ranking; and the red hair that hung down to the nape of the devils neck... This man was Ryden Vale Gremory, the younger brother to the famed war hero _Ruina Nex..._ and now the possessor of _Infernum Fulgur_.

The knowledge was brutally clear and that knowledge carried with it a message, and that message only said three things...

 _He was dead..._

Ryden lightly acknowledged Valois before regarding Calris again, his hand raising slightly to gesture to the first devil. "he asked me to kill you..." Ryden revealed; forcing the man to widen his eyes in shock before they shifted to glance at the man, yet Ryden's pressing words enraptured his attention before he could glare hatefully to his forgotten ally.

Ryden was practically standing before Calris at that point, yet the man made no attempt to fight him as his fear controlled his every function... resistance was futile.

Smirking to himself, Ryden began the man's poetic eulogy. "you who are honor-less, you who are bewitched by foolishness and disloyalty; deserve neither the taste of a true inquisitor's blade, nor the death of one... instead chance shall determine what fate befalls you"

Valois felt a small chill of pride at the words, oddly moved by the man's random show of respect towards his creed. For all intents and purposes, the crimes and dishonors committed by the foolish young should have tarnished the inquisitions name beyond redemption, yet this man still showed just a light smudge of respect, even if it was all for appearances Valois could appreciate the words regardless.

Ryden continued on to revealed a coin in his hand, golden and marked with the ancient sigils that shone within a glimmer of luxury only ever possessed by nobles and represented by the Ars Geotia sigil of the 72 devil family. one side shone the pentagram of hell and on the other side showed a robed angel descending upon the depths of hell itself: Lucifer, the fallen son. Ryden showed the coin to Calris; making sure he saw both sides before speak. "One side represents your former lord, the other being that of hell itself... your fate lies with these two, which will it be?" with his words spoken the coin was flipped into the air a second after his rhetorical question.

Time slowed to a crawl for Calris and Valois while Ryden barely felt effected by it, his casual words echoing out for the both of them to hear while the clouds above slowly darkened; the eye of the proverbial storm being just above the doomed inquisitor.

"And here... we... go!"

Just as the coin hit the floor – the sight of the Ars Geotia pentagram facing up words – a massive bolt of crimson lightning slammed into Calris from above, blowing up the terrified inquisitor entirely with the vengeful force of hell itself.

Fate had chosen, and hell answered the call... Ryden couldn't honestly believe how well that worked, but then again it could have gone either way regardless.

A swirl of chaos erupted suddenly from behind Ryden; the bolt of lightning having seemingly called upon a firestorm that scorched the air itself, as massive white hot flames ripped apart everything in sight from deeper within the encampment, its origin having come from the eastern most entrance way which garnered the attention of almost every signal inquisitor the second it erupted.

Ryden casually glanced over his shoulders and hummed at the firestorm in amusement while Valois stood by in shock. "Hmm... seems someone was impatient" he muttered before looking to Valois. "Remember the deal"

Valois only nodded at it, his eyes ghostly wide at the sudden change of events and the sheer power that the man showed him; yet his attention swiftly returned to the man that had been his sudden key to freedom. "I will... your message will be delivered by my honor"

Ryden nodded firmly to the devil before point away from the camp. "Good, now go before my friend mistaken you as an enemy"

Without any further words, Ryden watched as the devil nodded before running off into the forest, his form disappearing into the thick forestry before Ryden turned to hurry into the fray. He didn't know if his sudden plan would work but it wasn't as if his plan demanded his absolute attention either. The plan was simple on paper, yet its effect was far larger than anyone could imagine but whether Valois was truly honorable or not was up for debate, so Ryden was skeptical of his plan even working and even it didn't then he'd lose nothing over it.

He knew Grayfia was a fiercely loyal follower of the Old-Satan's and a very prideful woman as well. She didn't express it much in words but it was clear that she desired to stomp out anyone that threatened her position; be it child or elder. The reason this plan might work was due to that very pride, as it would only harm Grayfia's reputation - and by extension – her valuable pride if her superior found out about her massive fuck up that got the Old-Satan's crown city destroyed.

The amount of shock he saw in Sirzechs' eyes; as well as all the others when he told them of _Lucifaad's_ destruction, was a clear enough sign to show that the old city formerly owned by Lucifer himself wasn't small enough to ignore, and he himself knew its value was irreplaceable to the Old-Satan's heavy belief system by that very point. If Rizevim found out that Grayfia had let him escape, only for him to wind up destroying their crown jewel a literal week later, then her ass was on the line... and whatever fate that threatened her was bound to come crumbling down over her if he learned of her folly.

... And he wanted to be there when that happened.

But that was the easy route – one that denied him the satisfaction of killing her himself – the route he truly wanted was a lot simpler and the plan he set in motion was primed to do just that...

 _If he could not come to her... then he would have her to him; desperate to tie up a loose end... only to stumble into a_ _ **bullet**_ _once she did._

This plan also gave Grayfia a multitude of dilemmas. If this plan worked in his favor – that is _if_ she survives the first attempted – then Grayfia would become hesitant to answer any reports regarding him by chance she suspected it to be a trap, thus causing her to doubt her sources information and if that worked then he could waltz right into a valuable asset without the threat of Death knights being close behind... afraid of it being a literal shit storm waiting for them.

If this worked... then he'd have grabbed her by the balls without her even knowing

Ryden smirked to himself, the inner analogy causing his humor to pulse just as he met the rear guard of a collection of inquisitors that made a Phalanx formation just up the road. With his sword primed and ready for action, the formation of inquisitors was almost entirely vaporized by a single swing; sending both limbs and bodies hurling in varies directions from the sheer force of his swing and the collective voltage arc lightning that followed it, decimating the hastily built formation with a crimson explosion.

"CONTACT REAR, SINGLE TARGET!" yelled out an officer just as Ryden cut down three stunned inquisitors. After hearing the officers words Ryden threw _Fulgur_ horizontally to his right, the action itself killing three other inquisitors before the now spinning blade carried on like a boomerang; circling Ryden's position like a defensive disc that rendered any devils not paying attention headless.

As the sword spun, Ryden drew _Cerberus_ and clipped back the anti-infantry hammer and cycled the mode to _hell-bite_ and proceeded to unload dozens of rapid shots into any surrounding inquisitors that managed to dodge _Fulgur's_ edge. After a number of rapid shots, a multitude of chaotic explosions followed after the crystallized rounds tore into the intending targets; detonating the devils hit and even killing a scattering few from the explosive after effect.

Once his flurry of shots ended, Ryden caught Fulgur mid spin and used the momentum to twist around bifurcate a rapidly approaching officer with a horizontal corkscrew swing and then used the officer as a meat shield to block a dozen bolts from a distant position of casters perched atop a watch tower on his left side. After identifying the location, Ryden thus ignored it while disposing the officer on his blade while _Fulgur_ called down a single arc bolt of arc lightning from the darkened sky above; the power being enough to not only vaporize the casters, but also completely destroy the wooden watch tower they sat upon. The explosion sent hundreds of wooden shards in every direction that mostly seemed ineffective against the heavily armored knights that sat at the base of the watch tower. After the explosion the heavy knights immediately moved to form a roadblock formation along the dirt road, their long pole axes and heavy shields barring Ryden's advance.

They were not as large as the grand inquisitor's escorts, but they were much the same in armor build than anything else around him; which caused Ryden to pause where he stood and survey the surrounding area for an opening before engaging the small squad of heavy inquisitors.

Most of the surrounding area was almost entirely destroyed and set ablaze, as dozens of chaotic flames covered the majority of the camp; dousing the previously mellow outpost into a state of panic. He'd not known it before but _Fulgur_ possessed a serious amount of control over the storm above and seemed keen on striking down anything that approached him or even remotely looked destructible. Large or small bolts of crimson arc energy slammed into buildings and tents sporadically, either sending them up into smoke and splinters or incinerating them entirely with the occupants within.

It was an indiscriminate slaughter that happened continuously even as he stood motionless in the middle of the street. Like a literal storm that sat at his finger tips, it answered whatever desire he wanted with lightning quick results, a notable development that which he used to his immediate advantage. If he wanted a cluster of knights in shambles then all he'd need do is think it, and a mere blink of the eye later and the desired target was either ashes or a convulsing corpse. Ryden didn't know he had such domain over the sky before as it was mostly due to _Fulgur's_ comments towards its lack in power, but he guessed he underestimated the blades true limits at present.

Then again he'd only just recently began to cut loose, so the sheer limits of _F_ _ulgur's current_ potential was up for debate. So far however, complete control over the lives of those below _his_ sky was apparently one of those very limits...

 _And there were three more of these things... and their powers were only half of that they truly were... good god_

Shaking his excitement away for the moment, Ryden regarded the cluster of heavy knights before pointing to the sky. The action was answered almost instantly by _Fulgur_ – the blade sensing its wielders own power and authority over it – which came into effect the moment Ryden's hand dropped down to point at the heavy knights; the gesture itself causing the sky to crack and churn before a massive bolt of arc energy slammed right where Ryden wanted it to...

 _ **BVVVVVVVV... BOOOOOOOOOMMM!**_

The explosion that followed acted almost like a miniature thermonuclear detonation that practically vaporized both the cluster of heavy infantry blocking his path and several other tents and bungalows that sat on either side of the road... the effects completely devastating an entire block

Ryden stood rooted in place as the shockwave passed over him; his form sliding back from the force generated by the explosion while a collection of flanking inquisitors was instead tossed off their feet and into disheveled heaps on the floor, some of which actually being struck by random bolts of lightning while the rest stood back up to engage him again. Ryden however couldn't really care less about them, his attention solely focused on the moderately sized crater in the ground in front of him.

He was motionless for a second, dumbfounded by the fact that he literally called lightning down from the sky like some kind of badass god and created a miniature _nuke_ from the power it possessed.

Was that a little bit too much?

Ryden glanced around himself, evidently noticing the lack of fire on everything close by, which meant the explosion had been large enough too snuffed out the oxygen in a good 20 feet in diameter. As he evaluated the damage in the area – ignoring the flanking inquisitors at his 12 o' clock and thusly ignoring his previous internal question in regards to the term 'overkill' – he soon noticed the distant flames of Rosalina's Phenex fire; the white hot gouges of super conducted waves of heat almost having completely incinerated most of everything with every swing of her odd sword, or _Ira Flamma_ as she liked to call it.

Seeing as how _Fulgur_ had made short work of everything in the area courtesy of its spatial control and authority over the sky, Ryden saw it fit to cover more ground.

Raising _Cerberus_ casually and without looking, Ryden neutralized his flankers with a single elemental shot that impacted the ground just a couple feet before them. Since his theory on arc energy and his connection with the very element, he knew the effects of it varied greatly from regular lightning, which was evident enough when the crimson bullet exploded upon impact with the ground, however instead of dissipating like regular lightning, the energy within the crystallized round seemed to _ionize_ before shooting forward violently in a wave; scorching the ground and vaporizing the collection of inquisitors before it fizzed out after traveling a couple dozen yards... the sudden yells of shock from the inquisitors caught in the attack merely rendered silent the instant the wave made contact.

Ryden blinked at the outcome before he nodded to himself in realization; know fully realizing the difference between lightning and demonic lightning – commonly known as _Arc Energy_. Where regular lightning needed a conductive element to connect with, arc energy didn't need such a thing as its natural existence merely being due to high amounts of residual demonic energy within the atmosphere, and that meant preexisting demonic energy within anything that possessed demonic energy only strengthened its natural charge, however due to its nature in being demonic energy it could be also be manipulated with enough understanding.

What he controlled however was Arc energy in its purest form; unbound by the limits of a devil and free of any mental restraint.

"Hmm..." Ryden hummed before sighing loudly, his eyes skimming over the excited crimson blade. "You just keep impressing"

 _Fulgur_ thoomed positively at the compliment; its energy moving to invigorate its master while Ryden merely smirked at both the response and the gift given to him before using it the second after it finished enveloping his body. His muscles felt lighter and his breathing felt more relaxed and bountiful; each breath almost seemingly bringing in more oxygen that further helped clear his mind and fight away his growing fatigue.

With the demonic equivalent of natural _adrenaline_ coursing through his body, Ryden seemingly vanished in a flurry of cackling red electrical arcs when he propelled himself up the road. A trail of dust followed after his rush which ceased the moment he grinned to a halt at Rosalina's last known location.

Since she had been the most prominently active factor in their assault, the majority of the inquisitors had moved to respond to her attack and as such the sight that greeted Ryden was one to whistle at. With both a central control on grace and ferocity; Rosalina cleaved and diced her assaulting attackers with a fury only possessed by maidens of war, something that Rosalina was testament to personify with her skill and mastery of her family trait.

Her sword simmered with internal heating far beyond comfortable levels which helped her dismember her enemies with single passing glances and full fledge jabs; her own attacks cauterizing wounds and incinerating internal organs with each strike. Ryden hadn't been able to truly see just how well Rosalina was in combat, but now that he'd seen her in action he was easily understanding why she was considered ultimate-class... that ranking was not given lightly it seemed.

It wasn't her sword alone that kept her from being overrun, but rather her territorial control of the flames that her very sword created which erected walls of white hot flames that none dared to weather. However, even with her control of the flames, the inquisitors still managed to gain ground somehow but yet that mattered little to her... especially when he arrived.

 _She did not forget the challenge issued..._

Rosalina regarded him from where she was, watching as Ryden merely stood calmly at a distance; watching as the inquisitors gained ground on her. She didn't know how they had managed to survive her flames as they did; possibly being testament to the armor they wore as those that didn't wear full armor had fallen back deeper into the outpost only to seemingly have met Ryden in his charge instead.

With him here, it only meant that she was falling behind in their little challenge, and that thought alone broke away her restraint, which came out as a light click of her tongue in annoyance. Though the armor worn by her enemies did amount some resistance to her flames, it was only because she had been holding back that allowed them to gain such ground. Were it not for the fact the objective was to her far left, then the large contingent of inquisitors besieging her would have only be ash under her armored heels.

Her gaze regarded Ryden a second time, the man tilting his head teasingly as the sky above her darkened which garnered her attention. A ghostly expression soon shifted onto her face as she realized what the darkened sky meant before A heated glare was directed towards the smirking devil a second later before her resolve was firmly collected.

 _The cheeky son of a..._

Rosalina knew for a fact he would try and help her, his natural kindness being all more apparent the more she knew him, yet the idea of letting him help her only seemed to infuriate her further, and that alone forced her hand enough to forgo all restrictions. Her left hand came up to grip her blade in a two handed stance, before she rose her blade up and pointed it forward; blade held horizontally. The large fires within the area dwindled down by the simple action, as her sword seemingly absorbed all of the fire in the area until an orb of flame appeared at the tip of her sword. Holding _Ira Flamma_ towards the bulk of her attackers, Rosalina grit her teeth determination before the golf ball sized orb...

 _... Turned into a massive white beam of death_

 _ **FFFFFFFFFWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO!**_

Ryden's eyes nearly budged out in surprise at the attack, the beam itself having nearly incarnated the entire right side of the outpost, along with a small majority of the forest that led deeper inland. The attack alone had practically erased Rosalina's assaulter's altogether, leaving only a handful of terrified inquisitors who were immediately taken out by a number of bolts courtesy of Ryden himself. Though he was shocked by the sudden show of sheer destruction – the attack itself seemingly coming completely out of nowhere – he was quick enough to notice that it had taken a large toll on Rosalina's reserves as the woman immediately fell to a single knee; her sword acting now as a crutch to hold her up.

With her problems done with however, Ryden approached casually while sheathing away _Fulgur._ Stopping a few feet away from the kneeling woman, Ryden titled his head gently when Rosalina gazed up at him with a lethargic gaze; clearly answering Ryden's unspoken question.

Sighing to himself Ryden glanced up to the second ridge to spot Rivia casually watching atop a small rock and gave her a thumbs up gesture; signalling the all clear while also surveying the area just to be on the safe side.

The camp itself looked like hell – hahaha – as the majority of the camps bungalows were nothing by smoking heaps and ashen piles. The sky was almost completely blotted out at that point, as the numbering fires that consumed the outpost created enough of a smoke screen that the blackened clouds above only seemed to accentuate the effect. The numbering watch towers that had scattered the small base had also fallen victim as none stood anymore, while the few rare cabins were nothing but shrapnel and craters – their wooden husks only being fuel to the numbering fires.

1 minute and 27 seconds...

That was how long it took for them to capture the outpost... obviously taking away his time in setting up his small off the books plan that is.

Ryden couldn't determine the number of inquisitors and officers that had been present, as he had only killed a dozen of them personally, while _Fulgur_ had done in the rest with its domain over the sky. And Rosalina, she was the only one who knew how many she killed but she was too exhausted to say anything, but he knew that number was close to his own – if not more – as the initial assault had mostly been her doing. After he'd killed Calris – with unnecessary theatrics – Rosalina had practically called down the fire, AC130 style, and garnered the most attention due to her sheer presences alone, which seemed like common sense to assume that she amounted had amounted the larger body count... guess she won that little challenge.

All in all the speed of engagement when it came to supernatural combat far outpaced the rules of engagement for humans and that was something Ryden wasn't used to. They'd handled _Lucifaad_ well enough using stealth and a nuke, yet its pacing moved just the same as a normal operation of human spec ops. The small battle within the forest with Rivia was nearly the same as present, yet its scenario felt a little to... _easy_... to categorize it with an assault on an enemy outpost.

 _There was no planning needed at that time_

He shook his head before turning to assist Rosalina, only to blink when he spotted Rivia carrying her bridal style; the older woman merely holding a neutral yet concerned gaze towards him as he regarded her with brief surprise at her sudden arrival.

"Are you alright Ryden? You blanked out for a second" asked the woman out of concern

Ryden's eyes shifted left and right in confusion before dropping it all together. "Yeah... I'm just..." he paused momentarily before sighing loudly. "I'm just a little put off by how easy this all was... how many Inquisitors were stationed here anyway?" he asked exasperatedly, changing the subject.

Rivia blinked at the sudden question before softly giggling, confusing Ryden by the response before her gaze returned after a moment. "I was not expecting such a question..." she replied after fighting back her amusement.

Ryden's eye brow blinked before his memory jumped back to a similar moment with Serafall which caused himself to regard Rivia with a blank expression, an expression she didn't notice.

"It's only natural that devils like us – the ones gifted with more power than the rest – find common problems like capturing this outpost as trivial matters... if you'd have asked, then I would have cleared out this small encampment by myself, yet I was issued over watch duty instead" Rivia paused in her second reply in order to lightly frown before gently shrugging a moment after. "I guess you two did have a competition to complete; there's that at least"

Ryden merely nodded at the explanation hollowly, taking the words at face value before clicking his tongue in annoyance. "So none of them would have been a challenge?" he drawled out

Rivia giggled again while eyeing the surrounding area. "The only challenge would have been your ability to keep focused on the rabble around you; there are times where even _I_ find myself lost in thought mid fight... if you can call it a _fight_ that is" Rivia paused before throwing Ryden a slightly pained – yet knowing – expression. "One of the reasons I may look so bored or disinterested is mainly because no one has made my blood rush in over a few hundred years... even some angels struggled to spur my true attention because all I need do is insult their father just slightly and they'd make more mistakes then a young fledgling with a head injury" a sigh escaped Rivia's lips before she smirked gently to Ryden. "The low-class struggle to rise up, while the ultimate-class struggle to stay awake... it's somewhat humorous is it not?"

Ryden shrugged before looking to the sole remaining tent – the one that housed the monolith – and gestured Rivia to follow him. "In a slightly heart shattering way, yes..." he began while walking, Rivia following behind with a silent Rosalina still in her arms. "Maybe sometime down the road I could try and give you a challenge"

"Oh my... was that your try at flirting, Lord Arbiter?" asked the now coyly smirking woman, her eyes regarding him mischievously.

Ryden shook his head lightly, smirking almost humorously at Rivia's choice of reply before countering. "We both know my words didn't hint towards that Rivia; the fact you brought it up only means it is you who is truly flirting" he accused with a victorious smirk when Rivia's eyes slightly widened in response to his counter.

Had her hands been free, Rivia would have hid her face in response to Ryden's perfect counter, yet it was unavoidable when her rare blush greeted Ryden's gaze.

The man smirked at that. "Now there's a rare blush... how cute; and here I thought you were immune to teasing... guess I was wrong"

Rivia blinked sheepishly at Ryden's words before her eyes dipped into a playful gaze; understanding laced within. "Lady Tiamat was right... you _are_ good" she muttered before a playful smirk rose to her lips. "It would seem I will need to strengthen my defenses, if I'm to overcome your natural confidence then I will need to pull out my true skill"

"So your saying sleeping naked and almost forcing me to pleasure you was only level one?" asked Ryden with a innocent glint of confusion, _actually_ getting a choked response from Rivia at how seemingly adorable it looked. His tone and posture seemed childlike but his words were anything but and Rivia couldn't understand why but the effect of his simple gesture forced her into moderate silence

 _... Mostly because he was right though_

She played that trick on Sirzechs before in order to see if the so called war hero was as innocent as she thought he was underneath his facade of bloodlust. It turned out that she was right in the end but she'd played her full hand too early and any kind of further rounds of teasing were either ignored completely or brushed off without a care.

Many had said her body rivaled angels in sheer beauty and Rivia took those words in order to torment innocent boys into opening up to desire and awaken their natural craving for female devils. Though that didn't mean she _slept_ with ever boy she saw just to tease them – Satan's no, that would be too cruel – but rather to show off the prime examples of sexuality in order to stir the minds of repressed devils, most of which still being focused on conflict and war. She only ever chose to 'sleep tease' with those she felt carried a curtain personal quality that wouldn't cause them to become obsessed with her when the joke was revealed. Pride was her body and mind, so tainting it was not a real option for her but using it for a little fun couldn't harm her much... at least she thought so.

Ryden and Sirzechs were the only ones that possessed that honor after all... and neither one had tried to ravish her...

It could be a slight confidence issue she supposed, as the fact that neither one had tried to take her at that moment had started to weigh down on her confidence, or it was possible that both Ryden and Sirzechs had their minds set towards vastly more important matters then sudden pleasures of the flesh; even if it was her offering...

It was possible, yet out of the two, Sirzechs had seemed the most tempted during that time, while Ryden seemed like he was trying to stay as professional as he could in the face of her aggressive teasing. His hand had been mere inches from where the sin of lust originated and not a single shred of desire graced his gaze and his demonic energy didn't even fluctuate towards ravenous lust, but rather it seemed almost terrified of crossing the line.

Rivia frowned lightly at the subject before ultimately ignoring it. whatever the reason, Ryden had his choices and she wasn't about to get all cooped up over the possibility of Ryden not seeing much in her; that was for young devils and not for her to do... she was more patient then them after all.

Ryden stepped into the room soon after arriving at the entrance to the monoliths containment room, followed shortly by Rivia who moved to place Rosalina onto a chair off to the side. within the room sat exactly what Ryden had described; a monolith black in color, or more accurately a monolith made from solid black marble rock which was covered head to toe in magic sigils that thoomed with latent magic energy. Seeing as how his presence didn't seem to destabilize the signal of the communication monolith, Ryden approached close enough that he could fully see the complete details on the monoliths surface.

He didn't dare touch it however, knowing full well that doing so without caution could possibly throw his mind into the blender again. With how convoluted the messages had been before, it was clear anything more complicated could possibly turn him into a vegetable if he wasn't careful. What he was looking at was the entire nexus of the Old-Satan communications relay, how important it was, was entirely up to chance; for all he knew it could be a simple communications relay for the Rose Garden which was not exactly a terrible thing but Ryden was hoping this bad boy was the one thing holding up the Old-Satan's house of cards within the _Territory Of Thorns_ ; taking it would weaken the Old-Satan's hold on the _Territory Of Thorns_ and that alone would be a heavy blow for sure, and one that would help in his plan to draw out Grayfia. If she learned that it was him that toppled communications then anything regarding him would obviously garner her attention to the fullest.

Ryden's lips rose slightly as his plan – hastily designed as it was – seemingly fell into place without issue; all he had to do now was take the plunge.

"Do you know what you're doing?"

Ryden paused before he could make contact with the monolith, his eyes looking to Rivia as she stepped to his side. For a moment Ryden thought on it before shaking his head gently; finding no words to say otherwise. "No idea..." he said with a sigh. "It's obvious this is some kind of new form of technology the Old-Satan's forged together in order to help them communicate longer than usual distances; considering General Astaroth didn't make it himself only suggests that someone of equal skill did"

Rivia nodded at the summery, her own eyes moving to regard the black spire before her own thoughts jumped onto a possible theory. "The Lucifuge family has one member that rivals General Astaroth's ingenuity; it's possible he was the one to create the blueprint for this"

Ryden nodded, his lips tugging upward in a miniature smirk. "Euclid Lucifuge, younger brother to the mysteriously masked Lordess Lucifuge... and the one devil currently capable of rivaling Ajuka Astaroth's intellect" upon his words Ryden sighed again while Rivia eyed him closely, clearly seeing his familiarity with the high ranking extra demon clan.

She remained silent however as Ryden calmly pressed on. "Considering the territory we're in, it's obvious the resources this region supplies was bountiful enough to help them create these monoliths; whether or not there's more of these things is up for debate but the fact we have one now only tips the odds in our favor" he glanced to Rivia before smirking. "How badly would you think Ajuka would cream himself if we got him this?"

Rivia snorted at the question, the mental image of Ajuka Astaroth – otherwise known to her as the 'prissy' one – being brought to the edge of ecstasy from a mere slab of highly conductive rock was enough to cause her a sudden rise in amusement; so much so that the idea of seeing such a reaction from the green haired devil was almost immediately placed on her list of things to see.

She smirked mirthfully at the man before her, her hand rising up to cover her mouth. "That would be quite humorous" she muttered out with a glow of mirth in her eyes.

"Indeed... you should have seen his face when I proposed the creation of _Cerberus_ to him; I hardly know the guy but even I could tell his enthused smile was a rare sight" Ryden added, causing Rivia to only image what kinds of other expressions the emerald devil wore when he made Ryden's odd projectile weapon. Ryden chortled at Rivia's wonderment before he shook his head. "Anyways... before we get ahead of ourselves, let's see if I can even hijack this thing first"

Rivia immediately forgone her previous thoughts upon Ryden's words, her attention landing solely on Ryden's back. "I will be right her Ryden, if anything happens I'll be here to pull you away" she said encouragingly as Ryden released a breath of nervousness.

He stepped forward cautiously towards the monolith, his resolve hardening with every step yet his slightly growing nervousness was almost entirely present. When he picked up the mental frequency before, his mind felt like it had pins and needles poking every inch of his Psyche while the loud cacophony of voices that followed felt as if he was in the middle of a heavy metal concert set to max volume.

Just knowing that he was intentionally placing himself in that scenario again was enough to cause him some discouragement, yet his thoughts kept reminding him of the numbering dead that fell upon their initial invasion, and soon enough his mind came to think about those that were soon to be killed as well. Breaking the hold on communication could spare a large number of his allies that possibly had no choice but to use their comm sigils and it would even allow his higher up commanders the ability to finally bring order to the obviously misplaced lines

He knew it was chaos out there; even on the edge of his hearing he could still hear the sounds of distant explosions and artillery fire impacting the allied forces that had pushed deeper into the forest. Ryden's senses however suddenly sharpened as he thought on his allies, the natural sense of hearing that he usually possessed seemingly becoming deeply acute to the point in which he could even hear the loud issue of orders being yelled out from both sides.

Just like in _Lucifaad,_ Ryden became aware of the sudden change of one of his senses almost immediately. like before, his eyes adjusted to see perfectly in the dark that was _Lucifaad's_ natural state prior to the reveal of the amethyst sun, yet now it was his hearing that had changed; becoming so acute and sharp – even selective in what he wanted to hear – that he could listen to distant voices hundred of meters away.

He blinked at the development, his eyes become almost disbelieving as he tuned in on a meager conversation between distant inquisitors before suddenly shifting his attention to the gentle heart beat of Rosalina Phenex; her state of being almost instantly being recognized as _sleep_ by how consistent her heart rate was... even her breathing was in regular intervals.

He paused in his moment of discovery before eyeing the monolith in front of him with a new found sense of confidence. He didn't know how or what triggered his sense of hearing to become so powerful, yet he didn't think too deeply into it before his hands suddenly pressed against the monolith's flat surface. Upon contact, the hundreds of magic sigils that lined the surface seemingly flared to life; invigorated by the sheer power of the one that touched it.

Unlike the devils before – the ones that only possessed minds strong enough to take in a number of channels before becoming overwhelmed – this one managed to take in every channel without breaking, his mind seemingly made of iron rather than loosely held together paper... _it was impressed_

The first thing Ryden felt upon touching the monolith was the feeling of a cold numbing sensation at the base of his skull, which quickly flooded his system completely before returning to his natural temperature. Soon after the odd feeling Ryden quickly felt absolute control over the monoliths comm systems which was slowly followed by what he assumed to be a loading screen of all things that entered his mind's eye.

While he did feel as though he possessed complete control over the monoliths systems, there was only one thing keeping him from taking full advantage of it...

... And that reason was solely due to the fact that he _wasn't alone_

 **[Greetings! My name is Harbinger, I am the artificial Intelligence designated to monolith-01; I am authorized by my creator, *** _ **Redacted*,**_ **to assist you in your duty. Please designate your family house and first name so I can get you started on your task!]**

Ryden was silent for a moment, dumbstruck by the presences of an actual honest to Satan _Artificial intelligence_. According to Ajuka the year was 432 A.D which was _clearly_ well before the time electricity was even harnessed by humans and yet devils were _already_ dabbling into the fantasy genre which pegged the question on just how advanced the devils were truly compared to humans, but then again they did have the helping hand of an angel, a _very_ intelligent angel for that matter... fucking cheaters

Ryden was silent for a moment longer before speaking calmly, his answer already in his mind. _"Grayfia Lucifuge, Lordess of the Lucifuge house"_ he said internally

It was obvious that the Central usage of the monolith was strictly built for Old-Satan use, and so it was easy enough to assume that already existing Old-Satan supporting families would be granted access, and since he knew one specific supporter it made gaining said access all the more easier.

Could they possibly have a log system in play that would track the names listed on the Nexus?

Either way it didn't matter, since Grayfia herself seemed oddly obsessed in hiding her true name from public eye – even to most Old-Satan supporters – she knew the individuals that knew of her true name, and that list was _small._ If they did possess a system that filed every possible entry into the monoliths, then at least one poor bastard would come across the name Grayfia; mention that at a board meeting and off goes his head a few days later... courtesy of a contracted death knight, or even her personally.

He'd seen her decapitate an inquisitor before; the sorry sop had seemingly believed that knowing her true name was a way to get to second base with her – how that made sense was up for the cave men to decipher – unfortunately though his actions led to his demise at her own hands... an event that happened right in front of him of all things.

He didn't feel pity for the inquisitor – the sheer idiot had it coming – but Grayfia had shown him a weakness and she knew perfectly well that she fucked up when she snapped right in front of him.

By then it was clear the name 'Grayfia' was a deeply defended name, so much so that death followed those that knew of it.

 _All the more reason to use the shit out of it..._

 **[Welcome Lordess Lucifuge! Due to your connection with the lucifuge family, you have been granted administration authority and full access to every file in my system, however, due to your ranking and the nature of your business; I have relinquished control on your presences within the system. In the face of possible capture by anti-Satan loyalists and the threat of being hacked, any and all activity conducted shall be destroyed upon any kind of intrusion. Does this suit your desire?]**

' _Yes, though I must encourage my presence be kept off the record from everyone, even my brother'_

 **[Most certainly! My creator made absolutely sure that when you desired to use my service, any kind of login on your behalf would be deemed classified to all forms of authority; upon that however, I have a small recording from my creator directed to you! Would you like for me to play it?]**

' _Yes'_

 **[Record login:** _ **Euclid Lucifuge**_ **]**

 **[Playback recording subject file:** _ **"Told you!"**_ **]**

" _ **Ah! Dear sister, you finally decided to use my precious monoliths! I told you such fine creations would come into use for you. I know you enjoy the Old ways just as much as father but you must have finally become fed up with constant travel; though I would too if was tasked to run around and get these buffoons we call inquisitors in order... Ugh... Anyway, I won't hold you up for long but just so you know I gave you full administration authority and complete access to harbingers algorithm; in case you need a helping hand on the tasks Lord Rizevim's got you doing, just ask Harbinger and she'll do whatever classified duties you desire... anyway, my time is short and yours is shorter, I'll see you whenever our paths align again."**_

 _ **Your dearest brother, Euclid lucifuge, XOXO**_

Ryden's nose crinkled at the last bit before he shrugged off whatever the hell it was that crawled up his back. Whatever got Grayfia off was solely her own business and he was not interested in whatever relationship she held with her younger brother.

Ryden ignored the odd taste in his mouth before focusing back onto the AI named _Harbinger._

 **[With that done, what tasks would you have me do for you today?]**

Ryden paused momentarily, thinking on a way to disable communications with the Old-Satan forces and re-link the system to work entirely for the Anti-Satan faction and the only way to do that, was to obviously refresh the entire monolith altogether... and he just so happened to have administration authority.

The gifts just keep on coming...

" _Harbinger, enemy forces have possibly hacked into the system; power down for refreshing'_

 **[Is this an administration order?]**

' _Yes, by my authority, power down for reboot'_

 **[Order Confirmed Lordess Lucifuge; however, to reboot my systems and re-link me to a comm sigil, I will need you to supply me with a code phrase in order to allow me to identify chosen friendly's, in the face of a possible hack, I have been given standard and advanced methods to combat these forms of situations! However I much advise you that the first person to reboot my systems with this code will thus inherit temporary authority over my systems until my creator can re-calibrate my full uses... does this work for you?]**

Ryden nodded at the information before proceeding _'Yes harbinger, my code phrase will be '_ _ **Olly Olly Oxen free**_ _'... that is all, carry on with the reboot'_

 **[With pleasure Lordess, code Phrase filed and secured, systems shutting down in 5...4...3...2... All systems disabled, until we meet again Lordess...]**

.

.

.

Instantly, the monolith ceased complete function as the sigils on the surface dwindled down until the monolith was but a simple rock slab, and in that moment all sounds of artillery fire ceased completely in the distance... the desired effect was complete, which left the Old-Satan's at an immediate disadvantage with the lack of both their communication and their surveillance systems offline.

 _Yet he was not done..._

A couple seconds after and the system lit back up yet the silence outside still remained. Demonic energy within the area fluctuated before completely thinning as the monoliths power supply suddenly reinitialized before stabilizing enough to let the residual demonic energy return to normal.

As the air returned to more comfortable levels, Rosalina suddenly gasped; roughly awakening from her fatigue induced sleep and regarded her surroundings with wide eyes. "What happened?"

Rivia glanced over to her after looking outside – her own senses noticing the sudden silence of artillery barrages – before she lightly smirked to the woman in question. "Nice to see you up and about" she replied instead while Rosalina instantly noticed Ryden standing frozen in front of a large black rock monolith.

"What's going on?" she asked again, still confused.

This time Ryden replied, his gaze however remaining on the slowly awakening monoliths systems. "I'm currently rebooting the monolith..." he revealed to her before looking over to Rivia. "You won't believe this but Euclid actually managed to create an Artificial intelligence; its calls itself _Harbinger_ "

Both Rosalina and Rivia widened their eyes at the development before Rosalina asked the obvious question. "How did you get into the system to shut it down?"

Ryden shrugged. "For an advanced system the security is rather hopeless, all it asked me was my name and family so I gave it Euclid's name and it gave me the entire system; once in control I told it that it was being hacked and ordered it to shut down completely, before it did however, I gave it a catch phrase that would immediately brand whoever uses it as the temporary authority"

As Ryden spoke Rosalina's eyes widened before her hand rose up to rub her face in sheer exasperation. "How can one be so smart yet so stupid?"

Rivia snickered at the question before giving her a knowing smirk. "I believe you just defined arrogance..."

"... True"

 _VVVVVHHHMMMMMM_

At the sound of the monoliths audible sign of re-initializing, Ryden immediately delved back into the system, his hands pressing gently against surface before the familiar feeling of cold ice enveloped his body.

 **[Greetings! My name is Harbinger, I am the Artificial Intelligence designated to monolith-01. Due to recent threat activity, my uses are currently compromised. However in order to reinitialize temporary uses until the threat is completely removed, I require a code in order to activate my baser functions: please phrase the activation code...]**

' _Olly Olly Oxen free'_

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **[Code phrase confirmed! Please state your name...]**

' _Ajuka Astaroth'_

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **[Confirmed! In order to re-establish demonic frequencies, I require you to activate your comm sigil...]**

Ryden nodded before doing as asked. The moment the comm sigil sprang to life, the similar sensation of cold numbness reached down from the back of his head to the sigil. Once connection was made, a brief period of sharp interference screeched inside his head before subsiding into a gently hum.

 **[Apologies for the interference...]**

At least she was apologetic about it... unlike Sirzechs

 **[Communications relay restored! Congratulations Lord Astaroth! You have been designated as the temporary authority of monolith-01 until a complete system wiping is conducted. However until such actions can be done, what tasks would you desire me to assist you with instead?]**

Ryden smirked brightly at the AI's words before he glanced to Rosalina and Rivia, his next line of speech spoken out loud for all to hear...

"Open all channels with allied forces... I have an announcement to make"

At Ryden's order, both Rivia and Rosalina smirked in similar amusement...

 **[Communications relay establishing link with all known frequencies...]**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **[Link fully established, activate comm's sigil when ready...]**

Ryden thumbed the sigil open, the slight sound of static interference echoing out into a void of space before all sound around him went silent... the whole world practically awaiting his words

 _It was now or never..._

A small churning of excitement lined his stomach as his heart rate spiked gently before his tongue licked his lips; his throat clearing with a soft grunt before he found his words...

Words that seemingly carried hope along with them...

An invigoration for all...

"This is Ryden Vale Gremory reporting in... enemy surveillance has been disabled... I repeat...

...enemy surveillance has been disabled"

And like that... the tides of war shifted...

And the _house of cards_ came toppling down with it...

-X-

 **A/N:**

 **Well shit... that was a trip**

 **Sorry for the wait ya'll, my Christmas was a little bit more eventful then I thought it would be so the chapter was accidentally delayed a couple weeks – much to my dismay.**

 **Anyway, not much to mention in this chapter but I will announce my intent on going back and editing my previous chapters; possibly the first several in order to tie up plot holes, inconsistencies, and grammatical retardation... I kinda like continuity and some of my previous chapters are really hard to read without cringing at a few mistakes I wouldn't make now.**

 **Anyways, Review, favorite or follow is up for your own choosing and like always...**

 **Peace!**

 _ **And in the mean time I gonna be waiting for that Damn Anthem demo... iron man simulator be hype AF!**_


	17. New Surprises

**-New surprises -**

 _I didn't know how powerful the Old-Satan communication tech really was until I got my hands onto one of their fancy monoliths, but it wasn't a big surprise that the technology was well beyond my understanding; yet the lingo was still the same..._

 _ **Harbinger**_ _was an artificial intelligence created out of a multitude of algorithms and systems built primarily around linking the power of long range communication and demonic frequency surveillance with geographic mapping..._

 _Long range communications – under harbinger's control – would send detailed locations to artillery teams and provide information on troop movements and positions within mere seconds of a frequency being detected..._

 _After that and it was bomb voyage for any unlucky blip on harbinger's radar..._

 _Even though the tech was damn handy for any military; the security was piss easy to access and that made it a cake walk for hijacking..._

 _Heh... and that did two things as well..._

 _Not only is Grayfia's ass on the line with her indirect involvement with Lucifaad's destruction – courtesy of yours truly – but Euclid's was as well now that his precious monolith was in the hands of Anti-Satan forces..._

 _Given how effective this monolith was, the retaliatory strike from the Anti-Satan forces was probably a lot more damaging then they expected, but then again..._

 _...It was probably a high risk high reward kinda deal..._

 _...Still dumb though_

* * *

" _Contact front! Inquisitors sighted; Engage at will!"_

 _*_ _ **click***_

" _This is platoon 43; we have Oldies locked down in a trench line... by the ruined pillar... could us some assistance..."_

 _ ***Click***_

" _We hear you 43, coming in on your right... *_ _ **Boom***_ _...your clear 43, move on up..."_

 _ ***Click***_

" _Much obliged..."_

 _*_ _ **Click**_ *

Ryden felt his grin grow slightly wider as he listened in on the multiple reports and transmissions coming in from the remaining platoons within the Rose Garden; His senses picking up hundreds of signatures all around the border zone leading into the _Territory of Thorns_.

It was almost like a shift of wind had torn itself through the border with how quick the situation on the ground had changed. The Old-Satan forces had the upper hand with superior positioning and artillery fire; yet with it now gone and in enemy hands _and_ with the lines now completely merging with the Rallying Anti-Satan forces – now being bolstered by even greater morale – the quickly and lazily crafted cover was only moderately staunching the sheer change in order.

One minute and the Anti-Satan forces had practically stormed the Old-Satan controlled border line without any mercy; completely eradicating any artillery-reliant force without any sign of issue that didn't require minor help from neighboring platoons. A couple of minutes longer and the situation on the front seemed all but assured victory.

However it was too late for the fat lady to sing...

Rosalina stepped up to his side, her finger placed gently on her ear. "Ryden... General Gremory is on the line" informed the blonde devil, sparking both Ryden's and Rivia's attention.

Ryden blinked. "That was fast..." he muttered while stepping away from the monolith.

Rivia merely shrugged before falling in beside Rosalina; the woman in question having set up a complete holographic imagery display sigil in the center of the room. Ryden knew the uses of a full body display – obviously used to display full body imaging – but he hadn't seen it in use before. After a moment of pause, Rosalina summoned a small blue magic circle within the middle of the room; their backs facing the captured monolith and within mere nano-seconds, the full body image of Sirzechs appeared in front of the three, but surprising he wasn't alone...

"General Sitri... General Astaroth... General Gremory" muttered Rosalina in exasperated surprise, clearly losing a large amount of oxygen from the image of three generals standing in front of them; Ryden wanted to remind her that she'd already been in their presence quite a bit before, but the sheer attention within Rosalina made it all the more clear that she wouldn't hear him in the slightest.

Ryden ignored his desire to comment and instead lightly chuckled at Rosalina's near collapse, his humor sparking a moderate glare from the woman before he glanced to the three 'arrivals' and lightly bowed to the three. "Hello again Generals, did you call to debrief us again? Or did you miss me?"

Ryden didn't see it, but he could almost _feel_ the annoyance coming from someone behind the three – probably a curtain commander – however his attention merely shifted back to the now smirking trio of super devils; the three obviously completely floored by his questions to near exasperated humor and he couldn't care less for the breach in respectful protocol.

Rivia shook her head in similar amusement while a long sigh escaped Sirzechs. "I don't believe I have an answer for that..." spoke Sirzechs flatly, his eyes – though bearing amusement – seemed rather distant than usual, almost flustered and disheveled. Now that Ryden could see him clearly, he slowly began to notice the messy and stricken expression on his face. As both Rosalina and Ryden slowly downloaded the current state of general Gremory, Rivia stood back with a dark smirk slowly rising to her lips as Sirzechs continued. "Our reason for calling in is simple... we want to know what you did, and how you did it"

Ryden's eyes narrowed in confusion. "So basically a Debriefing" confirmed Ryden sarcastically, his eyes locking with a mildly bemused Serafall.

Sirzechs sighed gently. "Yes... I guess we can call it such"

Ryden sighed – long and hard – before eyeing the two on either side of him. Nodding to himself quickly Ryden replied simply. "Uuuhhh... where do you want me to start?"

"The beginning preferably..." corrected Ajuka, the man's usual gaze of seriousness for some reason stiffer than most – almost as if the stoic devil had been _laughing_ recently and was now trying _really_ hard to hide it... color Ryden and Rosalina confused. "Perhaps you could start from when you woke up... it would be best if we answered all of our questions at once"

Ryden agreed with a shrugged. "Fair enough..." he said before raising a finger. "Though this will be much quicker if we save the question period until _after_ I'm done talking... with the fact we have a priority artifact in hand I would like to keep this brief encase of a counter offensive"

Serafall nodded brightly at the offer, her own expression seeming way to radiant then what could be considered appropriate for a general. "That's fine by us Ryden... carrying on"

"Wonderful... anyways... When I woke up I was first greeted by the sight of Rosalina shattering character and Rivia and everyone else nowhere to be seen. Unfortunately I couldn't afford to stick around to ask questions nor deal with the mushy stuff, so I bolted it out of the bunker i found myself in, in order to get to Rivia before she went full what-ever-the-fuck-that-was. Once the 'bomb was defused' – Heh – a grand inquisitor and his goon squad showed up" Ryden paused briefly when all three Generals stiffened at the mention of a grand inquisitor, yet his stare alone kept them from interrupting. Clearing his throat, Ryden continued after the three restrained themselves, much to Rivia's continued amusement. "long story short... the Fool had been contracted by the General himself – which is _General Hallen Foras_ by the way – to acquire the _Infernum Armis_ in my possession... safe to say neither Rivia, myself and _Fulgur_ appreciated the idea, so we deleted the goon squad and slapped the Grand inquisitor across the wrist and sent him on his way. After that Rosalina Phenex showed up... round house kicked me across the lips – for whatever reason – and after a slight period of defusing, we joined forces again and high tailed it to an enemy outpost further inland that housed a communications hub, IE; the monolith standing behind me" to emphasis the fact, Ryden titled to the side in order to allow the generals clear sight of the black rock slate.

Ajuka's head shook in confusion when he desired to ask multiple questions regarding multiple points in Ryden's summary, yet his interest quickly came to the crux of the matter; and that was due to something not adding up in Ryden's summary. "Wait... how did you figure out the outpost housed a communications hub? No signals escape outward and if it did then my long range scanners should've picked up and triangulate the location of any outgoing signals the moment they appeared" Ajuka's tone was solid and his eyes were set in stone; yet Ryden barely flinched at the accusing look he was getting. "How did you pick up the signal if I couldn't?" he pressed as Ryden awkwardly scratched his cheek; clearly being more embarrassed than usual.

"Well uuuhhh... I kinda... _heard_ it?" replied the hesitant Vale, his eyes squinting in nervousness. He honestly didn't know anyway else to word it; all he did was hear the demonic frequency! And as painful as it was – for a moment at least – he managed to triangulate the position of the outpost by simple mental mapping. Now that he thought on it, he could remember feeling the elevation of the signal as well; having noted its positioning to be slightly below ground level.

Ajuka blinked at the slow response, not at all believe what he heard. "You... _heard_ it?"

Ryden nodded at the rephrase. "Mhmm..." he hummed as the two other Generals literally just stared at him, blankly and mute.

 _How uncomfortable... it felt as if they weren't the only ones_

Ajuka continued to stare at Ryden, his expression become looser by the second as his eyes blinked in pressuring confusion, they even twitched ever so slightly as well. "You... _heard_... it?"

Ryden nodded again while Rivia's shit eating grin grew all the larger as Ajuka fell further down the rabbit hole of disparity.

" _You_ _heard it?"_

.

.

.

"I'm not repeating myself"

By then, both Serafall and Sirzechs could feel the heat radiating off of Ajuka, yet their own shock kept them from seeing the explosion coming. Rivia on the other hand was having the time of her life in trying to contain her amusement while Rosalina was staring at Ryden as if he'd grown a second head; her eyes practically crossing with how vehement her stare was.

Even now Ryden could feel the stares, yet Ajuka's half baked expression of extreme depression/fury was one to keep him attendant enough to last until Ajuka couldn't hold it anymore...

"HOW CAN YOU **HEAR** DEMONIC FREQUENCY!?" roared the emerald devil questioningly; thusly sending both Sirzechs and Serafall reeling back at the sheer volume expressed, while Rivia reeled back in immense amusement; a soft chortle escaping her lips. Out of all the reactions, the usually stoic and uncaring Ajuka Astaroth actually chose to explode in wrathful confusion – completely breaking character and image – was something extraordinary. Rivia hadn't believed the day would come, yet here she was... watching the emerald devil break character before Ryden's incomprehensible casualness to the impossible.

Speaking to _the_ strongest dragon king _Tiamat_ only seemed like a trivial occurrence when it came to understanding Ryden's knack for breaking the boundaries of reality. And when it came to understanding his powers, none could truly comprehend what happens within the young man's mind. This knowledge only hurt Sirzechs and Ajuka more when both of them knew of his humanity, as not a single devil – or angel for that matter – was capable of detecting demonic frequency.

 _Not even Lucifer was capable of that..._

Ryden stood calmly at attention while the others regarded him with either blank acceptance, twitching doubt or bright enthusiasm – obvious Serafall was the only one carrying a beaming expression (minus Rivia) – and it took almost all of himself to not scratch the back of his head in exasperation. He honestly didn't have an answer for how his powers worked; there was no scientific method or theory in completely calculating his potential, and all he could truly say in regards to that was...

He just... _adapted..._ and judging by the sheer distance and doubt within Ajuka's eyes, his potential in adapting to anything was probably _cosmic_ _level_ if Ajuka had anything to say about it.

Ryden breathed light while raising his finger. "It's simple; all I need to do is—"

" –Desire it..." cut in Sirzechs as he gave Ajuka a light pat on the shoulder and a brief look of troubled understanding before looking Ryden in the eye. "...We know"

Ryden lightly nodded at the interruption, his lips pursed in understanding before he clicked his tongue. "Anyways, after... h-hearing... the demonic frequency..." Ajuka's eyes twitched briefly at the reminder. "... We followed the signal to an outpost positioned on a supply road" Ryden paused before looking to Rosalina; the woman merely staring at him blankly. "Do you have the... oh never mind, I got the map"

Ryden rolled his eyes – annoyed with his lacking memory – before skimming over the map he picked out from his pocket dimension. "Ah... there we are!" Ryden's eyes lit up before he showed the map to Sirzechs; his finger placed right over a location with two large elevations framing a road marked as "Zagan trail" which was the only location within the Rose Garden sector that possessed a 'valley' type location, everything else was within thick forestry.

Nodding at the information, Sirzechs looked to Ryden with a stern gaze while the sounds of activity could be heard from behind the Crimson General. "And you assaulted this outpost with Lady Abaddon and sentinel Phenex... and completely captured it along with the monolith, correct?"

"Yup... took us a moment to survey the area but once we attacked, it fell in mere minutes. We even captured a female officer before our assault— she seemed knowledgeable with the happenings in _Lucifaad_ and possessed a good amount of information regarding the three of us; including myself." Sirzechs' eyes twitched at the reveal while Ryden lightly scratched his cheek. "We didn't necessarily have time to question her ourselves, so I had Rivia handle her transport... though only Rivia knows the details on her location..."

Serafall's grin suddenly widened brightly at Ryden's admission, an audible chuckle escaping her lips as Ajuka suddenly looked keen on hiding his face from everyone while Rivia however... merely smiled like a Cheshire cat, her eyes looking Sirzechs – who was now wide eyed and blushing madly – directly in the eye.

"So—my former pupil— how did you enjoy my _present_?" asked the elder blonde, her tone going full vixen as she regarded Sirzechs with predatory amusement; her question alone confusing both Rosalina and Ryden.

"Huh?" they both asked in unison, yet no one elaborated.

Sirzechs eyes widened at Rivia's question, his lips thinning into realization before he began shifting his eyes elsewhere. "Uhh... I don't... know... what you're talking about" replied the stuttering General as Serafall leered over to Sirzechs' side.

"What are you talking about Sirzechs? Didn't that woman give you a kiss?" Serafall pressured with a knowing smirk; clearly enjoying her small moment of revenge.

"Oh? A kiss you say?" asked Rivia as she lightly tapped her lower lip. "I thought for sure an hour in the abyss would make her a little bit more 'aggressive'... I guess Sirzechs didn't lose it" muttered Rivia as she lightly bit her thumb in annoyance.

Ryden and Rosalina glanced from Serafall to Rivia, their eyes clearly confused by the situation hidden under their noses, yet the context of the joke wasn't totally invisible for them to not get it. Ryden shook his head at Rivia's teasing – if he could call that teasing – while Rosalina merely pinched the bridge of her nose; however before anything else could be said, a new arrival cut in.

"While it is nice to see such humor among companions, I do believe we have a priority objective present..."

From between Ajuka and Sirzechs, _Zekram Bael_ stepped forth into the magic imagery display, garnering the entire room's attention the moment he stepped forward. Rosalina was the first to consolidate her attention onto the subject, while Ryden and Rivia followed a moment afterwards; leaving Sirzechs to collect his image while Serafall beamed in agreement... obviously enjoying the embarrassment of his adoptive brother.

"Right!" she beamed with an enthused smile before it dwindled down to seriousness a second after... that damned bipolar habit making itself present yet again. Ryden marveled at the woman's sheer control of emotions... such a skill, needed to be harnessed.

"... Since the capture of the monolith and the reconfiguration of its function, all ongoing platoons in all three sectors are now fully conducting operational command with the full use of communication. Because of your actions, the status of this invasion lives on to continue even further than we anticipated; take pride in your victory, but you're not completely safe just yet."

At Serafall's praise, the three nodded curtly before a large geographical map sprung up in between them all – courtesy of Ajuka – which showed the current positions of enemy and allied lines with the assistance of colored arrows and thickly displayed lines that perfectly explained the current positions of both forces. According to the complete report; the outpost was located near the edge of the _Rose Garden_ sector, which hugged the _obsidian valley_ closely – the sector where the blue legion was responsible in handling – and was mostly still among the purple colored region facing towards the border zone; meaning that they were still within enemy control territory. After their location was identified, Ryden noted the position of allied forces was still a few hundred meters out from coming close to them, they were marked red...

He immediately knew the situation by then...

"Were surrounded on all sides... and most likely will be for a short while" opened up Ryden, garnering a nod from both Ajuka and Serafall.

"Indeed... our lines are pushing forward but they won't get close to your position for some time. We'll brief a couple platoons on the situation and have them converge on your location, but we can't guarantee they'll make it their in time before some kind of counter attack converges from the main road... you need to hold off possible counter offences, they'll most likely want that monolith back" briefed Ajuka before Serafall piped in.

"What about a praetorian unit? My Praetorians can punch through the side portions of the Obsidian Valley and cross the border into the Rose Garden easily enough... they'll cross directly onto the road leading into the outpost" offered Serafall.

Sirzechs opened up this time, his earlier embarrassment having been practically deleted. "Getting in is the easier part. Since the main bulk of the Old-Satan forces are losing ground, they'll be spread out to sparsely to deal with a surgical team of Praetorian's... the real issue is extracting the monolith. We don't know the full constructive details that make it tick"

Rosalina's eyes light up in understanding. "... So we can't extract it" muttered the woman.

Sirzechs eyed Rosalina briefly before nodding. "Exactly... you'll need to hold there until the _main force_ arrives, and I can't say for sure on how long of a wait that'll be" he dropped harshly, leaving Rosalina feeling slightly sapped of morale; Rivia however, merely smirked at the challenge—her eyes regarding the three Generals and Zekram with clear amusement.

"Hold a tactically important location with lacking numbers against insurmountable odds? Why do I feel as though I've done that before..." Ryden suddenly snorted at Rivia's humorous comment before he lightly smacked the woman's shoulder playfully, garnering a grin from the woman.

"Unlike that time you'll have two other badasses kicking off at your side..." Ryden jested before his eyes slightly widened in realization, a small grunt of humor escaping his lips as emphasis. "... And artillery support"

Ajuka's eyes lit up the second Ryden's words left his lips. "The monolith... you'll use the monoliths surveillance function and funnel information to artillery brigades"

Ryden smirked while pointing to Ajuka "Exactly... once they get in range, have them contact me and I'll fill them in on enemy positions. I got a big feeling that most of the enemy forces have been alerted to the lack of communication surveillance and artillery coordinates, so they'll be a big help in cutting enemy numbers down to size"

Serafall brightly smirked at Ryden's suggestion before she cut in. "I'm having a praetorian team briefed on the situation, their a small unit but their hard faught veterans, they'll get to you easily enough" she informed casually.

Ryden nodded yet he wanted something done before they deployed. If they were going to be outnumbered, then having elite soldiers breaking formation to engage in close range combat would only create a larger chance of losing good soldiers.

Ryden eyed Serafall questioningly, a gaze Serafall noticed instantly. "Is it possible for them to be outfitted with longer ranged weaponry?" he asked

The Sitri General nodded plainly at the question. "Yes, but I must ask why... praetorians excel in close range combat, they should be effective against any force"

"In small numbers yes, a praetorian may be able to handle a platoon – given the right terrain – but in open ground they'll only die charging"

Zekram eyed Ryden closely, his usual scheming gaze now only lined with intrigue. "What are you getting at Lord Ryden?" Tested the elder devil as his eyes – instead of bearing confusion – only bore a knowing edge; He knew why the young devil desired long range specialist, his question was mostly meant to enlighten the charge happy young-lings beside him.

 _Ryden knew his stuff..._

"What I'm getting at is simple engagement tactics; the main goal mostly centered on a form of engagement procedures classified as ' _prowler warfare'_ " revealed Ryden, sparking looks of confusion from the majority of those in the room, even Zekram... he'd never heard of this _prowler warfare_ before...

 _How interesting_

Ryden lightly sighed at the majorities looks of confusion – even intrigue from Serafall and Zekram – before he lightly took in a breath of mild relief. The term 'prowler warfare' was a simple renaming of the most common term _Guerrilla warfare,_ yet considering that term doesn't exist in hell at the moment, he had to change the name to something he – as well as everyone else – knew existed. Prowler's were a pack – or solo – operating species that was known for decimating large numbers of ballsy platoons single handily using hit and run tactics.

Simple re-imagining...

He cleared his throat before explaining. "The term is more often focused on tactics used by smaller – less equipped – military personnel in engaging larger forces using hit and run tactics, ambushes, traps, and pretty much anything else considering unorthodox. The target is to do exactly the opposite from what your enemies expect." Ryden paused briefly, his eyes locking onto everyone before continuing when none moved to interrupt him. "Since we're going to be boxed in on all sides, I'd prefer it if we engaged enemy forces at our own pacing; simply charging into enemy lines only breaks formation and creates unnecessary danger for all involved. Instead, by using longer ranged engagements, we'll amount a far larger body count then blindly charging a superior force with superior numbers"

Ryden paused while eyeing their location on the geographic map, leaving everyone in the room to stare silently at the young man that practically took over the room with his other worldly attack strategy. Most devils present were mostly centered on standard forms of engaging enemy forces, and that focused on equal numbers against similar numbers with large amounts of yelling and an absurdly large casualty rate. And in this situation, that mattered jack for shit... The concept of guerrilla warfare was most likely a foreign concept to them, as most would probably consider such practices as 'dishonorable' or lacking in the 'glory' department.

Bunch of overcompensating twats taking the piss if he had anything to say... SAS style

His gaze having locked onto the ridge that Rivia had sat on; thus further opening up even more attack strategy's by the simple fact that the ridge possessed only one way up and it was too narrow for any kind of flanking manoeuvres, which meant it was a perfect location for a team of 'snipers' to nestle in... it's where Abigail would be if she was here.

Ryden's finger suddenly pointed to the aforementioned ridge, his eyes locking with a stunned silent Serafall. "Mark this location as their priority destination; it's a narrow climb which limits the number of flankers... if they can get there, then they'll have a perfect view of the outpost and it'll be easy pickings for the lot of them"

Serafall shook her head briefly, having been deeply enraptured by Ryden's orders before a measly nod was sent to him meekly. "I will" was all she said, her instincts not at all trusting her voice any bit then two words a limit.

Ajuka's hand pressed against his mouth in contemplation while Sirzechs stared at Ryden; the man himself returning the look with a clearly knowing expression. Sirzechs knew his humanity _and_ the time in which he'd herald from; And Sirzechs would be lying to himself if the concept of military power in his time was much less advanced than Ryden's. He'd never heard of the concept of prowler warfare – most of the teachers in the art of combat only taught the nature of brutal charges and the glory within it – yet now that he'd heard of this form of engagement, he was honestly enraptured by the idea.

To make matters even more impactful, Sirzechs slowly recalled his and Serafall's words regarding the notion of Ryden, Rosalina and Rivia being more like _hammers_ then Nyx Oriax and Abigail Valac's sharp pointed lethality when deep within enemy lines. _Lucifaad_ itself had fallen with the cooperation of these five devils, and that opened up many possibilities...

 _Possibilities he couldn't quite honestly ignore..._

Ajuka cleared his throat before opening up with a finalized tone. "So to summarize this operation, allied praetorian units outfitted with long range weaponry are to push into the Rose garden and take up positions on the ridge line. Using the height advantage, they'll provide suppressive fire onto any advancing forces and once the position is held for the required period of time, Knight Sentinel Gremory will provide coordinates for artillery fire using the captured monolith... all that should be enough support to last you until the main force pushes forward"

Ryden nodded curtly at the summery. "Yes, and you'll have a monolith to play with once this is all over Ajuka... and I gotta say; you'll like what this thing has..."

"What does it have?"

Ryden smirked playfully at the inquisitive General, his finger lightly tapping his nose. "You'll have to come here and see for yourself..." he jested, forcing a light chuckle from Sirzechs, Serafall and Rivia... even Zekram.

"Tsk... figures you'd be stingy" laminated the emerald General before he cut his connection.

Sirzechs lightly hummed at the sudden retreat from Ajuka before he looked the three in the eye. "This is my wish of good luck to you three... if we can get our hands on a monolith, then this victory will be more then we hoped for... good luck"

"Ayy... just make sure mom doesn't here about your little adventure with that Prisoner until I get back ya? That will be fun to see..." Ryden humored with a shit eating grin, forcing a chocked lamination from the crimson Satan and a slew of chuckles from Serafall and Rivia.

Blushing at the man's words, Sirzechs glared at Ryden darkly yet his imposing stare only lessened in severity by the large blush still rising on his cheeks. "Don't get cocky boy, or do I have to tell mother of your little stint back at _Lucifaad_?"

Ryden froze, his memory regarding the female devils protective nature suddenly invaded his mind; striking a deep fear within him. Venelana was too damn protective! If she learnt of his little trip to _Lucifaad_ then it would be bear hugs for days!

And one might be thinking... 'That wouldn't be so bad' ... but Venelana was an exhibitionist! And getting bear hugs from a buck naked woman who is currently in heat wasn't a fun trip to experience!

Sirzechs played a dangerous game...

Ryden clenched his teeth. "You wouldn't..." muttered Ryden shakily, horror clearly visible in his eyes.

Sirzechs smirked but froze when Rivia lightly chuckled from her place at Ryden's side, her eyes boring into Sirzechs sharply. Ryden didn't know what message the elder devil sent Sirzechs, but it was clear by the visible gulp of nervousness that it gripped him with equal terror... a deep terror if the slightly paling was anything to go by.

Zekram lightly chuckled at the casual exchange, before he lightly pat Sirzechs on the shoulder; garnering the man's paled attention. "It would seem you are not so free from the grip of a woman as you say General... she truly has you by the twins" jested the Ancient devil before his image dissipated soon after, leaving behind a shocked Sirzechs and a mildly confused – yet amused – Serafall.

Sirzechs felt a cold sweat on his neck at the fact that even Zekram found his embarrassment amusing before it suddenly became colder when a faint giggle escaped Serafall's lips.

"I didn't realize you were so popular with woman; first you have one falling out of the sky and _now_ lady Abaddon... how perverted of you General Gremory" teased the woman, her now obvious shit eating grin bearing itself completely to both the trio and the man it was targeted to. "And for it to be your former commander... how scandalous, what would your mother think of this?" she added, her tone carrying an emphasis on her additional barbed question which garnered a round of chuckles from Rivia herself.

Very briefly, a small glint of recognition was sent between the two females which Ryden found to be a slightly refreshing sight. He didn't know why, but all throughout the debriefing yesterday he felt nothing but animosity between the three; and now that he witnessed at least two of them come to a common ground – even if it meant roasting the shit out of a General – he could honestly say it relieved him.

Something told him Serafall was not gonna let him out of her sight once this was done... that much he was sure, and he was taking Abigail's words to heart when thinking on that. Whatever it was, Serafall was an interested individual in his extended forms of knowledge pertaining to military procedure and strategy, and whether or not that including _vigorous sex_ as a bonus was something still up for debate; yet he couldn't honestly know for sure, and as much as it _scared the_ _shit_ out of him that the petite devil may or may not be undressing him with ever glance in his direction, he still had to oblige the woman with at least some kind of conversation.

Hopefully it didn't involve vigorous sex like what Abigail hinted at

" _No wonder she wanted to bed you so bad"_

A small cringe crawled up his spine at the subject and notion. He may not be a complete virgin in the form of sexual advancement but _good God_ if the woman tried to bed him...

 _She had to take him to dinner first!_

Ryden sighed, his vision coming back to see a sullen and silent Sirzechs standing before a content and smirking Rivia and Serafall; Rosalina standing of to the side with the real life's version of a sweat drop. The sight was enduring for both him and Rosalina but contently amusing for the other two while Sirzechs looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else but present.

Ryden in for the save!

"That's enough teasing ladies, I think he's had enough torment for one day" he opened, sparking both Rivia's and Serafall's gaze of enjoyment and a slightly resentful – yet grateful – glare from Sirzechs. Taking the initiative, Ryden eyed Serafall seriously, ignoring the woman's beaming gaze when his attention fell on her... odd.

"General Sitri, how long will it take for the Praetorian team to reach our position?" he asked while ignoring the odd feeling coming from both Rivia and Serafall.

The aforementioned woman merely beamed brighter at the question before she – for some _ungodly_ reason – struck a terrifyingly close pose to the typical Japanese _kawaii_ stance.

Ryden's eyes slowly bugged out as the woman regarded him bright while holding a peace sign...

...over her forehead...

 _No..._

Ryden ghostly remained stone faced, trying with all his might to not react to the nostalgic pose the woman was regarding him with. She took it like she knew it! And she rocked that shit like a K-pop star!

 _WHAT THE FUCK?!_

Deep within, Ryden was losing his shit, but on the exterior he was keeping a serious and mechanical expression aimed marginally in Serafall's direction; his eyes now seemingly more distant with the sudden presence of one of his most harrowing fears from his past.

Sophia – his sister – had gone through a very brief ' _Weeaboo'_ period – as she had called it herself – and it was during that harrowing time when she was particularly obsessed with a form of exaggerated actions and poses that accentuated her 'cuteness', or what she used to call it as... her _Kawaii nature_. _That_ in of itself was terrifying – considering the character that Sophia was _after_ the phase – and it marked a dark age in Ryden's life when he had to deal with her constant 'kawaii' outbursts in public outlets... that was a torture that even _Grayfia_ couldn't replicate...

... Unless she herself did the sa—

... _Oh god_

Ryden's mind felt like lead, the image of that stone cold bitch Grayfia striking a similar pose as to what Serafall was doing was enough to nearly cause _Fulgur_ a brief period of hesitation and for Ryden's mind to cease function completely. _Fulgur_ knew what its master was thinking, but even it wouldn't dare allow its master to see such a horror like _that_. Thankfully the image was none existent and the sheer terror before Ryden ceased a moment after as Serafall merely nodded to him lightly, her pose falling back to a regular – yet beaming – stance.

"The praetorian team should be there in an hour" informed Serafall after what felt like a small terrifying eternity of waiting and Ryden was only more thankful that such a sight was finally gone, yet a small part of him speculated as to exactly why the woman had struck the pose...

 _Until it hit him_

The possibility of Serafall's odd choice in responding to his question being closely linked to the devils mysterious bipolar tendencies, was a very substantial presence; yet the fact that such an 'anime' type pose existed currently without him doing it himself – god for-fucking-bid he did – caused enough of a stir inside of him that it quickly hinted to the possibility of devil kind effecting human history far more _brutally_ then he thought.

 _Demon's; tortured, killed, raped innocent humans... he sleep_

 _Devils; directly cause the creation of anime..._ _**REAL SHIT!?**_

Ryden didn't know if it was because the entertainment venue had infected his younger sister for a time, or if it was strictly because it had _embarrassed_ him so much during that period; but the chance to eradicate the venue way before it touched human history was a deeply captivating opportunity.

"G-good..." stuttered Ryden as his thoughts focused back to the present. "We should be able to hold out until that time arrives" he conveyed casually while Rivia and Rosalina eyed him closely, the two of them completely seeing his reaction to General Sitri's odd pose.

Serafall in the mean time beamed again at Ryden before she regarded an exasperated Sirzechs with a small nod, an added look of sharpness seeped inside the gaze. "General Gremory... My praetorian's are very important to me and all of their lives rest upon my judgment; while my own forces can't assist with this situation, I can only hope your own forces manage enough to see to it that all of them return to my side alive... I will not bury anymore friends" spoke the woman, her previous beaming tone now hardened and steadfast then upright; and it was a tone Sirzechs knew all too well.

The super devil merely smirked at the woman, fully used to her developed attachment to all of her praetorian knights. For her to send in a small squad of praetor's into a dangerous situation _without_ heavy consideration, it only spoke volumes at how important this opportunity was; but even if she didn't hesitate, there was still a heavy amount of worry inside Serafall's mind, and Sirzechs could only smirk at her words; even as harsh as they were, he still understood where her point came from.

For Ryden, his opinion on Serafall grew largely by her words and he couldn't help but butt in to voice his own comment regarding the petite General's worries. "Have no worries General..." he opened up; catching Serafall's attention before Sirzechs could reply to her. "...My formation should provide your men with the best opportunity of survival, and I shall see to it that in repayment of your reinforcements, they will return in perfect health... and maybe in possession of a good story as extra"

Again, Serafall could only beam at Ryden's voice of comfort before a firm nod was gestured to him and the two others at his side. "I shall hold onto that as a promise knight sentinel, I hope you don't disappoint"

A soft chuckle escaped Ryden's lips at Serafall's slight tease. "With all due respect General... I don't think I have yet to disappoint anyone"

At this, Sirzechs agreed completely. "A fair point..." he muttered, sparking a small giggle from Serafall and Rivia while Rosalina humorously rolled her eyes at the undertone in front of her.

There was a brief moment of silence before Sirzechs patted Serafall on the shoulder and then regarded the three devils with a serious yet encouraging gaze. "Good luck you three, I'll see you all soon"

In unison, Ryden and Rosalina saluted firmly – their fist held tightly against their chests – while Rivia followed with a little bit less enthusiasm, a small graceful smirk playing on her lips as she did so. Seeing their affirmed attention; Sirzechs nodded firmly in farewell before the link was cut completely.

...Leaving the three to their new objective

* * *

 **[1 mile further inland/ Rose Garden/ mining outpost]**

Nyx couldn't believe his situation could've gotten any bit worse than a simple Imp nest, yet his thoughts must've directly influence his luck – or lack thereof – because throughout his long and tedious journey into the Old-Satan controlled quarry, the signs of this being a simple imp nest was lessening with every inch traveled.

It was at this point when the temperature had risen significantly higher than preferable, but he knew it was only half of what a true Imp nest was like. Normally an Imp flourishes in temperatures close to a volcano but if they burrowed deep enough, the natural heat from the underworlds volatile core could supply the same type of environment as a volcano.

The reason of this relevance was perfectly displayed before him.

Within the massive quarry, a mine entrance led deeper into the depths of hells surface and when he followed it, he first thought it would take a couple minutes to traverse until he found the nest, but It had been several _dozen_ minutes since he'd traveled into the quarry, and it was only until this point that he found the first minor nesting area... and what remained of a mining team of Old-Satan loyalists.

Imps were messy eaters, but they were an organized lot as the numbering dozen of bodies – or what remained of them – were haphazardly piled against the far left corner of the room, close to an incubation sack that writhed with offspring.

How they multiplied wasn't up for Nyx to consider, but he knew the sight of an incubation sack was at least a good enough sign to tell him that he wasn't too far from the main nest. However, even though this was a positive note, it was still very dangerous.

Imps were as territorial as prowlers, though not as ferocious as the latter, but they did become increasingly more aggressive when one was too close to their birthing chamber, which is considered common sense when hunting anything that... ya know... had a modicum of intelligence. Nyx internally grumbled at his neutral luck before he stepped out and into the large opening area that was the birthing chamber; Though from the looks of it, the area was most likely a staging area for further mining directions the Old-Satan's had used to plan out their resource hunt.

Noticing the few scattered desks admits the bloodied floor – all of which were broken beyond repair – Nyx gently moved to one such desk and picked up a single roll of paper that which was miraculously the map of the entire mining area... He guessed his luck was still withholding, for now at least. Judging by the date, it was an updated map of the mines progress thus far; the few hundred webbing paths that scoured the entire mine seemed to come to a centralized zone a few hundred meters further down and his location was the closest to it... lovely, more heat.

At the thought, Nyx quietly cleared his throat while thanking the living day lights out of Abigail. She had been the one to supply him with his attire and it was especially perfect to have in areas like these. The natural temperature control that was woven into the fabric of his armor and skin tight suit was a gift that which he could not find words to express.

Even if he wasn't a fan of feeling completely naked, he did consider it to be one of his better choice of clothing... his previously desired outfit would've mostly likely killed him by now.

Shaking his head of his thoughts, Nyx sighed again before he moved to the far side of the opening; his destination standing directly in front of him, in the form of a deep mining shaft that fell several meters down into a pile of discarded bones.

Nyx smirked at the sight... _Clever creatures_

Even if they were aware of it or not, the imps had seemingly made the mining shaft as a form of garbage disposal and _trap_ of all things. Normally imps possessed a superb eye sight _when up close_ but at a distance they couldn't see for shit. The mining shaft was several meters beyond their depth of field and so what they thought to be an endless pit of nothing for all the bones left behind from their kills, was in fact the mining shafts limit... leaving behind a particularly dangerous place to land on.

Devil bone was hard and it could cut into any form of skin – besides a dragons – with minimal easy and to add to that, the natural decay that seemed to be seen within the bones below were almost fragile enough to crack upon contact... like he said before...

Cleaver creatures... or more accurately... _cleaver fools._

Imps were usually underestimated by a large portion of the Noble class devils – besides his and Abigail's – so it wouldn't surprise Nyx that some idiot looking for a little bit of fame would jump down without thinking and end up ringing a dinner bell when he/she inevitably lands into the pile of decaying bones... the following screams of pain from all the bone fragments stabbing into him/her would only be a further incentive for the imps to converge faster... night night for the foolhardy hero.

Nyx shook his head at the possible fate one would suffer if such a thing happened, before he turned around and tossed a rune stone towards the incubation nest and grabbed hold of a cable wire that was dangling in the middle of the shaft. Flexing his hand and forgetting entirely about the rune stone, Nyx shifted the composition of his skin to be more akin to metal – a small sub power of his family trait – before he casually slid down the shaft with his one hand. The slight scraping sound generated by the action was easily ignorable by most, considering the location was deep within the earth; natural tremors were daily events in the life of an Imp, so the sounds of metal against metal was white noise to any imp.

Just a few dozen feet before he met the bone pile, Nyx pulled out his spear from his back – returned it to its natural length – and stabbed it into the rock wall; halting his speedy decent with a barely audible 'thunk', courtesy of the dragonite metal's superior penetrative power. Pausing momentarily while hanging from his spear, Nyx glanced off to the side to see the opening into the large central area, unfortunately; the entire middle portion of the room seemed to have caved in completely, leaving his view mostly obscured.

Pressing his legs against the rock wall of the mining shaft, Nyx flexed hard before he jumped towards the opening and landed in a controlled barrel roll. Spear in hand; Nyx surveyed his immediate surroundings upon landing; however his gaze shifted towards the massive hole within the middle of the open area when nothing was seen.

To his intense surprise – and subsequent confusion – the hole reached levels that even he couldn't see, as the sheer depth of it was obscured by a thickly dark mist. To add even more confusion to his mind and a slight sense of dread to boot, Nyx spotted several amethyst _vein-like_ vines pulsing and writhing along the walls within the pit, their origins having come directly from deeper below... obscured by the dense mist that radiated an ominous sense of...

 _..._ _ **DEATH**_ _..._

Nyx couldn't explain the unnatural phenomenon before him; throughout his entire life he never _ever_ came across a something like this... a sudden and unnatural hole that led directly into what he considered _oblivion?_ It was completely unnatural.

To make him feel even more on edge, the entire area was baron of any kind of life. From the mapping _and_ his training on Imp life styles it was perfectly agreeable to assume the imp's main nest was right where he stood, yet here he stood... alone.

For all intents and purposes he _should_ be butchering hundreds of little shits, yet all that was present was a massive pit that radiated a deep sense of unnerving fear.

Shit wasn't right and Nyx was beginning to think the original orders provided to the outposts occupants was a falsified order; leaving the main objective completely in the hands of those dishing them out and for some reason, Nyx already knew what those orders were.

The _Territory of Thorns_ was probably the biggest known part of land in hell to house imp nests all throughout the Thorn territory in random intervals. According to the information discovered, multiple teams of Inquisitors were given orders to mine resources within the territory and Nyx was beginning to believe those orders were all loads of shit covered in royal honor to appease a descendant.

What was the real objective?

Like stated before, the _Territory of Thorns_ was a land covered in nest's belonging to Imps; common knowledge on said Imps perfectly illustrate their behavior when their nests are disturbed or unearthed... what where the inquisitors teams currently doing?

Nyx couldn't believe it... The nerve of the Descendants was almost disgusting to think about; but to think they'd use _their own soldiers_ as bait to lure out every imp nest was so deplorable it hurt to even think about.

Such tactics – while genius – were considered by many to be a sign of desperate action, a last known effort to staunch away an inevitable defeat by creating total chaos.

Though Nyx believe this was the case, it still didn't explain why there was a massive pit in the middle of one of those imp nests; a pit that seemed to release a toxic aroma of fear and birth sickly vines that shone with an unnatural shade of purple.

Clearly something went wrong as nothing was happening at all. All information provided suggested the higher echelon of Old-Satan's were using their own men to stir up chaos as a tactic to 'cushion' the sudden invasion of Anti-Satan forces. Though their orders were to dig up resource, it only took a blind fool to see the stupidity in conducting such an operation only a few miles from a massive invasion force of _three_ legions strong. It was all obvious now...

Yet nothing was happening...

... _meaning something else had happened_.

Nyx didn't need to waste his time in the mine conducting deeper hypotheses; any longer then needed and he would only waste time when they could be moving elsewhere.

Taking a deep breath, Nyx locked the image down to memory – clearly intent on informing the Generals of such an event – before he turned back from whence he came and moved to rendezvous with an assuredly bored Abigail.

However, as Nyx climbed back up the mine shaft, he failed to notice the rapidly decaying corpse of an inquisitor _and_ an Imp; their bodies having been unnoticed in the unnaturally darkened wall that had been directly behind Nyx as he had studied the pit... a living shadow seemingly masking their strewn up bodies.

 _Both of which... were covered in_ _ **amethyst vines**_

* * *

Abigail sat silently against a collection of cubed cinder blocks at the top of the quarry, her hawk like gaze taking in the entire trading post compound with rapt attention along with the single entrance way of the mine. It had been almost an hour since Nyx went in and it was during that hour of silence when Ryden Vale Gremory announced the toppling of the Old-Satan's communication system... the only thing worthy to remember in the long hour of extreme boredom. She had wondered why the lightning of his had ceased for a time, but she guessed the reason was solid enough considering the few dozen or so strikes of red arc energy where actually _deeper_ inside enemy territory... exactly 1 mile from where they were currently

 _The man moved quickly_

However, aside from the man's speed, Abigail couldn't quite contain her smile of excitement when she remembered his announcement over the live comm link

" _This is Ryden Vale Gremory reporting in... enemy surveillance has been disabled... I repeat..._

 _...enemy surveillance has been disabled"_

The memory alone still gave her Goosebumps...

For as long as she knew; the old-Satan's monopoly over communication systems was the biggest detriment to the Anti-Satan forces progress in the civil war. Not a single operation to this date was ever conducted with complete freedom over communication synergy, but now it seemed that the fog of war was finally parting ways.

The only reason she didn't open comm's with the Generals was mainly due to keeping silent in case of possible enemy reinforcements _and_ in order to wait for an update with Nyx... thankfully that update didn't take too long...

" _Abi... I'm coming back up to the surface"_ reported Nyx

Abigail smirked at the man's words – slightly relieved that nothing had gone wrong – but she also noted the man's confused and oddly grumbled tone, almost as if he was disappointed in something... she figured why.

"Nothing?" she replied back knowingly, yet the answer she received whipped away her smirk completely

" _I don't know what to say Abigail... there was nothing down there_ **alive** _... no Imps—even when I found an incubation nest_ — _and no inquisitors at all... I found the remains of the dig team all chewed up but no remains of any inquisitors"_

His words sparked a deeper look of confusion from Abigail, her own memory of Imp movements and natural habitat practically dictated that the notion of an incubation nest being left completely alone and without response was something that _never_ happened... ever. And zero inquisitors?... something was up and it stunk of treachery.

" _Before you jump to conclusions, I found something else Abi... something completely unnatural"_ added Nyx ominously.

"What?"

" _Directly where the Imps main nest should have been... was instead a massive pit— bottomless if I had anything to say about—the entire thing was covered in black mist that radiated some kind of pheromone that enhances ones fear factor and the sheer amount of it completely obscured the depth"_ Nyx revealed, flooring Abigail by his description... she as well had not heard of such a thing.

" _To add even more confusion to your plate, there was also amethyst vines that hugged the entire outer walls of the pit... they seemed like_ _ **veins**_ _with how they pulsated every now and then... Ugh... creepy"_

"Are you sure it's not _erosion_... you do know what happens when a new type of demonic energy enters an ecosystem right?"

" _Remind me oh intelligent one"_ snide Nyx, forcing Abigail to roll her eyes at his remark.

"Usually the pre-existing element within an ecosystem battles against a new form of demonic energy; in some cases the natural conflict creates erosion in the area which is _dead_ cells in the soil and crust and _that_ can cause a sink hole in some cases when both elements cancel the other out—Leaving a section of land to become unstable and possibly erode if the foundation is not strong enough to survive on its own" explained Abigail

Nyx however chuckled at the supplied lesson. _"If that's the case, then this new inclusion is one malevolent source of energy... that pit gave me the creeps"_

"It could be _Infernum Fulgur's_ doing... its sentient and seems pissed enough to get you nervous _and_ its elemental based... it could be the one causing the shift in natural order"

" _Yeah_ _but isn't it stated in legend that those are crystallized weapons based on the primordial elements of hell... that means they're the ones that_ _ **created**_ _the ecosystem, they couldn't be the ones interrupting what they created; its theirs after all"_

Abigail paused at Nyx's point, her head lightly nodding in agreement. "This seems like something up General Astaroth's expertise... we should give him the information regarding this and also tag this location for further study when possible, the erosion might be a corruption within the ecosystem and that means the water here might be poisonous to consume... maybe even the food"

" _Damn... what the hell did these idiots dig up?"_ gripped Nyx

"Never mind that for now Nyx, we'll fret over this later but for now I have news for you..."

" _Hit me with it"_

"...Ryden disabled the Old-Satan communication Surveillance system... we have full communication with allied forces now"

" _...shit... that means our objective is done... with an Omni-key in our possession and now that the surveillance system is down, enemy forces can no longer use their artillery as effectively...so that means we can rendezvous with the main invasion force finally"_

Abigail smirked at the sudden rejuvenation in Nyx's tone. "And get this Nyx; Ryden is only a mile from our position, so we can rendezvous with him any time"

" _Just when I thought things were getting boring... Abi I'm almost out of the mine so get ready to move as soon as I get topside... when it comes to Ryden, you can be damn sure there's action to follow"_

A feint chuckle escaped Abigail's lips. "I knew you were interested in him... got something you wanna say to me?"

" _Cool your flaps woman, at least I wasn't the one dangling from his shoulders the first minute we met"_ shot back Nyx, forcing a rare blush to Abigail's cheeks.

"J-just get up here"

" _Heheh... Yeah-yeah, I coming princess"_

* * *

 **[Monolith compound/ several minutes after field debriefing]**

Ryden stood stiffly in place, his eyes fluttering rapidly as the seconds passed him by like a gentle breeze in the wind. He rubbed his eyes roughly after a second of blinking, a vigorous action spurred on in order to keep himself among the living; such actions only seemed to dampen his situation for but a second before the blinking returned with the vengeance. If he was being perfectly honest with himself – even though the calm _was_ relaxing – he hated every second of it because he knew that if he collapsed here and know, then he'd wake up _next year_.

It had been a couple hours since the invasion and all throughout that time he'd used up more of his energy than he was comfortable with, and it was beginning to take a toll on his focus. The silent stillness in the area wasn't helping him stay tuned with the world, and he'd be lying if the call of fatigue wasn't any bit more inviting then the idea of a hot meal... _bloody hell was he hungry_.

He stood in the opening area within the center of the compound; directly where Rosalina had incinerated the right half of the outpost completely with her attack, and it took all of his willpower to not grumble at the sight. The right half of the outpost could've been prime cover to use, yet here he was; standing admits ash, rubble and a vast open expanse for a military marching band to waltz right into with resistance.

 _Bollocks..._

Ryden shook his head from the many gripes developing in his mind and merely continued on what he had been doing for the last couple minutes. In order to keep himself awake and focus, he continued to forge plans, contingencies and fallback points with the cover provided all the while watching both Rosalina and Rivia prepare themselves for the counter offensive that was inevitable to arrive... this was all he could do to keep himself from collapsing and both Rivia and Rosalina knew too damn well about his sudden spell of fatigue.

They all knew reinforcements were heading their way as the distant sounds of marching wasn't hard for neither of them to miss – nor the slowly approaching signatures of demonic energy – but the issue with Ryden's decline in mental strength was also something daunting in of its self. Both women knew his power was extraordinary and Rivia knew his power most likely stemmed to his mental strength while Rosalina merely took in his sudden decline in focus with a glance and subsequent grumble.

Neither of them could blame him however...

First he protected the advance with his 'bubble shield', and then he annihilated the enemies advance with a mighty bolt of arc energy. After that, he took a shot to the noggin – probably suffering a concussion from the sudden ordeal – and then he faught a couple dozen inquisitors in rapid succession. This was quickly followed by whatever it was that caused him to _hear_ demonic frequency, and that then spurred onto the events pertaining to them taking down the outpost's occupants... considering the light show created both Rosalina and Ryden, it was obviously incredibly taxing.

All in all... Rosalina and Rivia knew Ryden was close to his last leg – if he wasn't already there that is – but judging by the fluttering gaze he held over the distant forest leading into the enemy territory; it was clear what the answer was.

Rivia pursed her lips at the sight, while Rosalina sent Ryden a slightly worrying look. Even though he was standing on the brink of collapse, he still stood tall alongside them and even if it was slightly awe inspiring to see such devotion to a duty, it still troubled Rosalina as to just why the man pushed himself so much.

"You two gonna stare at me all day or are you gonna prepare yourselves?"

Rivia lightly flinched in embarrassment while Rosalina followed closely behind but with a light blush to boot. Having been too caught up in their worry for their comrade, they both never noticed his gaze had shifted onto them – much to their deep embarrassment – and now all they saw was a smirking man playfully chuckling at their blushes.

"Hehehe... what's gotten you two all worked up? Are you two worried for little 'ol me?" came his playful questions as he noted their looks of worry.

Rosalina quickly glanced away; too embarrassed to look the man in the eye, yet Rivia was largely different in her reaction to his following words. Though embarrassed as she was to have been caught staring at him, she didn't find his following words to have such an impacting effect as it did with Rosalina.

 _That woman was far to enclosed,_ Rivia noted with a notable glance to the aforementioned woman before her gaze quickly regarded Ryden worriedly.

"Are you not well Arbiter?" she asked seriously, her own thoughts realizing her folly when she referred to the man with his title; though it seemed to be received as a formal gesture of worry then a mistake in Ryden's regard, because the man merely scratched his cheek while his previous look of mirth and humor vaporized into a tired glint, much to Rivia's and Rosalina's further worry.

"Aye... I bloody hate downtime in between battles" he griped before he rubbed his eyes again. "The adrenaline starts to fade and fatigue starts taking hold—" Ryden rubbed his eyes for the second time before pressing on. "—but once we get some action, _Fulgur_ says she'll give me a shot of her energy... apparently it should last me until this is over, if not then she'll do it indefinitely until victory is ours"

Rosalina's eyes drooped into a worried frown, not at all convinced of the idea presented. "That seems unhealthy... Arc energy is commonly used to power mechanical items and resuscitate the injured, but only in small amounts—too much and your heart might explode with all the excess energy"

At Rosalina's words, _Fulgur_ lit up briefly before it faded down into a gentle glow.

Ryden shook his head at the sword's reply before he flexed his hand. Though the swords reply was slightly insulting to the woman – mostly because it was associated with a _sexual_ orientation – he still felt appreciative of the small boost in energy the blade had given him in that moment.

He blinked away his fatigue before he refocused his gaze back onto the two – completely unaware that his eyes now shone _crimson_ in color – and merely shook away the woman's worries. " _Fulgur_ says your worries are misplaced onto those unworthy of containing her power. While those who can only sustain only a fraction of a fraction of her power, I alone can shoulder a thousand times more than anyone can merely because I possess the mark of _Fulgur"_

"He speaks the truth Rosalina" Rivia pressed while crossing her arms under her bust. "It's said that those who bare the mark of any _Infernum Armis_ receive the absolute right to shoulder all of its power, that being said... I have full faith in _Fulgur's_ ability in keep my Lord well awake for the coming events"

Ryden smirked exasperatedly at the pride laden in Rivia's tone, while Rosalina merely shook her head at the elder devils clear show of loyalty towards both Ryden and his legendary weapon. Who knew such a refined and ancient warrior such as Rivia Abaddon could express such blatant devotion towards someone she'd only just met. Far be it from Rosalina to say she wasn't slightly leaning to the same outcome, but at least she was putting up a decent fight for Satan's sake... Rivia seemed almost prepared to bow for the man at the slightest command, maybe even kneel for crying out loud!

Ryden shook his head to clear his mind of _Fulgur's_ continuous whispers of temptation in regards to Rivia's devotion and absolute pride towards him. Honestly, the things _Fulgur_ came up with in regards to his female allies was quickly convincing him of _Fulgur's_ true sexual orientation. To make it even more obvious, _Fulgur REALLY_ wanted him to get _Infernum Aqua_ for some reason, and either it was because lightning and water mixed so well – in a lethal matter – or it was because the two had a very deep relationship that needed to be reunited. But as romantic as it was to reunite two long separated lovers, the extremely questionable comments and imagery that Fulgur 'gifted' him on occasion was very easily the biggest sign to the contrary.

Upon that thought... it was probably best he got _Aqua_ last—

 _ **NO!**_

Ryden slightly recoiled when _Fulgur's_ loud cry of lamination breached his ears, his sudden recoil having surprised the two devils yet Ryden merely waved them off easily.

"Sorry, just had to discipline a rowdy roommate... kinda sparked a reaction I haven't heard yet; I'm surprised"

 _ **That's because you never tried brat**_

Ryden paused – correction; he froze – before he glanced over to Rivia suddenly, a worried expression laden on his frowned expression. "Rivia... can I ask you something?"

 _ **You just did...**_

Again, Ryden shook his head; his doubt reaching higher peaks as Rivia nodded at his sudden question. "What would you like to know?" she asked with barely a lick of hesitance.

"I-is it possible to hear a _single_ voice in my head?"

This time, Rivia frowned at the question – confused by the wording of it – but its meaning was all too easy to read after a moment of thinking and this caused Rivia's eyes to widen considerably when she came onto the only possible conclusion.

"Ryden... is _Fulgur_ truly speaking to you?" she asked, sparking an extreme look of confusion from Rosalina.

"Didn't it talk to him before?" asked Rosalina

Ryden nodded quickly at the woman's words. "Yes, however it's voice was a conjunction of hundreds of voices speaking as one" corrected Ryden, enticing a disturbed look from Rosalina at the prospect of hearing that many voices in one instant, her own thoughts disturbed her enough on a daily basis, so she couldn't think of what he must've felt to hear _hundreds_ of voices.

 _ **Correction; my voice was actual sealed away... what you heard were the hundreds of souls consumed by my lightning. They were my – shall we say – 'stand-ins' for the moment... until now that is**_

Ryden closed his eyes briefly – rubbed them vigorously – and then glanced over to Rivia only to widen his eyes when all he saw was Rivia's naked body, completely bare to the world.

 _ **Like what you see brat?**_

Ryden couldn't look away – much to Rivia's confusion – and only whimpered when Rivia stepped towards him, her mere action only causing her assets to jiggle further.

"Ryden... what's going on?" asked Rosalina as she stepped into his line of sight, forcing his terrified gaze to shift onto her... bad idea.

 _She was naked as well..._

 _ **Do I have your attention now boy?**_

Ryden only nodded at the voice, his form frozen stiff in place while his gaze held fast upon the sight of Rivia's and Rosalina's naked forms. He wanted to look away, but he couldn't which meant it obviously _Fulgur's_ doing.

Taking a calming breath, Ryden made his first mistake when speaking within an inner voice... he spoke aloud.

"Sure, you have my attention... so can you can you please put their clothes back on?" he asked hesitantly, completely unaware of the very deep looks of surprise from both Rivia and Rosalina; their gazes shifting down to look themselves over only to become confused when their attire was still very much present.

Rivia was... _surprised_ by Ryden's words, but not too deeply affected by the idea that Ryden had been staring at her goods for a moment – for obvious reasons leaning towards redundancy – yet a quick glance over to the more 'recluse' woman at her side and it was clear she was the complete opposite of her own self.

Rivia – in a rare moment of exasperation – pinched the bridge of her nose when she felt Rosalina hiding behind her. Her eye brow rose gently when the younger blonde shamelessly pressed her embarrassed face against her back; either forgetting their tiny rivalry or merely not at all caring in the breach of personal space.

She sighed at the woman's continued actions but merely ignored the embarrassed woman for now... she'd become aware at who she was hugging in a second and the thought of it was quite humorous.

As the two females stood silently in moderate embarrassment, Ryden shook his head vigorously in order to staunch away the image of Rivia and Rosalina hugging it out buck naked, however it was something he couldn't combat even with the toughest of mental deterrents... it was a losing battle for sure.

 _ **Honestly... does this really affect you THAT much? What's a little skin ship between two beauties got on you?**_

Ryden knew his mistake from before... the moment he'd asked the ancient weapon to release its hold on him, Fulgur had done so only after a moment of watching Rosalina hug Rivia from behind; though it _appeared_ like a hug, Ryden knew it was Rosalina's only form of retreat in regards to his loud mouth.

As Tsundere as she was, Rosalina was still innocent underneath the facade. So the thought that he'd seen her in her birthday suit – completely bare to the world around her – was probably a little bit too much for her to fathom... hence the fact she was hiding behind Rivia; who for the record didn't seem to care in the slightest that he'd been looking directly at her.

 _ **Oh? Now that's quite amusing... the little Miss Abaddon doesn't seem to care at all... heheh**_

Ryden learned from his previous mistake and merely thought his reply, rather than voice it. He knew if this was really _Fulgur_ talking then it would be best to keep their conversations as confidential as possible or the other two may just get a close idea as to just what kind of hell had been festering up inside his noggin.

Bad enough that Rosalina wouldn't be meeting his gaze for a while, but god forbid she found out what _Fulgur_ had made him see before with her little show of extreme confidence and he wouldn't be surprised if she just up and left all together... it felt as if he'd already hit third base with the woman all things considered.

Not good for relationship building... that was for sure.

 _ **I didn't think today's conduct in forging relationships was so... tedious... why not just take her now? You have the time and her pheromones seem high enough to suggest she'd like it in one go... now or never hotshot**_

' _Yeeeeah, that's not happening Fulgur... most would consider that as 'rape' nowadays'_ Ryden replied internally.

His lips pursed in surprise at just how easy it was to speak internal. Before he thought doing such a thing would be jumbled and messy with all of his other thoughts and comments being meshed together but thankfully his words were organized and focused... a strange development, but not an unwelcome one.

 _ **Pah! Such utter fruitless honorable notions... that little Blondie looks ready and rearing to go with you any time of the day; and that older devil there might just join in... She seems like the 'swing both ways' kinda woman**_

Ryden sighed loudly, his stress on the matter quickly mounting with his ever growing fatigue when _Fulgur's_ imagery manipulation conveyed her own thoughts to his. Upon seeing the woman's choice of imagery – something that honestly caught him off guard with the sudden development in the _lesbian_ category – Ryden pinched the bridge of his nose hard.

Why did it feel as if he preferred the multitude of voices over the singular one? Before her replies were short and sweet – though immensely inappropriate – and held a sort of Shakespearean type dialect within that seemed more appropriate for the time of age.

Right now Fulgur sounded like a sexually frustrated woman... from his time of all things

 _ **Fuck you brat—**_

"— _wouldn't be surprised if you wanted to"_

 _ **...Touché... though to answer your confusion on the matter of my sudden change is merely as stated before... I was 'unsealed' so to say; my voice was trapped somewhere in the recess of your mind—but when you threatened to keep me from my dear sweet Aqua, I somehow developed the strength need to breach through this strangely complex mind of yours... upon that note... what the fuck?**_

Ryden raised his brow at _Fulgur's_ question, much to the confusion of the two devils quietly watching him. _'Excuse me?'_

 _ **You know damn well what I mean... how does a human like you possess a damn near celestial state of mind?! I've wanted to ask you this for some time now but never could speak freely – it took some toll on me to even convey my words through the souls I've consumed – but now that I can speak I want to know... what is your origin?**_

' _Canada...'_

Very briefly, Ryden could almost _feel_ a set of eyebrows clench down in deep confusion; obviously trumped by his 'creative' reply.

However, after a moment Ryden grew serious as his own set of eyes narrowed down. _'Honestly Fulgur... I cannot truly explain my current predicament. At one point I was minding my own business and the next moment I was in hell... one bright flash of light and I was falling to the surface of the Malphes territory'_

 _ **Yes... that is strange... I've never considered the possibility of one's luck being that bad, but you take that title without competition... though that doesn't explain why you possess such vast power**_

Ryden shrugged. _'Like before... I don't know what gave me this power_ , _or_ _ **who**_ _gave me this power for that matter... maybe God?'_

 _ **Doubtful**_

' _Why do you say that?'_

 _ **Because... that prick doesn't strike me as the kind to just toss someone up shit creek WITH a paddle... trust me, he's got some wacky sense of humor**_ _ **and an even worse sense of judgment**_

' _So you knew him...'_

 _ **Word came down the vine at times yes... mostly gripes from that whiny shit Lucifer but at least some on his bitch fits were somewhat believable... that thing about humans; totally agreeable**_

At that, Ryden's eyes briefly shone threateningly upon _Fulgur's_ comment in regards to whatever Lucifer's opinion was regarding humans, yet Fulgur didn't seem to notice the very steep folly.

' _Fulgur...'_

 **Yes?**

'Remind me... what am I?'

 _ **Oh... shit**_

' _Yeeeeah... so what did that dipshit say about humans?'_

 _ **...**_

' _Probably something along the lines of violent right? Or maybe because they commit horrendous acts to each other daily? Hmm... sounds familiar... oh that's right! Because devils do the exact same thing as well as probably about 90% of every other living creature in creation'_

Ryden's tone was a growl, low and baritone and his mind practically converged onto _Fulgur_ like an authoritative hammer; demanding his words to be heard very clearly for the ancient spirit. Considering how silent _Fulgur_ had grown, his message had been all but driven up the female spirits ass which now left him in completely silence.

He'd been in a good mood before but now it was different... frustration was fueling him now.

The amount of bitching that came from the Old-Satan shit stains that conducted his interrogation regarding human nature was honestly so damn annoying it nearly drove him mad. Since the dawn of creation every living creature possesses the instinct to murder and kill, yet the moment humans do it everyone loses their minds and holds that above them like they hadn't done before.

For real... they insulted humanity for killing pointlessly yet they then proceed to kill pointlessly. They whine about adultery and its horrendous nature yet they do it anyway.

Hypocrisy... masked behind a pathetic excuse of 'she deserved it' or 'they didn't believe in our nature so its fine to kill them'... pathetic mongrels the lot of them; they were just as bad – if not worse – yet they think humans are the greater evil because they are physically weaker than them?

A limited argument for a bigger picture that none dared to decipher... mostly because all of them were probably too stupid to try anyway.

"Ryden! We have contact coming in!" called out Rosalina as Rivia began walking towards the large collection of inquisitors marching up the road from the mainland.

Forcing himself from his 'conversation' with the newly talkative _Fulgur_ , Ryden simply nodded at the woman's words before he summoned _Nameless_ and trudged over to Rosalina and Rivia's side wordlessly. It had been a while since he'd used it last, what with all the trees and shit keeping him from using it to its maximum potential; yet now that he was in the open, he could use his preferred weapon with all his heart's content.

Ryden fidgeted with his swordspear for a moment while Rosalina and Rivia eyed their oncoming assailant's with rapt attention. Among the three, Rosalina sprung up with a simple question...

"Rules of engagement?" she asked while summoning _Ira Flamma_

Ryden lightly grunted at the question, his now sour mood helping him forge a reply he fully knew sounded way to edgy for him... yet he said it anyway.

"Simple... kill them all" he replied seriously before he noticed a collection of crimson arcs dance along the edge of his chosen blade. His eyes lightly narrowed at the sight of the tendrils of energy before his own mental voice cut in.

' _Do you know who you now serve Fulgur?'_

 _ **... I Do... my power is yours to command, master**_

' _Good... though you can drop the 'master'... its creepy'_

 _ **Would you prefer I called you 'Daddy'?**_

Ryden's eyes clenched at the sultry nature in _Fulgur's_ tone before he shook his head rapidly. _'Please don't... that's even worse'_

 _ **Too late! Daddy it is!**_

' _Ughhh...'_

Ryden grumbled to himself before slouching over in despair, the action enticing a look of moderate sympathy from Rivia and a worried glance from Rosalina.

The former merely smirked at Ryden's downcast expression – a far cry from his previously sharp and negative outlook – and spoke sympathetically. " _Fulgur_ giving you a hard time?"

 _ **Speaking of hard... Do you know how badly I wanna ride you right now? That dominate power of yours... ~mmmmh~... color me interested**_

Ryden's eyes appeared terrified upon hearing _Fulgur's_ words. The sheer levels of ecstasy within her appraisal towards his power felt almost like her breath was on his neck, and her form was holding him in place.

His gaze locking with Rivia's hesitantly – afraid at what the horny sword might have done to her image – before he nodded to her when the coast was clear. "You can say that..." he whimpered to the woman, sparking a hardly contained glint of amusement from the elder devils. "I can tell she'll be an even bigger handful then before"

 _ **Come now, you're just giving me words to play with...**_

' _I'm not asking you to'_

 _ **Then silence me with your power! Drench me in your –**_

' _Ok! That's it! BEGONE THOT!'_

Though crude as it was, _F_ _ulgur's_ progressive words only further forced him down to the path. So with a mental command unlike anything he'd done before, the connection he had with _Fulgur_ was completely blotted out from his senses; leaving him with nothing but an echoing moan of _Fulgur's_ ecstasy.

Ryden shivered...Though legends spoke of _Fulgur's_ terrifying power and might, they never did mention the blade insatiable lust; yet he knew none could bear to witness the swords mighty perversion if it was ever public.

 _That shit was next level_

With his mind completely clear of perverted comments and extremely inappropriate imagery; Ryden was finally able to watch as the large number of inquisitor forces marched in a large – wide – fashion towards the three of them from the main land. Quite shockingly, neither Rosalina nor Rivia appeared nervous at the approach of the large armed force of inquisitors, heavy units, royal guards and caster brigades as not a single one of them made it into their priority zones.

A large force of cannon fodder... again.

Ryden sighed to himself at the realization; admonished at the severe feeling of boredom developing in his gut when not a single one of the 'high-class' devils present among the enemy forces couldn't even come close to matching his current power. Though fatigued as he was, he had still survived lethal blows when unconscious, so with him being just marginally awake, it meant any kind of attack mounted onto him would most likely do nothing but _tickle_ him.

Guess this was another one of those 'endurance trials' that Rivia had mentioned; and this time he was _truly_ trying to stay awake.

Ryden grumbled at that...

The structuring of the Old-Satan military favored their high-class 'noble' devils more than any other; probably because they needed them around to help them lead the devil race with the traditional _Ars Geotia_ standings when they 'win' the civil war – fat chance that'll happen – and these devils where connected to the _Ars Geotia_ government heavily controlled by the Old-Satan faction.

Surprisingly, Ryden had witnessed the death of three of these colorful miscreants; though one of them was official among the ranks within the _council of the 72_ – which technically meant he'd seen _two_ of the Old-Satan's noble forces go night-night – but he digressed. The fact of the matter is... seeing just one of these individuals would be an exceptionally rare sight, and that was also factoring in the knowledge that the old-Satan's possessed _less_ official backing then the Anti-Satan's.

24 families vs. The Old-Satan's meager 18

Not too much of a surprise... judging by the Old-Satan's conduct towards anything that wasn't retarded, it didn't shock Ryden that they were on the short end of the stick in everyone's perspective; but irregardless of that fact, it didn't brighten Ryden's mood any further.

"So... who wants to take the left side?" asked Ryden before he sniffled suddenly and glanced over to Rivia and Rosalina.

Taking I'm up on the offer, Rosalina smirked at Ryden's question before she lightly slid her index finger along the flat portion of her sword; the action resounding with an audible whistle from the swords metal.

Rosalina smirked at the sound before she clicked her tongue. "Well if you are offering, then I see no need to ignore your plea for assistance"

At that Ryden's lips curved upwards while Rivia smirked at the two viciously. "Even now you two still try to one up the other?" she asked rhetorically before smirking darkly at the slowly approaching mass of 'soon-to-be' corpses. "...who said you had dibs on them anyway? From where I Stand, their free game for anyone fast enough"

Ryden gave Rivia a wide glance – oddly off put by the woman's dark tone – but regardless, he shook his head at both of the blonde's competitive natures... even if it did seem a little bit blood lusty... and a little fucked up.

Shaking his head of the disturbing thoughts regarding Rivia's mental state – and also Rosalina's for that matter – Ryden twirled _nameless_ expertly before his own dark smirk rose to his lips as his stance lowered into his battle standard position. With his right foot held off to the side and his mass now leaning mostly onto his left leg, Ryden bent low all the while holding _nameless_ off to his right side – loosely gripped at the neck of the shaft – all the while his left hand gripped the earth at his feet tightly.

 _A stance meant for a pounce_

As the moment's passed by, and as the enemy in front of them came closer by the second; dark red tendrils of lightning danced along his body before it all coalesced and ran down Ryden's arm and into the weapon in his hand, all of it focusing in onto the tip of the blade; changing its once black and silver appearance to now resemble that of a glowing blade of angry hell lightning cackling with wrathful bolts and wisps of dangerous ionic energy that none dared to question its lethality.

Upon the sudden change in Ryden's swordspear, many of the previously confident inquisitors marching towards the three lone devils suddenly felt as if their confidence before was more of ignorance and arrogance then simple fact. Before they had believed the three devils were all that stood to oppose them, and indeed they were correct in this observation, but that alone brought them to their overconfidence.

The sight of a measly three devils was easily enough to force a sense of over confidence admits the _one hundred_ marching inquisitors, and many of them were more captivated by the two beauties standing before them then any sort of possible danger.

 _Foolishness_

It was at that moment – when their attention shifted to fantasy – was when their observations had ceased completely and their desires completely overtook them... and their doom shortly followed afterwards.

They did not see the danger... for they were too blinded by the beauty of their foes

They did not realize their defeat... for their shortsightedness cost them

They did not see the warning – crimson, vermilion, menacing and glaring – because the beauty from their enemy, like that of a Rose, blossomed before them with ever step forward; The exquisite eminence of the two blonde devils blotting out their natural instincts of _primal fear_.

Dazzling and _divine_ was all that many could describe the two, as none among them had seen such beauty before—other than the many beauties they'd seen from time long passed. The crimson light originating between the two only seemed to accentuate their appearance; making seem like flowers admits a broken land.

Their figures were sharp and breathtaking – captivating even – as none could truly see passed the possibility of having such beauty all to themselves; with nothing standing between them in the endeavor to possess it.

However... like before... their lust clouded their judgement; it shrouded their senses and caged their instincts like easily captured prey. It took them only a second to realize their folly, to look past the Roses in front of them...

 _...And see the jagged purpose of angry_ _ **thorns**_

None of the three truly understood why the marching inquisitors continued towards them without hesitance, and none of them would ever truly understand why; yet the mistake of their enemies was still a welcoming sight none the less.

Ryden's form tore forward like a spear – literally – the ground practically exploding backwards from the force applied; and pierced through the enemies' initial defense like a knife through butter before any of the others could move. Inquisitors fell in mass; cleaved and pierced by a blade much too large and much too fast for any of them to avoid in time, while others were sent flying back when multiple arcs of lightning picked them off their feet.

 _None stood after being hit_

Ryden smirked darkly at the sight of his attack, his mind clearing by the second as both adrenaline and _Fulgur's_ influence helped easy his fatigue to none existence. Using the gift as it was meant to be, Ryden expertly danced allow with his swordspear; the arc energy that had melded into the blade of his weapon jolted outward in a thrust – sending out arcs of lightning that vaporized dozens – before he continued to twirl the weapon around him like a storm of blades.

Bisected

Perforated

Decapitated

The list of slaughter only grew by the second... and none could stop it.

Rosalina watched Ryden's advance with rapt attention, her eyes slightly wide in surprise by his sudden show of skill and speed with his secondary weapon, yet immediately afterwards her own skill became known when she herself joined the fray a moment after.

Admits the quickly growing chaos of the advancing inquisitors, many devils within the bulk of the attacking force didn't at all see the first attack coming. The bright red hue of lightning blotting out most of their view kept them from seeing the second strike coming, and soon after the initial attack and mighty _geyser_ of flame and fire erupted from within their ranks; courtesy of Rosalina's quick and sudden attack.

After her violent landing admits the confused and distracted inquisitors, Rosalina swiftly pulled her blade from the earth below and twisted around to engage her nearest assailant. _Ira Flamma_ cleaved in all directions - accentuated by the flames that followed closely behind every swing – and with every hit landed, those affected were almost instantly incinerated by the flames. Matching the speed and brutality as Ryden, Rosalina cut a bloody and fiery swath in the Old-Satan ranks yet her own style appeared more refined and poised then her competitor; yet neither of the two outclassed the other... much to Rivia's amusement.

She stood back purposely; her arms crossed under her bust and expression pensive with analytic focus. Three ultimate-class devils going off the rails was well over the limit of overkill, and it also wasted much needed energy. So, not wanting to get in the way of the two young devils slaughtering the large advance force, Rivia merely took to the sky... her role of support slowly coming back to her.

 _She was starting to hate the damn role..._

Twelve massive bat-like wings sprung from Rivia's back – six on either side – the black webbing of her wings almost seemingly drunk in the light, while the very wings themselves released an eerie black smoke that rolled off of them in small droves. With the sudden appearance of her wings, a large number of inquisitors shifted their eyes to the one that felt more akin to _death_ then devil. Rivia smirked darkly at those that gazed upon her, before their heads toppled to the ground suddenly – courtesy of single swing of her scythe.

Twirling the scythe in her hand casually while ascending, many more inquisitors fell to the blade before the Abaddon devil was alone in the sky; her condescending gaze now staring down to those below, forcing a sense of total inadequacy in those that witnessed her ascension.

As Rosalina and Ryden expertly pierced through the enemy forces rapidly, Rivia summed dozens of magic sigils at her sides – their splendid white glow capturing the attention of those yet to be engaged by the two on the ground. Ryden smirk gently before she merely waved a finger towards the distant forces.

Like a salvo, dozens of highly condensed beams of demonic energy slammed into enemy lines, both dismembering and disintegrating all that was caught in the white hot explosions sent in by the airborne Abaddon.

Ryden twirled left and right, his swordspear parting all that were to close before he leaped into the air and slammed _nameless_ into the ground as a form of crescendo for his combo. Upon contact with the ground below, a massive bolt of arc energy slammed into the pommel of spear – sending down a massive spike of energy along the shaft and blade – which was then released into the ground.

Like water, the ground violently churned before a ripple torn the earth in all directions; knocking down dozens of inquisitors which were then violently electrocuted by angry volts that rose from the fissures caused by the tremor.

Seeing the quake coming, Rosalina gracefully leapt into the air and hovered gently in the sky with the use of her brilliantly white flaming wings. Giving Ryden the stink eye for interrupting her, Rosalina proceeded to rain down fiery death with simple swings of her prized blade; adding even more explosions to the shit show that was the Inquisitors advance.

It didn't take long for the three to decimate the majority of the enemies advancing forces and so, what remained of the once powerful number of inquisitors only remained a handful which was easily mopped up by the threes efforts.

A single bolt of arc energy from the sky and a small squad of enemy units were vaporized from existence, while the same thing could be said regarding a pair of rapidly retreating inquisitors; their fates being twisted into an ashen mound courtesy of an airborne Rosalina; her white hot blade simmering after having rapidly discharged multiple fire bolts.

A single inquisitor remained of the fighting force – this one being that of a _grand Inquisitor_ in rank – his form shook in terror, not having expected the resistance of three devils to match his superior numbers, yet now that he'd witnessed the demise and decimation of his counter force – in record time! – The outcome lay present before him brutally.

His despair only lasted for a second longer however, as a small beam of white energy pierced the man's forehead; blowing out the man's brains and departing him completely from the underworld.

Swift and merciful, yet brutal... a clear personification of Rivia Abaddon.

The elder devil gracefully landed at the side of Ryden, her elegant appearance and _angelic_ beauty seemed almost poetically relatible to the celestial being, yet her clear show of sadistic enjoyment to the death of her enemies easily reminded him of her demonic heritage.

Ryden couldn't really distinguish what Rivia seemed closest too, but regardless, he couldn't exactly help but admire the woman's graceful conduct in the face of total anarchy... something that was for sure in need of praise.

Being slightly distracted, Ryden never noticed Rosalina's approached from his opposite side until her finger painfully flicked him across the nose; surprising him entirely when it connected.

"Oi?" he questioned quickly, rubbing his nose instinctually. The strike didn't hurt at all really; it was just the physical contact that had caused him some surprise.

Rosalina narrowed her eyes at him before a brow rose up. "You should pay attention to what you're doing and I might not lash out next time... that damn quake of yours messed up my rhythm" she laminated, much to Rivia's mild amusement.

Ryden smirked to the woman simply before he suddenly patted her head, an action that quickly dismantled the woman's anger. "Sure thing Rosa; I'll be sure to keep my barbaric acts to a minimum" At his words, Rosalina flat out blushed at his remission and quickly fell silent; much to Rivia's continued amusement.

 _ **She says that now... but I bet she'd be whistling a different tune when she gets a taste of a REAL quake**_

Ryden sighed quickly at _Fulgur's_ return, his eyes glancing up to the bright sky in moderate despair. _'Why are you the way you are?'_

 _ **Sorry to say it boy, but this is the real me; All that "Yes master, kill them all... yes master..." was the riff raff lingering in me... Its honestly painful to even remember**_

Ryden's eyes gently rolled at the spirits comment; however his curiosity slightly peaked at her words. _'What does that mean?'_ he asked casually, fully prepared for some more sexual innuendos.

 _ **Its means I had small windows of opportunity to reply to you the way I wanted to—some of my words were my own, while other times it was those pesky souls and their edgy tone's of voice that replied in my stead, while I fumbled around with our mental connection... it's why I came across as edgy, angry, malevolent and somewhat blood-lusty at a few moments before, especially when we first met. It's hard to admit you were talking to a few of my more 'impatient' guests... quite encumber some those primordial demons are, all that muscle, bone and rage... it doesn't help their patience**_

' _That's... interesting—perhaps these souls you speak of are affecting you personally... I find it hard to believe that a primordial weapon such as you could be so... horny'_

 _ **Tsk—you'd be surprised... anything's possible if you're brave enough**_

Ryden lightly fumbled with a small meme he'd seen in his mind, before he quickly shook his head at what the sword had meant. _'Like someone would risk death to unseal a powerful sword just to use it in their happy time'_ Ryden muttered ghostly

 _ **like I said before... Brave people can make do with whatever they damn well please, and if my pommel can help them out—then I'm all in!**_

Admits Rivia and Rosalina, Ryden lightly rubbed his face suddenly at _Fulgur's_ passionate choice in usage before he shook his head at Rivia when the woman lightly tilted her head in curiosity—his gaze alone telling her it wasn't something she should know.

' _Jesus...'_ muttered Ryden after a moment of processing his conversation

 _ **why do you gotta bring that guy into this!? We were having a genuine conversation!**_

' _Yeah, a conversation about someone using you as a sex toy!'_

 _ **Heheh... what can I say? I'm VERSATILE!**_

Ryden stood by calmly, breathing deeply while unaware that Rosalina and Rivia were silently watching him; one with a look of curious horror and the other with complete curiosity. Opening his eyes after a moment of listening to _Fulgur's_ loud giggles and perverted snorts, Ryden met eyes with the two and merely grumbled.

Rivia smirked at his expression, seeing as how his gaze had locked with hers. "What's the matter Arbiter? Do you have any questions?" she asked motherly, oddly enjoying the man's sudden interest in her which was also a source of ammunition she could use against Rosalina; her eyes having glimmered over the aforementioned woman momentarily before she turned back to see Ryden holding _Fulgur_ out to her.

A confused expression rose to her face at the action however and so she had to ask exactly what Ryden was doing. "Uh... what are you doing?" she asked, genuinely confused as to why the man was practically handing her the ancient weapon.

Ryden merely held his gaze, a pained and patient expression mixed in with a clear look of admission to a sort of defeat. "This sword... it's too horny—"

Rosalina's eyes bugged out at the man's words, her form slightly reeling back in shock and disgust. "Eh? It's whaaaaat?"

"—you must return this dark weapon to its resting place, such vulgarity needs to be contained" he pressed on before he all but shoved the weapon into Rivia's arms. However the weapon was hastily shoved back into his before Rivia's eyes bore down into his sunken gaze with a serious fervor.

"I am sorry my lord, but whatever kind of torture it brings you; you must know that it is not in vain... you must endure it my lord" spoke Rivia seriously – passionately even – however her tone of seriousness was laden with a kind of humor normally seen in sadistic pranksters and as such, the glint of amusement in Rivia's eyes was hidden from Ryden completely... Rosalina however, saw it all.

A cold shiver ran down the woman's spine at the sight of Rivia's smirk, oddly entranced by her slight gesture of lust when the woman hugged Ryden passionately, the man's head seemingly placed in between Rivia's breasts strategically. "All trials come to an end my lord; this one is no exception"

Ryden audibly hummed in agreement, his tone muffled by the woman's bust before _Fulgur's_ voice entered his ear again.

 _ **You know she's fucking with you right? We both know a normal hug from her would put you at her neck at least... but between her breasts? Come on...**_

' _I know...'_

 _ **Wait—you know?!**_

' _Yes I know, I'm not an idiot Fulgur'_

 _ **Then why did you not do anything with her this morning?! She was ripe for the pick—fucking! She was ripe for the fucking and you didn't nab that?!**_

' _Yes Fulgur I didn't 'nab' that when I had the chance...'_

 _ **Why not?**_

' _Because unlike you I have restraint; Simply charging headfirst into a situation like that – while blissful – only creates an awkward relationship in the end, and with only the slightest chance of it actually working out as you think it does'_

 _ **...A fair point... BUT ALAS! I shall assist you in your quest, and I shall do so with your intentions in mind!**_

' _I will not forge a bond just to satisfy your lustful cravings Fulgur...'_

 _ **Nonsense! I hardly doubt my intervention would affect something that has already begun! What's a little bit of help from a heavily knowledgeable sword spirit such as myself?**_

' _Well... there are some minor personality issue we need to adre—"_

 _ **NOTHING! I shall endeavor to assist you in your conquest to dominate these women, and in doing so; I shall also assist you in covering your own human limitations as a bonus! Yes, this is an absolutely flawless plan**_ _ **of action!**_

Within Rivia's bust, Ryden's head lightly titled at the swords words. _'Human limitations? And what the hell Fulgur?! Both of them?! That seems too far up the Douche-bag ally...'_

 _ **Hmm... Easy for a human to say**_

' _Fulgur...'_ Ryden growled internally, his eyes narrowing from within Rivia's bust

 _Oddly enough the woman wasn't letting him go_

 _ **Calm yourself boy, I didn't mean such offense... while I moderately agree with SOME of Lucifer's opinions regarding humans—it may surprise you that my discontent with your species is mainly because you subconsciously limit your own growth! Why settle for just one woman when you could have two? Maybe even three?! That Tiamat dragon was a mighty fine looker—and that dragon booty wasn't much to scoff at either... I wonder how strong a 'grip' she has down there?**_

Ryden didn't fucking move, his face being that of a ghostly pale white at the subject of _Fulgur's_ seemingly limitless sexual interest. He wanted to wail in torment but at the same time he didn't want to disturb Rivia, and he knew his voice in reprehend would be momentous enough to shake even her down to size.

Fucking a dragon... such a thought never graced his mind without the heavy presence of alcohol before, but he guessed now would be the first time.

 _ **This is my deal to you then master... accept my assistance and I will help you win over both of these woman**_

' _Why both?'_

 _ **It's no mystery they both hold some kind of affection towards you master, and I should also warn you about what happens when a devil gets rejected...**_

A pit in Ryden's stomach formed, his memory slowly rounding back to the lesson he gotten from Venelana—

 _ **A fine Milf if I must say... I wonder, what would she—**_

' _Don't even fucking think about it Fulgur... that's a no-no zone and a half'_

 _ **Tsk... You have no sense of adventure...**_

Ryden shook his head at _Fulgur's_ quite lamination before his memory rounded back to a small tid bit he'd mildly forgotten during his lessons from Venelana. While at the time he'd been dozing off from mental fatigue, he did remember a small subject regarding female devil _rejection._ It was a small story that – surprisingly – involved Rosalina's family of all things.

According to the story – if he was remembering it right – Lord Phenex had two wives; one was a natural find and the other was related to a forced marriage arrangement. At first it went marginally well but his integrity towards his desire to free himself and his family from the tyrannical tradition of multiple wives and arranged marriages, he rejected the second wife in favor of his one love and because of that; the rejected wife – feeling betrayed and used – targeted the man with all of her might, forgetting everything she was and who she was related to in her quest of vengeance.

Safe to say the situation had drastically descended into mayhem and lord Phenex had no choice but to kill the mad woman with his own hands.

Among the low/mid-class devils, it was a poem of tragedy... popular but sad.

Since that incident, many had investigated why the woman had gone mad and when Venelana had said _mad_ she REALLY meant it. Anyway, the investigation led those to find out that the cause of the madness was centralized on her demonic energies flow and that after a period of time, the woman's demonic energy seemingly 'attached' to lord Phenex's 'life force' or something; causing the female to devote herself to him completely.

Safe to say the man was a **Chad** amongst devils because his rejection hit her harder than it should have; both the lust and love directed to him – because of his strength and character – caused the pain of his rejection to be all the more insufferable, and _that_ caused her to became so unreasonable. In her mind she believed that if she couldn't have him... then none could.

 _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorn..._ the quote possessed an origin it seemed

 _Fulgur's_ comment regarding rejection was sound, and now that he thought on it; rejecting any of the two in front of him would only hurt himself more than anything. Seeing madness grip any one of them because of his human limits was not something he wished to see.

 _ **All the more reason to accept it master... while you are human; you are NOT amongst them, but amongst devils. In order to make sure you don't hurt them, I suggest you head down that 'Douche-bag ally' you mentioned before, because i 'fear' that'll be the only way forward without causing more pain then you wish**_

' _Still won't make it easy'_

 _ **If you think having multiple HUMAN wives is hard, then you'd be surprised at how well female devils handle it...**_

Ryden's brow narrowed in confusion. _'Explain...'_

 _ **Hehehe... interested are we? Fine... I'll give you a hint—or more rather, a question... I wish to see if you can decipher my meaning**_

' _Shoot...'_

 _ **This petty rivalry between these two – the one they don't include you in –... doesn't it seem a bit one sided?**_

Ryden dwelled on the question for a second, his form slightly falling back from Rivia's embrace in order to stare at the ground in thought, leaving a visibly disappointed Rivia to stand at his side and a clearly frustrated pout from Rosalina.

All throughout the last couple of days he'd seen both of them throw comment after comment towards the other and all throughout that time, Rosalina appeared the most vehement in the competition, while Rivia seemed almost casual about it; almost as if it was a simple game that she willingly played along in.

 _ **It would seem that you can see the issue, but do you know why this is happening?**_

' _Why?'_

 _ **Every 'harem' of devils possesses an Alpha male – that much is obvious – but you forget that there's also an 'alpha female' in the mix. This 'Rivia Abaddon' seems like a prime example of such a woman. You know for a fact that if that Phenex devil wasn't in the picture, then she'd have you for breakfast, lunch and dinner—with seconds of course— AND without hesitation. But for some reason, she holds off on her advance—almost as if she'd testing this Phenex devil, enticing her to catch up to her and open up to her desires and... oh my**_

' _What?'_

 _ **if you are not aware, then I shan't spoil the surprise— but anyway, this shall be my deal to you master! I shall help you acquire both of them – using YOUR methods of course – AND with the full intent on making them ladies as happy as possible! As return I shall cease all forms of sexual harassment to both you and your significant others... do we have a deal?**_

' _Wait... what the hell kind of deal is that!? What's in it for you? You're just playing wing-woman"_

 _ **Ah but that's the kick master! The benefit for myself is simple... what you achieve, I achieve! And if that means a couple of hot and sweaty hours with two drop dead gorgeous devils in the tight grip of passionate love making then that's all I can ask! I've been lonely for many millennia, and you can understand what that does to a woman such as myself**_

' _It makes you unbearably horny?'_

 _ **Oh you have no idea... and with no outlet, it's even more unbearable**_

' _Right... what about Aqua? You seemed intensely interested in convincing me to acquire her. Why the sudden change?'_

 _ **Don't get me wrong master, I want to eat out that ocean of a woman more then you can fathom—**_

Ryden's eyes widened suddenly at the sword's choice of words; having honestly not expected such a brutally honest answer, but yet not totally surprised _Fulgur_ crossed the line.

 _ **...but I can see that horizon is many moons away... inevitable—but distant, and I can tell we will not be in this Territory for long—Ventus will be our next stop, and I know why you seek him... you wish to possess true dominion over the sky**_

' _You know me so well... by the way—you wouldn't happen to know what weapon Ventus is, I'm kinda curious what sort of form the wind being takes'_

 _ **Wind reaches far and wide master, Ventus' sight is rivaled by none in hell and his dominion over the sky is shared only by me and Aqua, yet he holds sole command on where I strike and which land to flood, out of the three of us—you can consider him our 'captain' so to speak**_

Ryden's eyes slightly widened at Fulgur's reveal. Though she didn't divulge exactly what kind of weapon Ventus was, she did drop a good enough bomb to distract him for a moment.

' _Wait... Ventus possesses command over you?'_

 _ **What? Did you think just because I am one of the strongest of my kin that I do not take orders? Be admonished master, just because I'm abrasive and loud – AND beautiful – that doesn't mean I can't follow natural order... The sky dictates and the rain and thunder falls where HE commands, anything less and everything becomes chaos**_

Ryden's eye brows rose at the admission. _'I didn't expect that kind of answer... but back on topic anyway. I asked if you knew what weapon his physical form takes; you seem to know about your kin, and the roles you follow – even though you said your memory of your sealing is cloudy – so you must at least know what kind of weapon he is'_

 _ **A bow... I have forgotten the smaller details of its design but I do know his weapon of form is a bow. Do keep in mind master; while that fancy trinket of yours is flashy... and arousing... do remember what I said about Ventus. His keen eye sight and domain over the sky was what deemed him to be our captain, his weapon will not be a waste of time... your gaze will reach beyond what you can already see**_

' _Interesting, I probably should've known it'd be a range based weapon, or perhaps a fluidly operated blade—but a bow will be a welcome inclusion. While Cerberus does help for range, it's only a pistol in the end... a bow should help me increase my ranged capability'_

 _ **So this weapon of yours is called a pistol? It's strange, I never heard of such forms of weaponry before...**_

' _Yeeeeah... anyways... I'm confused Fulgur, you mentioned Ventus was your 'captain'—is that a random title you gave him or was it his actually status amongst you four?'_ Ryden asked after avoiding to answer the swords curiosity.

 _ **It was his status... he alone possess the moniker of 'captain' mainly because the rest of us thrive with his presence. Fire burns brighter and stronger with his breath, the waters tear canyons apart with his winds and his clouds provide me governance over those below me. It was because of him that our elements thrive so much... thus his command of us**_

Ryden stood by; his mind reeling on the information given before his eyes quickly took notice of Rosalina and Rivia's disappearance. He panicked for a second – wondering if he'd dozed off for too long, however a quick glance around himself and he notice the two carrying on with preparation's such as setting down trap sigils, road blocks, and focus points, etc.

Ryden knew his perception of time was becoming sporadic at that moment; mostly due to his lengthy conversations with the _Infernum Armis_ on his back. It was a moderate thought – a quickly noticed coincidence that took root in his mind to ease his rapidly beating heart – before his mind delved back down to what _Fulgur_ had said.

It was true when it came to natural order that fire burned brighter when provided with a decent degree of oxygen – Ventus' breathe apparently – and that water was vastly more terrifying when wind carried it in droves. When dormant, water was mostly harmful – treacherous for sure – but unless the winds picked up, the ocean was easily the weakest of the four in that regard. Lightning however only occurred when there was a high degree of frozen rain droplets colliding in the thundercloud. Those collisions create the spark that becomes lightning.

However... this scientific explanation only seemed to loosely relate to Arc energy. Hell's form of lightning seems to become created when a high degree of demonic energy accumulates in high altitudes. If he delved into this theory for a moment, then instead of water or ice being involved in Arc energy creation; it was in fact the _clouds_ – which was created naturally and absorbed demonic energy – which then creates an Arc bolt when the demonic energy within the highly condensed clouds reaches a threshold.

Arc storms usually occur when two or more extremely powerful demonic entities engage in combat, or a large number of smaller demonic entities engage in long term engagements. The expenditure of demonic energy in large amounts focuses into easily generated clouds in the sky, which then suddenly start sparking with violent arc energy... Sirzechs did mention a few instances when this happened, and it usually happened after large military campaigns.

 _Leviathia_ had experience one such storm...

Ryden smirked at the information; however his memory quickly realized something when he began to factor in his information regarding the status given to _Ventus_...

The moniker of 'captain'...

...Was a _military rank._

Ryden's eyes narrowed at the oddity before his senses locked in onto _Fulgur_. _'Fulgur... you do realize the title you gave to Ventus correlates with military standing right?'_

 _ **Indeed it does master, Ventus was...**_

 _._

 _._

 _._

' _...Fulgur? What's wrong?'_ called out Ryden internally after the spirit suddenly cut off

 _ **ahh... It seems that too is also mystery to me master... my memories are still clouded—HEAVILY clouded I must say... I know of Ventus' status, yet I do not know why he... why does he—**_

Ryden's brow narrowed at Fulgur's continued confusion and silence; however before the demonic sword could reply, Rosalina cut in harshly—her hand gripping his shoulder violently. "Ryden! Enough chat with that sword of yours, we got a second wave incoming from the other side!"

Ryden's senses picked up instantly just as his gaze locked in on Rosalina's hysteric expression. However, instead of growing confused by the woman's panic; he quickly pulled Rosalina into him and twisted around in her place, using his back as a shield when a volley of demonic bolt's pelted their location from high above.

 _ **BAM! BAM! BAM!**_

"Gaaaagh! Man those things pack a punch!" growled Ryden with gritted teeth, his back smoking from the highly volatile demonic bolt's impact.

Rosalina's eyes widened at his action, however her worry grew quick when she saw the light steam rising from his back. Within his grasp, Rosalina reached behind him only to feel his tone back muscles and nothing else, leaving her actions of worry completely up for misinterpretation.

Ryden ignored the light pain in his back from the three consecutive hits, before he eyed Rosalina with a confused yet humored expression. "You really think now's the best time to cope a feel?" he asked with a glint of mirth in his eye, his attention now entirely focused in on the seemingly aggressive Rosalina and not the slowly advancing platoon of bolt casters.

"Eh?" was Rosalina's intelligent squeak of confusion, her hand still held against his back.

Ryden's gaze merely shifted into a 'you know what I mean' expression, which quickly forced Rosalina to become aware at just what exactly she was doing. Without a word – surprisingly – Rosalina reeled back from her frisking and quickly jumped out of his grasp and immediately hid behind a mound of wood blocks a couple feet away, however her beat red blush was all but glowing as she disappeared.

Ryden felt oddly confused by the woman's reaction; however he ignored it and twirled around to face the oncoming wave before quickly dropped his swordspear until his right hand held the weapon close to the pommel. With a mild grunt of effort, he swung his swordspear low with his one hand – horizontally – towards the oncoming platoon of bolt casters, the blade of _nameless_ skimmed across the dirt road in front of him without resistance and his intention was clearly read by the spirit dwelling within him.

Just as _Cerberus_ had done it before; a highly ionized wave of Arc energy was released from the low swing, which shot forward along the dirt road in cone and enveloped a dozen casters within a crimson tidal wave. Loud cries of pain and shock reverberated throughout the platoon while the couple dozen casters were vaporized before the eyes of those fortunate enough to not be caught in the counter attack, leaving only what seemed to be half of the initial force.

Seeing the effectiveness of the first attack, Ryden used the momentum of his first swing and follow up with a downward strike. Once the blade pointed directly upward, a bolt of arc energy shot down from the blacked sky and coated the already glowing swordspear with an unthinkable degree of energy. Smirking at _Fulgur's_ more flashy taste, Ryden followed through within his swing without delay and sent a rolling bolt of Arc energy directly down the remaining platoon of bolt casters.

 _ **BBBBBVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV!**_

The sight of the mighty crimson tendril of lightning caused much duress within the platoon of Old-Satan devils, and because of this, many began to panic at the sight of the same attack that had decimated their lines before; however their fear did nothing to halt the attack and they instead all perished within the tight grip of fear itself.

 _ **BVVVVVVVVvvvvvvvvvv**_

The loud growling howl of _Fulgur's_ bolt carried on until it petered out on its own – its range being much shorter then before – leaving behind a scorched road and many bodies to show for its destructive capability, yet none could reap the message as none stood to see it.

Ryden lightly stared at the swath of destruction before he suddenly fell to his knees when not a single inquisitor remained to challenge them. Exhaling briefly his once crimson eyes now slowly returning to his natural azure blue while His breathing grew hoarse when all of his energy slowly evaporated, leaving only his large spear as the only reason he wasn't eating dirt.

From her spot behind cover, Rosalina could only stare at the destruction before her gaze noticed Ryden's slightly slumped form and upon seeing the man's condition she immediately sprung forward, followed closely by Rivia who had been pinned down from bolter fire off to the side.

However, before they could approach to see if he was alright, the sword sheathed on Ryden's back suddenly shone brightly; the splendor of its crimson light slowly enveloping Ryden. As the two stood by silently, Ryden breathed in deeply – thankful of the sudden return of energy – and immediately stood up and greeted the two worried woman with a small smirk.

"Well... that was unpleasant" he commented before he glanced off to where the platoon of casters had come from. "...Though I guess I could say it was worth it... that was what? A couple dozen inquisitors? Maybe more? And I killed them all in two strokes... EZ" gloated Ryden as he continued to repeat 'EZ' multiple times.

Rivia lightly huffed at Ryden's off handed comments and his humored tone; her eyes now boring holes into the man while Rosalina did the very same. "Ryden... must I really scold you on your brashness? I find it hard to believe that a man such as yourself truly needs lecturing from me" grumbled Rivia, oddly being serious for the first time.

Ryden paused briefly; his eyes locking with Rivia's confusedly. "What's with the seriousness all of the sudden?" he asked.

Rivia for the first time seemed almost furious – if you could count the odd twitch to the brow as such a thing – with Ryden's returning expression and quickly clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I can understand what it must feel to be indestructible, but you must understand that there is no such thing as _true_ invulnerability... your brashness and lack of consideration for yourself will only get you killed and I will not allow it... not again" Rivia scolded seriously with a brief moment of emotion at the end.

Ryden blinked at the woman before he glanced at his back for a moment only to see the highly expensive flock coat of his was basically missing the majority of the back portion. He was mildly miffed at the damage, but a simple glance eased his frustration when he noted the cloths slow regeneration.

With his worry done away with, and with no other damage to be noted; Ryden returned his glance to Rivia before shrugging. "All's good... though my favorite coat is lightly damage—I see nothing else to fuss about" he commented off handily, shrugging off their worry like it was a gentle breeze.

Rivia's eyes narrowed while Rosalina stepped away from the pile of wood she'd hid behind and lightly huffed at Ryden's choice of reply. "Honestly Ryden... you think were worried about your clothing?" she all but scolded.

Ryden's lips thinned into a frown while his brow rose upward, his gaze locked onto Rosalina. "Are you sure about that? Honestly I'm worried what shade of crimson your blush would be if I was walking around shirtless..." he countered, forcing a very conflicted blush from Rosalina; however Rivia merely frowned deeper at Ryden's jovial attitude.

"Do you think this to be a mere game?" she growled.

Her tone wasn't lost on Ryden, and his eyes quickly glanced left and right rapidly in total confusion. The sudden negative atmosphere that he felt from both women was almost stifling to feel; however his confusion soon grew to understanding when he realized he was experiencing the opposite of the infamous 'bipolar' habits exhibited by the devils.

Ryden's eyes remained innocent and confused, however his actions quickly reformed to a more 'defusing nature' before he muttered his reply to the woman. "Uuuhhh—no... It really isn't?" he answered back.

Rivia's tone continued, however for some reason her choice of reply was not something he'd expect from something he considered to be... ignorable.

"And yet you treat danger as if it matter's nothing to you" she growled with a set of scolding eyes. "Sirzechs may have considered you strong enough to fight—and I may even agree with his assessment; but even he can make mistakes... what would you do if this defense of yours failed? What measure of contingency would you fall back to when the source of your arrogance finally failed you?" pressured the elder devil. "To see you put yourself in harm's way without hesitation... it only pushes me to dissuade you from this habit, because one day it will not always end the way it normally does—and I will not allow it"

Ryden merely stood by silently, barely moving in the face of Rivia's lamination and obvious passion towards his safety; yet her words were beginning to annoy him with their pointlessness... she thought it was arrogance?

 _...If only she knew..._

.

.

.

 _On second thought... why the fuck not?_

Ryden's expression slowly fell to resignation while his hand's slowly clenched and unclenched at a slow pace; his memories slowly rounding back to what occurred several months ago and the promise he had made to those that had fallen in his place. There was a fine line of worry one could give towards another before it became extremely obvious that they cared a little too much for their own good.

Their worry was appreciated—to be fawned over by such a beauty as Rivia and Rosalina was something like a dream come true, yet even if that dream was reality he still needed to be himself and not some pussy whipped schmuck that bent low from every demand made by those in front of him.

Promises and creeds could not be so easily disposed of by the whims of those you hardly know... Rivia was an old devil – far older then even Sirzechs – and she knew of wisdom, yet her life was dictated by a legend and a code that she could not ignore for anything. Rosalina was younger then Rivia – by miles – and even though he had faught beside her in _Lucifaad_ – and he may have even begun to enjoy her presences – she hardly breached into the realms of convincing him to ignore or even forget the promise he had made in Halphes.

As far as they were concerned; their words meant nothing—not yet anyway.

It was best to make his ground solid NOW then later, and if that meant standing his ground against a 4000 year old devil with more knowledge then even his own dad – that was saying something – then he'd slam his head against that wall willingly.

Ryden clicked his tongue calmly, his gaze soon regarding a steadfast Rivia Abaddon with what looked to be dismissive disinterest, as if Rivia's words had done nothing to him.

Such a reaction... caused a mild stir within Rivia; as if she was looking directly into a mirror, and it wouldn't be at all an understatement if she believed she'd over stepped a boundary, yet in her eyes—the Arbiter's survival was imperative, and if she needed to be forceful in order to quell the hotheadedness of a young blood then she knew it was the right move.

Ryden held his gaze for a second before he glanced up to the sky and nodded to himself. "Fuck it... bad enough I got a Tsundere trying to figure me out—I might as well just lay it all flat just to save me some trouble... maybe then I'll get some breathing room before It's too late" he grumbled while scratching his lower lip in contemplation. "Seems reasonable enough..."

Rosalina and Rivia mildly grew confused by Ryden's muffled comment; his tone seemingly directed to himself – or possibly _Fulgur_ for that matter – then any of the two, which caused both of them to eye Ryden closely at the context of his muttering.

Rosalina cleared her throat before speaking, her curiosity peaking through her own frustration. "Ryden... are you... talking to yourself? Or are you talking to _Fulgur_ again?" she asked hesitantly, drawing Ryden's casual gaze.

Her shrugged expressionlessly. "I was just contemplating on whether or not I should just flat out tell you both about my time in Halphes and the subsequent 'torture' that I suffered at the hands of the Old-Satan's for a total of six months... _and_ the fact that said torture failed horribly due to my apparent 'fake' invulnerability—but you know, still contemplating on the finer details..." Ryden simply replied while shrugging nonchalantly at the topic of his metaphorical 'bomb dropping' while at the same time _still_ contemplating the _finer details_.

.

.

.

Ryden blinked witlessly however, quickly noticing his own words and the incredibly shock on both Rivia and Rosalina's faces before casually scratching his head in exasperation. "Oh... it would appear I already have...heh, _whoops_ " he jested casually before mildly checking his swordspear; a mere action just to bide his time before the inevitable response he'd get.

Was his choice in revealing his more 'edited' past a correct action?

Most likely

Merely leading the two on for as long as possible and simply giving mere tidbits of the truth only loosely forged the image that he wanted of himself; and it also would let the two overstep boundaries that they had no right too. So far they only knew he'd seen some shit – that was obvious prior to leaving for the invasion – and because of that, Rivia had grown incredibly protective of him. He didn't need to look very deeply into the charge towards the border to figure out that much. There were times when he believed he'd get hit – or at least nicked – by one of the bolts raining down on them, yet he came out Scot free and completely unhindered of any inconvenient hits.

The small spikes of demonic energy around him when it was clear he'd get hit was all the hint he needed to know for a fact that Rivia had been protecting him all throughout the charge.

She was slowly becoming overprotective now...

Ryden's eyes narrowed at the thought; the thought of being overly fawned over by a woman that barely knew of his capability. It was something he never wanted to feel—especially after what he'd been through. Scared, cowering and weak – even if he was trying his damnedest to hide it – was never going to be his go to action again.

He taught himself quickly that merely bitching, crying and whimpering to some god he knew that was dead, was never going to spontaneously save him; nor the desperate desire to 'run to his precious mommy' was never going to be a reality... he taught himself that his situation was his own to handle and that he alone had the power to dictate his own course of action, and no amount of whining was going to change is deeply unfortunate situation.

Ryden knew Rivia and Rosalina were both eerily interested in him, and if he wasn't going to push them away – as if it would be that easy, all things considered – then he'd need to make sure they were aware at just who they were striving towards.

Speaking of which, he had to drive the nail in deeper...

"Oh... I forgot..." muttered Ryden suddenly, catching the two silent blondes attention. "I was not normally 'tortured' so it speak— All of their methods failed horribly because my body was impervious to all forms of physical harm and elemental conditions; and because of that—they instead called upon a high-class devil to try and do what they couldn't... unfortunately they received the same result and all of the other tenants with me in the Halphes territory suffered in my stead"

At his words, Rivia eyes shimmered with clear emotion; the meaning of Ryden's words quickly coming to the forefront of her mind. "Y-you mean... they..."

"Were killed, tortured, eviscerated, defiled, murdered and preyed upon—whatever sick twisted shit you can think of they did it without hesitation, leaving me to listen to their screams unendingly..." cut in the Gremory, his eyes keeping locked with a now meekly retreating Rivia. Ryden's had gently landed on Rivia's shoulder when he approached the woman, his touch causing a slight tremor of fear in the elder devils posture which honestly effected Ryden far more than he expected; never the less he pressed onward. "From one victim to another, can I ask what you'd do if you were in my position? What emotions would you feel if I threatened to tie you down – for your own safety of course – just so I could ease my own worries—worries for a someone that has already proven – on multiple occasions – to be more then capable of surviving the worst possible case scenario... what would you feel if I denied you a chance to avenge those girls you valiantly protected?

His slew of questions rang true in not just the girl's ears, but even in _Fulgur's_ ; however the questions themselves were mostly rhetorical—both women didn't need to truly answer the question because it was obvious what the answer was. _Fulgur_ however shone malevolently, a dark festering rage boiling forth when the memories of Ryden's six months in Halphes slowly surfaced for the blade to see... and what it saw was not something that even it could tolerate, and its bloodlust swooned deeply when the full memory flooded into Fulgur's independent mind; the faces of those that had been involved – the face of _that_ _ **woman!**_ – Easily stored itself on _Fulgur's_ shit-list.

When the time came—when the opportunity presented itself, they would understand pain like no other... _and their cries of torment will be music to her ears_

As _Fulgur's_ emotions clouded her perception, Ryden continued without pause; fully knowing that Rivia and Rosalina wouldn't be replying anytime soon. However he lightly huffed before he glanced around himself – ignoring both silent women – and merely downloaded their situation.

So far they'd only encountered two waves of reinforcements and whether or not they were actually tasked with taking this place back or merely going through routine was still up for debate. If the monolith was such a highly important artifact then the Old-Satan general – General Foras – would most likely stop at nothing to get it back; yet the situation only hinted to the contrary.

Not even twenty minutes and they were technically still in the clear, and hopefully Serafall's reinforcements got here before anything else, yet Ryden had his doubts. The only thing he could do right now was settle the issue in front of him and get the real preparation's done. While his sudden ability to truly communicate with _Fulgur_ was convenient, it had caused him much distraction and that wasn't something he liked on his list of mistakes.

 _Venelana had pounded that lesson into him enough..._

Shaking his head of the nuances and mental distractions, Ryden simply pat Rivia's shoulder and Rosalina's; ultimately catching their attention before smirking at them gently. "Your silence is all the answer I need—and now that you know that I am capable of surviving in the worst situation possible; you both should come to the realization that your protection – while highly appreciated – doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things" Ryden paused, his mind silently realizing the harsh and callus nature of his words before he narrowed his eyes in self admonishment. "Correction—that came out wrong—what I really mean is that—wait... shit I had this..."

Ryden mildly scratching his lip in confusion, his mentally rehearsed reply now seemingly betraying him entirely when he mouthed it out loud; leaving both Rivia and Rosalina to stand by in silent confusion – though having been moderately hurt by Ryden's previous comment, his continued confusion and hesitance hinted enough to the lack of genuine meaning, leaving the two to stand by as Ryden fumbled with his own thoughts.

Until he just said fucked it...

"Fuck it... what I'm trying to say is; is that smothering me with protection and fawning over every wound I receive only wastes time on other things, and I don't want this to be a habit so I'm putting my foot down before I explode somewhere down the line. it annoys me to no end and trust me, both my adoptive mom—whose probably kicking royal ass in purgatory—and Venelana—who holds the title of most awkward hugs in the history of hell—do that enough on their own... so please—if six months at the total mercy of a royal bitch of woman couldn't manage to kill me, then some measly little shit stain on the Old-Satan's underwear shouldn't hold a candle in comparison to the 'danger' that was Halphes" he expressed normally, leaving both Rivia and Rosalina almost awe struck by his casual and almost flamboyant nature towards an event that should – more or less – shatter someone's resolve; yet Ryden appeared almost unscathed by it, as evident by his humor and casual disposition.

While Rosalina seemed confused by the man's actions and personality, Rivia however knew perfectly well at what the man was doing... it was exactly what she did.

Rivia's eyes locked with Ryden's, emotions hidden behind her perfectly forge facade of calm and cool before she expressed her realization.

"You mask your pain behind humor and jests—you shroud your anger under a blanket of smiles and courteous actions... that is how you cope with it, right?" she asked, her eyes almost hopeful when Ryden's own gaze flinched just slightly; however his expression didn't dwindle down to a hollow, faceless facade.

He just stood before Rivia as he slowly realized the meaning behind her own question. Even though they had already had their touchy-touchy feel good moment a couple of hours ago – or was it minutes? – She still sought after some kind of fix—someone to relate too almost—and now that he opened up about his own unfortunate 'fate', Rivia was now dearly holding onto the relation like a life line. While she had indeed known that he'd seen horrible deeds and dreadful losses, she never really knew that he had been a prisoner just as she had been...however the difference now was that _he_ was her elder in this moment, because he had suffered longer, yet come out brighter then herself.

 _He was most definitely NOT a child_

Ryden lightly smirked at her question before nodding gently. "Indeed... however It's not as glamorous as you say—and before you ask 'why' I chose this form of coping; you must realize that every voice of wisdom possess a level of experience—you should know that more than anyone" Ryden replied cryptically; however unlike Rosalina who merely remained silent and confused by his reply, Rivia however quickly understood the meaning, leaving Ryden to push the point deeper.

"I don't just say fancy lines of comfort just to sound cool and all knowing—I'm far from it—however I have practiced what I've preached; and I've chosen this way of coping because I've tried the other path—the path of anger—however I found it more destructive then helpful and even found it incredibly exhausting to hold onto for more than a couple minutes, but the most important thing I noticed— was that, that path didn't lead me to the highest version of myself, so I discarded it entirely"

Rivia eyes widened upon his words, realization mounting onto her thoughts as she quickly recognized the man's point. She couldn't accept the fact that Ryden had suffered far more then she had, and she'd be lying if her desire to protect Ryden didn't grow exponentially by the thought; yet she now knew of two things in regards to the image of Ryden Vale Gremory...

He was not weak in body, as none had harmed him even when he was in despair...

He was not weak in mind, for he was able to _smile_ even after his darkest hour...

The mind and body that made Ryden vale Gremory who he was now, was forged in the bowels of the Halphes territory; his wisdom and focus—his desire to fight—was breed through torment...

The end result?

Ryden could smile even in pain, thus making him stronger then even Rivia as she had hid behind a facade of calm disinterest and frustration; ignoring most of her emotions just to stave off the pain within. Ryden however had faced all of his negative emotions—sifted through them in order to find the best suited one— and picked out the best course of action; the one that best benefited not just himself, but those around him... he did all this in his time of need... alone.

Rivia knew of strength—or at least she thought she did—yet Ryden had redefined the term in her eyes. It was easy to condemn and hate those that had done wrong, yet to stand and face everything—even if it hurt—and smile not just for themselves but for others, was a different level of strength that Rivia found herself seeking.

Ryden had found his greater self without anyone to help him; so was she going to stand by and let a young blood show her up?

 _Hell naw_

It was slow, yet a small content smirk rose to Rivia's lips before her returning gaze locked back onto the man she now admired more than before. "I understand now... you do not act the way you do because of innocence or childish arrogance—you do so because it helps" she relented, forcing a smile onto Ryden.

"Yes, and I'm glad you come to that realization—i was worried my acting was a little too good" he muttered jokingly – humoring Rivia – before he glanced over to Rosalina, his brow rising gently while the aforementioned woman looked him in the eye seriously. "I hope you also understand Rosa—while the word 'relatable' doesn't exactly apply for you, I do hope you can understand my stance"

The woman however waved off his comment while her own smirk of condescending arrogance returned with the vengeance; however the full effect of it seemed comical, as evident by a slight glint of mirth in her eye. "Come now lord Ryden..." she began while crossing her arms under her bust. "...While I may not have the same experiences as you and lady Abaddon, please remember that I am not so oblivious to the seeking of total freedom... I understand your desire and applaud your bravery in speaking up about your past. Though it may not mean much, but I have also suffered under the watchful eye or my own mother... such protectiveness can be stifling, so I can understand your worries" she mildly laminated with a moderate clenching of her fists; a small level of passionate understanding soon following her words when memories of her own mothers protectiveness reached the forefront of her mind.

Ryden lightly whistle at the woman's comment, followed closely by Rivia who smirked at the woman. "Well... I didn't expect that... I was kinda expecting a small reprehend or passive aggressive insult to my noble conduct or something"

"...Though I must comment on your poor choice in wording your defense, you should have been straighter with us then hesitant"

"Heheh...there it is" muttered Ryden exasperatedly while scratching his cheek, the Phenex devil merely smirking confidently at him, a teasing edge to her glint.

Unfortunately, the somber mood slowly fell upon the detection of multiple energy sources from all directions; leaving the three to quickly realize their situation was suddenly become much more serious than before.

And just like that... the moment was done away with...

Ryden quickly glanced to the two, his senses quickly jumping around when multiple energy sources rose up from both further inland and from the front line forces, meaning they had incoming from both directions and the level of energy sources detected meant that the third wave meant business.

"We got incoming from both directions—multiple high-class devils approaching with dozens of smaller ranked inquisitors" listed off Rivia as she summoned her scythe; Rosalina quickly following.

Ryden smirked. "Seems their finally taking us seriously—bout damn time" he grumbled while lifted his swordspear and flipping it into a comfortable grip. "Which ones the closest?" he asked while _Fulgur_ gave him a small refreshing jolt of energy.

Rivia shook her head at his question, a small frown etching itself on her brow. "They will both hit us at the same time; our efforts will be split in half" she informed seriously.

Rosalina slightly sneered at the coming events before she immediately assumed command, her eyes steeling over into an ice cold expression. "We'll need to assume preferred roles if we're going to survive this. I'll handle the reinforcements coming from the front-lines—Rivia, you can handle those coming from deeper inland while Ryden, I want you reinforcing us if we call it, but in the mean time I want you to get an update out to the Generals and tell them that time is of the essences—we need that artillery support _now_ " ordered Rosalina

Ryden nodded before pulling away and jogged towards the monolith, while Rivia gave an odd wink towards Rosalina and merely turned off and casually walked towards the other end of the compound; leaving behind a confused Rosalina.

As Rosalina shook away her confusion, Ryden busted through the bungalows entrance way and immediately pressed his hands against the sleek surface of the monolith. As if sensing his haste, the link establishment was a cold breeze and soon enough his comm line was linking with the red legions command post...

* * *

 **[Red legion command post]**

"General! Knight Sentinel Gremory is on the line" called out an adviser from her position at a desk; a series of magic sigils and topographic maps outlaying all over while her fatigued features from hours of stress locked eyes with her General.

Sirzechs twisted around from his command deck, having been watching the distant fireworks and comm chatter for the past hour; yet once his adoptive brother was mentioned he was moving like lightning, his form practically appearing at the woman's tired woman's side—much to her sudden dismay and joy.

"Put him on the line" command the elder Gremory

"Y-yes my lord" stuttered the female adviser before she twisted a selection of magic sigils. "Line established" she muttered.

"Ryden? What's the situation?" asked Sirzechs aloud

" _Eeeeh, still trying to figure that out—we got multiple high-class devils on route with dozens, if not hundreds, of inquisitors as back-up. Their coming in on both directions and I'm not sure if we can hold them off as long... what's the exact time until that artillery brigade gets into position?"_

Sirzechs eyes narrowed at the number of forces bearing down on the monoliths location; it seemed the general in charge wasn't going to allow the loss of a monolith if he could help it, and if that meant throwing every available body he had at it then so be it. Sirzechs pinched himself in order to hold off his growl of frustration before he replied. "The team of praetorians should be on their way before our artillery forces reach estimated range. Unfortunately the Old-Satan's are locking down positions all around your location and they are not budging no matter how hard we pelt them... you need to hold that monolith knight sentinel, its gonna be a while before he loosen up this defence and even longer until we can get our artillery within striking range"

" _Bollocks... any idea on the progress of the praetorian team heading in?"_ asked Ryden after a brief moment of silence

"Last time I spoke with Serafall she was giving them the briefing, and that was almost a half hour ago—so their most likely already deployed already; However Saladin and his praetorians are currently working towards loosening the enemy's defenses—their a small team, but their making head way as we speak"

" _I see—"_

 _ **BOOOOM!**_

" _Shiiiit—they got fucking artillery now!? When the hell did they get that back online?! I'm cutting the link General but I'm deathly serious here—we need that support or you're not just gonna lose the monolith... –Ryden! Get out here now!– Shit... get that artillery moving Sirzechs"_

Sirzechs merely stood still at Ryden's hastened voice before the line was cut completely by a follow up of explosions, leaving the command room silent for a moment.

Sirzechs knew what Ryden had meant about losing the monolith, and it made his nerves all the more strained when he realised that Ryden was also a primary asset to him—as well as Rivia and Rosalina of course—but Ryden also possession of an _Infernum Armis._ If he was lost, then not only would the Old-Satan's gain back their communication system, but they'd also have possession of an _Infernum Armis._

That situation may not have been as bad as Rivia going rogue, but the possibilities that may be exploited because of this new situation made the steaks weigh deeply on both their sides. Ryden was already doing his part—more than he was asked if he was being perfectly candid—and yet here he was... sitting on the damn side lines again.

While the pressure was on Ryden and his small team to protect the monolith, there was absolutely nothing pressuring him when he knew damn well that there was a looming pressure to be had.

Sirzechs tightened his resolve before he glanced down to the female adviser. "Get General Astaroth on the line, _now"_

His order was absolute, and even if the adviser below him knew what he was thinking, it didn't matter what she said or argued.

They needed to use any means necessary to break through the enemy's tight defense around the monolith...

 _...And he knew he had the means_

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **That's a wrap folks... mostly dialogue heavy with a little sprinkle of action but at least its long as fuck and filled with comedy and content.**_

 _ **Safe to say at this point that my upload schedule will most likely be a monthly thing because holy heck I can't sit down for long and write all this shit...**_

 _ **What with Apex legends blasting my time into outer space and Anthem coming out in literally a day, I will most likely be stretched out more than a hooker when the soldiers come home.**_

 _ **This chapter was originally planned to cover the entire 'defense of the monolith' yet I knew perfectly well with everything going on in the story and the things I wanted to add, was going to go well over the 30,000 word mark and that shit would have taken well over the allotted time.**_

 _ **So I ended it here in order to make it a lot easier for me to jump right back in and write the rest of the section and finally finish up the invasion 'arc' so to speak...**_

 _ **And Fulgur talks now... that's a thing... I saw one reviewer – you know who you are – mention the possible comedy available if such a path was opened. And while I was reluctant at first due to the possibility of revealing too much, I simply gave in and just chucked it in.**_

 _ **Was it a pander? Marginally... you have no idea how exhausting it is to write dozens of exposition paragraphs without dialogue breaks to help liven up a moment, so to allow Ryden the generic 'inner voice' like every other OC in existence; I actually eased my writing up a bit...**_

 _ **And... well... she's fun as fuck to write!**_

 _ **You can just image the sheer chemistry she'll have with issei when that point comes around, however any further speculation into that and I'll reveal too much.**_

 _ **So... you know what to do...**_

 _ **PEACE!**_


	18. One Final effort

**-One Final Effort-**

 _The situation on the ground was entirely skewered in all of the right phrases, or wrong if you were the pessimistic type..._

 _While at the time before we took the monolith, I had assumed the matter of taking it would be the decisive victory that would force the Old-Satan's to retreat the minute we took it, and allow the allied forces to gain a sensible stronghold for future operations..._

 _Where it so easy..._

 _General Foras was a man of action, a man of opportunity and a massive pain in the ass for all three of us, and if Rivia's further points to his character suggested; he was also damn near obsessive in his desire to impress lady leviathan..._

 _Or at least keep her from castrating him..._

 _It wouldn't be much of a shocker to me – or the others – that most of the inquisitors bearing down on us, possessed priority orders to retake the monoliths position no matter the cost – coming straight from the General himself... Unfortunately the General didn't exactly factor in just how hard of a push he'd get..._

 _I guess his nickname was well known by then..._

 _General 'stumpy' Foras..._

 _...I still laugh at that to this day..._

* * *

 **[Obsidian Valley/ Blue legion operational sector/ Praetorian team 'Azure'/ number of Praetorian's active: four/ mission parameters: breach enemy lines and secure designated position and supply long range support for allied red legion forces/ priority objective: secure and protect Old-Satan communication artifact until allied red legion forces arrive/ secondary Objective: survive...]**

Praetor Eris lightly sighed at the holographic message displayed on her helmets visor – or 'heads up display' as Ajuka Astaroth had called it – before she strapped her collapsible casters staff to her lower back and then strapped her long sword sheath tightly above it.

Among her, three of her most suited and experienced praetorian's geared up just as she was. While Eris had been charged with guarding her General, the three in front of her had been in live combat within the _Obsidian Valley_ and had been withdrawn in order to fill in the task at hand; however, due to the new mission supplied to them, the three were the closest for recall.

Eris' eyes scanned the small briefing room slowly to quietly access her temporary allies for the new operation. Finishing with her preparations, Eris regarded the first praetorian in her sight, his name was praetor Hayden. He was a young one, short stature but moderately built to equate the requirements to become a praetorian, and had a bead full of black hair. His face was mostly bare – clean of scars unlike the most of them – but his gaze was as sharp as they came; his lacking looks and all around 'clean' face was only an appearance, due to his cunning expertise in combat, the number of scars dotting his face – or lack thereof – only accentuated his skill, known had touched him so far. While the operation demanded them to use long range weaponry – a form of combat that was basic to them all – the man had chosen a set of twin blades that curved sharply inward as his fall back weapons, which didn't seem at all that questionable to think about—all things considered. Due to the information regarding the terrain in the _Rose Garden, extremely_ close range weapons were probably the best choice of weaponry for this operation.

Eris didn't move to replace her long sword though...

Shaking her head lightly when noticing her own stubbornness, Eris glanced to the woman standing just to Hayden's right. Her name was Praetor Camilla; she was a head taller than Hayden and possessed a much more toned build then him, which slightly amused Eris when the man lightly glared at the blonde for both unknown reasons and envious.

Not hard to notice the two praetorian's had a small history...

If Eris' information was correct, Hayden had been Camilla's senior in the Praetorian academy, and it was during this time when Camilla had been deemed apprenticeship to Hayden himself. Same as always, the two had grown quite fond of the other which could have possibly led to a more intimate relationship between the two, but Eris didn't care to know the full details regarding that.

 _Young bloods... always hyped up on hormones..._

It wasn't as if Eris was exempt from the topic – or the moderate fraternizing during her own time in the academy – but she'd drunken away those memories ages ago.

Regardless, due to the nature of the operation and it's time sensitive requirements, Eris couldn't exactly get picky with her allies, and so she had to deal with the slight distractions that came with her hasty choices. And considering the glaring directed towards Camilla, Hayden knew that as well... and so he made it his mission to staunch the slight flirts coming from his junior apprentice.

Eris left the man deal with his problem for now, and casually glanced to her third pick. However, a small prickly annoyance rose to her concealed eyebrows when she regarded the man in front of her...

A small trickle of annoyance rose up when she regarded the hulking behemoth of a praetorian named _Gregor_ and his chosen form of weaponry _._ Her slight annoyance towards the man wasn't much of a personal distain, but rather a nostalgic one. The Praetorian in front of her was a massive brick wall of a devil; tall as any devil could be, and had muscles dense enough to arm wrestle a middle aged dragon...

Strength capability only knew so many limits in the academy, but the man seemed to always overcome those very obstacles when they presented themselves. The only saving grace for her was that – unlike a certain praetorian she knew – Gregor had a much more 'tamed' approach to most operations. Though his stature was _huge –_ and even though he was known to go crazy in certain situations –he did refrain from breaking operational integrity when it mattered; which was a damned relief for her, because the last thing she wanted to do during this operation, was reign in a buffoon looking to find 'unending glory'.

Gregor had a full head of white hair, middle aged appearance in human years, and possessed a stone cold 'prep face' as he seemed to enjoy sharpening his custom made double sided axe methodically. Unlike most praetorian's, Gregor could only wield heavy styled weaponry and that limited his 'flexibility' in certain fields of combat; any other forms of weapons and they'd merely look like toothpicks in his hands.

However the skill required to fire a _caster staff_ didn't exactly require much focus... only a solid shaft...

Eris moderately eyed the large devils 'batwing blade axe' for a moment before she fell silent when her helmet's 'HUD' sprang up with further orders... their window was opening.

" _ **Heads up Azure..."**_ called out Eris' augmented voice, enticing all present to direct their attention to her. _**"You all know the mission—Lord Ryden Vale Gremory has requested back up in the Rose Garden, objective parameters dictate that our main role is to provide long range covering fire from a ridge line directly above the captured monolith... under both strict orders from General Sitri AND under firm warning from Lord Ryden, close quarter engagements will not be in the Job description, as our numbers will be vastly lower then our enemy's"**_ Informed the lead praetorian as she calmly summoned a holographic map, and causally outlined the location in which they'd be sitting on.

Hayden lightly nodded at the Praetorian Captain's words; his hand gently scratching at his moderately sized beard before he placed his helmet on. After locking the helmet in place with a light snap, the azure glow coming from the 'Y' shaped visor shone momentarily before fading, leaving Hayden to comment the second it dimed. _"_ _ **Smart man—I honestly didn't expect a noble to be so well in tuned with combat strategy... guess he's another one of the few to add to that small pool"**_

Camilla lightly chuckled at the praetorians comment before she placed her own helmet on. Swiping back the helmets tussle of blue fur, Camilla glanced to the devil before adding. _**"Always the stickler for decorum, Hayden... it's not like every other noble is stupid"**_

" _ **Sending in troops without proper formation and support IS stupid... at least lord Ryden possesses the common sense to NOT through bodies at larger forces—I can appreciate the rarities when I bloody please"**_

At that comment, Gregor glanced to the smaller devil after placing his own helmet on. _**"I had heard the push to the Monolith wasn't actually a military plan on the red legions side—apparently lord Ryden had conducted the push with two others without orders..."**_

Hayden paused at the information. _**"Wait... Who did he push with?"**_

" _ **Rivia Abaddon and Rosalina Phenex were lord Ryden's accomplices"**_ confirmed Eris as she strapped on a few other items for the journey.

Hayden and camellia froze at the reveal. _**"The devil Reaper and the white sun?! By the Satan's is that a stacked unit... I was gonna take back my opinion on lord Ryden's intelligence, but after knowing just who he was rolling with I can honestly agree with his actions... with those two power houses I'd probably try and abuse it as much as possible"**_

Gregor lightly shrugged in agreement to Hayden's words before he dropped down to business; much to Eris' relief. _**"What route are we using to get into the Rose Garden?"**_

Eris lightly appreciated the return to the main subject, before her finger gently showcased their entry point into the intended sector.

" _ **The route is simple but I'm afraid we'll most likely have to deal with a few 'obstacle's' on our way. First we'll actively push in through the obsidian valley—reports say that forward positions have taken control of the majority of the right ridge, which is the exact direction we need to head. After we rejoin the front lines; we'll need to punch a hole into both enemy positions and the border zone—this will help the main force in cutting off possible reinforcements while we push on past the front lines in the Rose Garden"**_

Camilla lightly chuckled. _**"Were splitting the Defenses huh? How deep of a push we talking about? Its gonna take a few minutes for me to breach the border zones magical walls so I assume were going in deep as possible"**_

Eris quickly marked the breaching point on the map in front of them as her answer; leaving a red 'X' a few hundred meters behind enemy positions and directly on the section of map most suited to guard. Due to the nature of the invasion, and that multiple legions were mounting attacks, the Old-Satan's had erected border walls in order to make it hard for allying legions to mount joint attacks on single locations deeper inland. The additional effect also made it possible for defending units to hold out as long as possible without fear of being flanked... funnel enemy forces towards prepared land.

Any form of breach into the border zone always caused an alert directly at the spot of interest; if an enemy force did plan to flank, then defenders would know about it by simply keeping an eye out for loud, obnoxious blaring and bright red flashing magic sigils.

 _It's not hard to notice_

 _But time was also the essence of defense... they needed to be_ _ **fast.**_

Hayden eyed the breach location before humming in moderate agreement. _**"Hmm... high ground, covered in molten rock shards for cover on all sides... odds seem mostly in our favor for this point, but that all comes down to how long it takes for 'ol goldy here to work her magic"**_ snidely commented Hayden

Camilla however simply smirked under her helmet. _**"You know I can cut a small hole if you're worried about it Hayden... small guy like you should fit through it just fine"**_

" _ **Focus Azure..."**_ Eris butt in harshly just before Hayden could counter the snarky woman, her words silencing them all completely by her seriousness. _**"three of the red legions strongest are trapped behind enemy lines without any kind of support, and General Sitri had recommended us personally to be the ones to supply them with help; so I don't know about you two, but I'd rather look every part of a praetorian team, then a pack of bumbling idiots making youngling jests... am I clear enough in my message?"**_

All three praetorian's nodded in perfect unison. _**"Yes ma'am!"**_ they all said quickly, though Gregor was moderately lackluster in his reply—most likely due to not at all being a part of Hayden and Camilla's shenanigans.

Eris nodded at the answer received before she opened a comm channel with high command. _**"General... praetorian team 'Azure' is fit for action—we're ready to deploy"**_ she reported crisply.

" _Glad to hear it Eris! Your jump window is opening—prepare your teleportation sigil as soon as you can"_ Eris made to ignore Serafall's almost energetic response, before she gave the order to Camilla to prepare the aforementioned sigil. _"Though be advised Azure, Lord Ryden's last transmission revealed enemy forces have managed to bring in artillery fire—they most likely zeroed in on his position so keep your heads down please"_ added the over protective General.

Eris sighed at the woman's tone of worry before reply in her usually tone of professionalism. _**"Understood General, Azure is on the move"**_

" _Good luck Azure, come back to me alive—that's an order!"_

With the Generals last words done; the channel was cut completely, leaving a small team of four praetorians in stunned silence... well... three of them were silent, _Camilla_ however...

" _ **General Sitri is sooo adorable..."**_

" _ **Stow it praetor Camilla... we know..."**_

" _ **Eh? Well that's a first—never thought Captain Eris would agree with something like that..."**_

" _ **Praetor Hayden..."**_

" _ **...Stowing it captain"**_

Eris sighed to herself as she stepped onto the now active teleportation sigil along with the others; their forms slowly being enveloped by a mass of blue light. However, amidst the activation of the sigil; Eris lightly breathed away her own nervousness after having almost giving away her complete opinion regarding her 'odd' General.

Serafall Sitri – from when she'd first met the woman – had been an astute professional in the face of most situations. Drills, tests, routine, everything Serafall had been in, she made it her duty to be as perfect in every regard possible, never once falling short in anything but her small challenges against her mentor – Sirzechs Gremory. With her methodical way of thinking, and her general outlook on most scenario's, Serafall had probably been the only one capable of bringing the famed _Ruina Nex_ to the point of blushing like a young blood, or stuttering in flabbergasted confusion like a barely accomplished academic.

 _Rare sights to behold..._

Back when Eris had sought to become a praetorian, she had believed the only faction of praetorian knights available to her would be the red legion...

 _A damn disgrace that would've been..._

While Sirzechs had been a resounding beacon of popularity and fame – a traditional icon of heroism – his tactics and all around forms of militaristic strategy however, had been mostly the same as the combat style of old, with only minor adjustments; a very simplistic and a very straight forward way of thinking...

She didn't need to even finish that train of thought...

She had known the man that would later become the praetorian captain of the red legion – _Saladin_ was his name – and the reason she knew of the man was mostly because she'd been the man's _apprentice_ throughout all her time in the praetorian academy _._

Both she and Saladin had possessed vastly differing opinions when it came to conducting drills, and she knew that both of them had been massive pains in the ass to most praetorian instructors – most of which actually having been praetorians themselves! Eris could only imagine the annoyance they felt whenever both she and Saladin fell into yelling matches and swearing spars.

Another reason for her drinking habit's

Long story short; while most 'pairs' carry on into the same legion whenever the senior gains a form of recognition, Saladin and Eris however had been split apparent... for the better it seemed.

Eris lightly smirked under her helmet when she remembered returning to her quarters that day – fully expecting a transfer and extension – only to stand face to face with the General of the blue legion, Serafall Sitri.

She'd done her homework – the general at least – and Eris couldn't remember thinking to deeply in the affairs of what was happening with the military politics. The only thing she knew about the happening's outside her little drama bubble, was that conflict against the Old-Satan forces would be a heavy and demanding duty – a duty that she'd trained for – considering the only legions active during the time had been the Black legion, jade legion and the red legion; military demand for able bodies was extremely high.

However the only legion that was primarily focused towards infantry and combat had been the red legion and a rumored fourth legion. Eris hadn't paid attention to the rumors much however, only having heard small tid bits from fellow praetors in training. So all she had was the bare bones in regards to the upcoming new legion.

Big surprise to her – and she really meant BIG – when during her most depressed moment in her life – a moment when she thought she'd have to start everything all over again – Eris would walk into her room to see Serafall Sitri waiting quietly for her.

Conduct had been one thing in the praetorian handbook; a disregard for authority, a lack of emotional control, and constant delinquent misconducts usually lead to immediate expulsion, however Eris knew her class of ranking would only mean she'd get to redo everything PLUS an extension for re-educational purposes...

And _that_ meant she'd have to do another 10 years of training, and a single year of re-education on shit she already knew.

Being a praetorian was badass, but fuck did it take forever...

Eris had resigned herself to another ten years of waiting, ten years she honestly didn't think the Anti-Satan forces had, but with Serafall's sudden entrance into her life, her resignation to her fate had been dashed completely and hope had finally been restored.

Apparently, Serafall had been hunting around for a worthy captain for her own praetorian faction, and Eris just so happened to fit that bill with flying colors. Though her shitty conduct during her ten years of training had been less than desirable; Serafall had merely disregarded her conduct mainly because it resembled her own conduct when it came to dealing with General Gremory's tendencies and habits.

Eris heart fluttered at that... a kindred spirit

After that, it was easy math to put together. Eris rose up to idolize Serafall for her mirror personality to her own and her dead serious agreement on how Special Forces conducted special force operations. The added cherry on top of Eris' miracle cake had been Serafall's almost obsessive degree of protectiveness when it came to the health of every praetorian under her command. When one was killed... well... the whole blue legion, red legion and anything else in between immediately knew that someone had fucked up badly, and now they had to deal with a royally pissed off general on par with the likes of Sirzechs in destructive capability.

The ending months of the battle of _Leviathia_ had been very cold...

Eris didn't complain though... and neither did anyone else, both because they didn't want to piss of Serafall and because the idea of a noble freezing half of a capital city over the death of a single low-class devil was incredibly inspiring.

The shivers from the cold honestly felt warm after that thought...

Eris smiled reminiscently just as the teleportation sigil finally activated, a lone thought escaping her own psyche as her body vanished with all the others.

Did she also believe Serafall Sitri was adorable?

Easy answer...

 _ **...Abso-fucking-lutely**_

* * *

 **[Obsidian Valley/** **Blue legion operational sector/ Praetor team 'azure'/ 1 hour out from monoliths position]**

The blue light of the teleportation sigil died down quickly to reveal the happenings going around the rearguard of the front lines; many knights and even lancers scrambled around hastily before they all charged down a narrow pathway in between two large boulders. As this happened, medical officers tended to the lightly wounded that were positioned behind a selection of large black boulders while the number of wounded seemingly increasing with the arrival of many more wounded knights.

Eris didn't like what she saw...

The terrain of the _Obsidian Valley_ was odd to most when in contrast to the _Rose Garden;_ as instead of a lush forest filled to the brim with demonic energy and red pedaled trees; the _Obsidian Valley_ was a derelict land cleaved in two – as made obvious by the massive canyon just to the left of the advancing forces.

Brief history study would tell that during the Great War, a massive conflict was waged in the area; a conflict that saw to the deaths of hundreds of demons and devils alike, including an Arch-demon. The battle was waged between an Arch-demon and an Archangel – classic match up with a bitter end – as during the final days of the conflict, the unnamed archangel – mostly rumored to have been _Raphael_ – cleaved both the arch-demon _and_ the land in two with a single swing of his flaming sword.

The flames scorched the land completely until nothing but the jagged obsidian stones remained; and the land itself had changed completely into that of a massive canyon that reached miles further inland. Before, the border from _Leviathia_ to the _Territory of Thorns_ had been open land into pristine forestry; of wide open fields and bright sun to shaded forests along a massive range of mountains covered in crimson trees.

But the might of an archangel had tainted that land with a scar that would never heal; changing the once beautiful retreat into that of a harrowing memory of a conflict never forgotten. Due to the battles outcome, the massive 'scar' left on the land only seemed to accentuate the sheer rise in elevation from the border zone into the Territory of Thorns.

The canyon itself was nothing but a sheer cliff into the unknown...

Eris lightly shook her head from analyzing the scenery before a moderately aged knight stepped forward from behind a collection of small rock boulders. "Captain Eris? What brings you to the front?" spoke the man in a slightly confused expression. Though the devil was confused, Eris could tell their sudden presence inspired a sort of awe and relief amongst the wounded and the ready.

Eris nodded at the sight – expecting the looks of awe – before looking down at the knight in front of her. Standard praetorian armor somewhat heighten the true sizes of those that wore it, so her glaze had no other choice but to glance downward to the now identified sentinel; emphasizing the intimidation factor most praetorians possessed.

No of them looked particularly approachable, especially Gregor...

Eris ignored her own prideful thoughts before she forced her helmets visor to slide upwards along her sleek helmet; revealing her pale skinned face to the many disheveled devils present. Eris ignored the increasing awed looks and merely kept her stone cold expression locked onto the Sentinel without even flinching. "High command has divvied orders to me— _special orders_. The General herself wishes for me and my team to punch into the border zone and make for the _Rose Garden_ to assist the three nobles responsible for taking down the Enemy surveillance" Eris revealed seriously, lightly surprising the sentinel.

"I had heard the message myself—we all did... if the nobles responsible require Praetorian assistance then I can only image the severity of the situation" replied the sentinel before he pointed towards the only way forward; the pathway in between two massive boulders. "Unfortunately Captain; Old-Satan forces have blockaded the only way forward. I had tried to organize an advance force to take the higher ground but the terrain is far too uneven to mount any form of defensive formation without someone breaking a leg—we haven't had much lucking in gaining any kind of ground" informed the sentinel just as a lancer was pulled into the safe zone; his left leg dangling aimlessly. The sentinel growled at the sight before he whipped his head back to stare at Eris. "Hate to say it Praetorian, but pushing forward is gonna be an issue... unless you got a better idea"

Eris glanced around the area before she herself noted the unfortunate mess the devils present currently faced; however, praetor Hayden quickly stepped forward with an idea of his own. _**"Captain, if I may suggest..."**_

"Shoot..."

" _ **What about using a transmission sigil to mark enemy positions? We set the sigil on repeat with a designated code of phrase and place it close enough to the enemy's position. Afterwards we inform a caster unit to fire upon the sigils location—once impact is made, we move in under the cover of artillery fire"**_

Eris lightly turned to the Praetorian before nodding at the idea; internally surprised at the unorthodox idea, yet Eris would take anything if it meant haste. "That'll do..." she said before looking to the sentinel. "I need a spear..." ordered the woman.

Within seconds, a lancer standing close by quickly handed over his standard issue spear, to which Eris handed it over to Hayden to which he then began to draw the aforementioned sigil onto the weapons metallic surface.

A transmission spell was primitive communication technology used in older times; its main purpose itself being used to send out direct signals – usually containing orders or reports on enemy movement – which was then picked up by advisers and then it was divvied down to the targeted individual or to anyone close enough to respond.

The technology was useful for a time until fallen angels picked up on the signals, which was then closely followed by the angels... safe to say it all went downhill after that.

Now however, the 'transmission' function was being used as more of a 'beacon' then any kind of solid messaging platform.

Eris shook her head before she quickly opened up comm's with the closest caster unit nearby. Conveniently, the closest caster force was that of a _company_ sized fighting force; ranging from 100 to 200 hundred casters strong. Thankfully, the reports coming in from the caster company was mostly concerning delays in advancement rather than any form of engagement.

At first Eris questioned why the casters hadn't been firing, but after a moment of thought – both on the terrain and the situation – she realized that if she had desired a fire mission; she'd have no clue what coordinates to give to make for an effective outcome. The _obsidian Valley_ was a cluster screw of jagged rocks pilled upon one another, the haphazard scattering of said rocks created a very confusing maze of pathways and dead ends that usually spelled Doom for anyone placed in the most precarious position.

A single caster barrage could rearrange the entire mapping and placement of enemy positions and allied positions alike without proper coordinates and strategy. The last thing Eris desired was to create a rock slide so close to the edge of the ridge line.

She needed to place her shots well... or at least keep the shift in environment when the shots landed as far away from their own position as possible.

Eris' visor slide down into place with an audible 'clang' before her heads up display filed up the information regarding the caster company closest to her. The blue readout information sprang up with the name ' _ **Imperium'**_ **Company/ second battalion'** which denoted the casters company as a 'heavy ordinance' specialized artillery unit.

Though heavy fire wasn't exactly on the menu, Eris had to take what she was dealt so the call was made not even seconds after making her compromise.

" _ **Imperium Company, this is Praetorian Captain Eris Talia—I request fire support"**_

" _This is Imperium Company, we hear you Praetor; what's the problem?"_

" _ **Stand-by, prioritize fire mission on transmission sigil—on my command Imperium"**_

" _We hear you Praetor—Oi! Get the transmission signal receiver online and wait for a signal... Yes I said transmission signal! Did I stutter?...Signal receiver is ready Praetor, what's the designated phrase?"_

Before Eris could do anything, a small comm blip appeared on the upper left hand side of her HUD; the name 'Hayden' being display perfectly underneath the small blue orb. _**"Sorry to interrupt Captain—transmission sigil is set and waiting; designated phrase is 'Priority Alpha' set on repeat in five second intervals"**_

Eris nodded before reopening comm's with the caster company. **"** _ **Designated phrase is 'Priority Alpha' imperium company—five second delay... await for orders before firing"**_

" _Copy that Praetor, just give the word"_

Eris quickly closed the comm channel before turning to the sentinel in charge. _**"We will be advancing alone; tell your men to hold off on the advance until after the bolts make impact. Afterwards, we'll accompany your forces until we reach our breaching point"**_

The sentinel nodded briskly at the orders before lightly saluting. "Alright, good luck to you Praetorian" he replied before returning to his previous spot of cover. As the sentinel disappeared behind a collection of smaller boulders, Eris whipped around to regard Gregor while also taking hold of the spear possessing the signal.

" _ **You'll take point on this Gregor..."**_

" _ **Aye... it's because I'm big right?"**_ asked the large man sarcastically

Hayden lightly tittered on the words before correcting the mistake. _**"I think she was talking about that mobile energy shield you got mounted on that arm of yours"**_

" _ **True...but it's mostly because I'm big right?"**_

Camilla lightly humored the large man with a small tap to the arm, her smirk practically shining through her helmet when the large devil glanced to her. _**"...It adds to your charm"**_ she added while Gregor merely stared at her disbelievingly before shrugging.

" _ **Your damn right it does..."**_ he replied jovially

Eris mildly watched the small exchange with slight annoyance mixed in with amusement before she gently coughed into her hand; catching the threes attention quickly. _**"Anytime Azure..."**_ she urged.

Gregor merely grunted in amusement at Eris' slight impatience before he activated his wrist mounted energy shield with a quick flexing of his arm. A short churn of power erupted from the large devils left wrist before a collection of blue energy condensed down into a honey comb shaped shield that covered the large devils entire size completely.

Eris nodded at the large devil just as the aforementioned behemoth stepped towards the gap before she immediately fell in behind the large devil along with the others. By then, they all made their way between the gap – with Gregor acting as the vanguard – and as they pushed forward the sounds of bolter fire and explosion's grew more prominent; as well as the cries of pain coming from wounded knights and lancers... the advance force had mounted a hasty retreat it seemed, leaving a good number of devils scattered out in the open.

Wounded

Eris gritted her teeth harshly at the cries but she immediately stowed away her frustration and anger. Even if they could get to them, Eris knew they wouldn't last long under sustain fire to resuscitate the wounded well enough to make a difference. So if they wanted to help; then taking out the ones keeping the medic's back would be their only hope.

What that entailed was for her and her team to focus completely at the task at hand, and remove all assailants completely in order to bring some sort of assistance to the wounded in the field... Eris knew perfectly well that was within her field of expertise.

At that point their push had brought them to a larger open area sprinkled with obsidian stone and burnt out trees. Unfortunately, the open space was only ever noticed momentarily before Gregor's energy shield received a salvo of bolts.

Gregor grunted at the kinetic impact from the bolts before he flexed hard and carried on forward through the sudden pressure of demonic suppressive fire; his squad mates following close behind him in single file, each of them ignoring the small explosive discharges from the few missed bolter shots at their right and left sides.

" _ **Contact front—top of the rock line—underneath a section of rock"**_ Gregor reported robotically as he eyed a small collection of red flashes coming from an obscured section of rock piles in front of him. He suspected the assailants were somewhat covered in an improvised bunker, and were using it to hide ambush anything that camp through the narrow passage.

Cleaver the little imps... but foolish

Eris glanced around Gregor's flank and immediately identified the ambush position before she glanced over to camellia and nodded to her. As if fully knowing Eris' desire; camellia nodded in response to Eris' unvoiced command and unfolded her caster staff before pointing it upwards to the darkened sky. With a calm exclaimed breath and a casual glance to the dark cloudy sky above, Camilla flexed her demonic energy—the action causing the latent demonic energy within the staff to activate upon its intended use.

Soon after; a salvo of three blue orbs burst from the staff's crystal sphere, flying straight up towards the sky at a fast pace. The sudden action caused mild confusion and pause within the hearts and minds of the inquisitors firing upon the squad of four praetorians. They all knew what was coming towards them; the Anti-Satan's elite fighting force that even stood close to competition against a high-class devil. Just knowing that, and the fact that _four_ of them were bearing down on their position was enough to summon a brief moment of pause in their suppressive fire—their attention now completely focused on the three orbs rising high above them.

However, just as the bolts rose well above the Old-Satan's field of view – causing an even longer moment of pause – Gregor suddenly stepped to the side to allow Camilla to point her staff forward— her target directed in her sights.

The young woman smirked when her HUD identified the surprised and shell shocked expression coming from one of the inquisitors within the improvised bunker; the devil quickly realizing just what had happened.

" _ **Bunker down"**_ reported Camilla just before firing a concentrated beam of pale blue energy.

 _ **BVVVVVV... BOOOM!**_

" _ **Enemy terminate—move up; diamond formation, 6 meter spread"**_ Eris commanded seriously and without giving a second glance to the smoking husk that was once the enemy bunker.

Without any words, the three praetorians nodded at her orders before falling directly into formation. With Gregor still carrying on with the vanguard, Eris and Hayden took to the sides while Camilla held the rear guard. Seeing as how Camilla had incidentally created an alternative route to their true target; the four man team of praetorians trudged forward over the smelted remains of rock that once blocked their path.

While Eris herself wasn't much of a fan for overkill – not much could be said for the other three – she did somewhat appreciate the slight development in of itself. Even though she desired to assist with the advance further into the _Obsidian valley,_ and lessen the burden on her fellow brothers and sisters within the praetorian order, she still had her orders and so every opportunity of 'overkill' that presented itself would be welcome if it meant getting her team to their objective faster.

The sooner she could get to lord Ryden and assist him with securing the monolith, the sooner this whole advance would come to an end. In any case, she _was_ helping her brothers and sisters... just not directly.

* * *

 **[Red legion command center/ several minutes after last contact with lord Ryden]**

Sirzechs moved with a purpose he didn't think he'd possessed in a long while, his gaze held firm and serious – a stark contrast to his usual expression – while his mood slowly dwindled down to that of a brooding scowl as he made his way through the quickly built medical tents scattering the majority of the opened field. Directly beside him, followed a similarly serious Serafall; her own posture matching the larger devils perfectly as she quietly assessed her surroundings with both sorrow and determination.

A couple of minutes after his last contact with Ryden, Sirzechs had done two things...

The first thing he did was request a direct line with Ajuka Astaroth in order to collaborate his plan; simple stuff and it went by perfectly well. The second thing he did was open a direct line with the council members that looked after his advisers and overlooked his movements and order distribution.

Standard procedure whenever a General sought to take to the front lines and fight...

Serafall had only been present because Sirzechs had off handily requested her presences as well, but he didn't exactly expect her to be around due to her obligation with her own legion. If she was then perfect, but if she wasn't then it wasn't a total loss...

Convincing the council members to approve of his plan would be difficult enough with just him and Ajuka taking to the front; yet he knew _someone_ would be adamantly against the idea of letting Serafall tag along...

 _Tsk..._

Surprisingly, Serafall had been around – apparently she'd briefed and seen off a hastily formed squad of praetorians from one of his spare comm's rooms and hadn't actually returned to her post in the blue legions frontal command center. Sirzechs could only image the degree of terror gripping her advisors but he couldn't care less what those parasites felt; they damn well treated them like children!

Speaking of which...

Considering Serafall had been in attendance for the 'plan pitch', one could only image how that all went down...

Normally he was lenient when it came to the council's incessant desire to keep him and the others as far away from danger as possible; but it was now grating on his last nerve. His small raid into the territory of Halphes had been one of the few trips he done without consulting with the council beforehand, and guess what he got outta that trip?

 _You get three tries..._

First an _Infernum Armis_ , then _Lucifaad_ – totally unexpected – then Rivia Abaddon, a hero previously assumed dead and now the Old-Satan's communication system!

Ryden vale had brought upon them many gifts – almost all of them completely unbelievable – and in this moment that man needed back up. As much as he had faith in his men; Sirzechs knew perfectly well that he'd given his men a tall order—an order they most likely couldn't complete without their commanding General to assist them and he knew that!

Yet the council would rather he survive then for them to succeed...

Sirzechs suddenly smirked fondly at the memory of him telling off the council, his last nerve finally giving away to free his decade long frustration with the _cowards_ holding the leash around his neck. He told them of their cowardice and fear of losing the only person capable enough – AND patient enough – to look after their sorry asses. It was long winded and filled to the brim with truthful barbs and harsh condescending insults; yet his point had been brutally shown.

He was not the child in need of protection... they were

Small surprise to add, but Ajuka himself had even pitched in a few comments that monotonously destroyed some of the council member's confidence for a counter argument with sheer analytical words of advice such as...

" _If he managed to survive the Great War, then what makes you think anything present could match that danger?"_

Or...

" _Morale within the men possesses strategic value that is invaluable for a war effort; Sirzechs' presence and assistance would solidify that morale... ignoring such a simple fact is a sign of mental deficiency"_

Ajuka had honestly impressed Sirzechs at that moment, especially with the last comment. Normally, the slicked back devil would be mostly passive during 'plan pitching' – just as much as him if not a smidgen more so – but as it turned out, Ajuka had felt the same as he did about the situation and had even pitched in to help drive his point across with his own insults.

Though they were more pragmatic then his... but they were still useful none the less

After the two's moderate lambasting on the councils degree of courage, intelligence and priorities; it wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that most council members were wide awake at that point. It was one thing to deal with Sirzechs' many plans and ideas regarding the war effort, and only receive annoyed glares and begrudging comments when the some plans were dismantled and all around dismissed; yet for Sirzechs AND Ajuka – who would be present for almost every meeting – to respond in such a differing manner honestly gave most of the council members a harsh pause to think.

...Except they didn't receive that luxury

Serafall didn't think she'd agree with disobeying orders – especially from her own mother; who was one of the more adamant councillor's present – yet when she thought on the severity of the situation, all thoughts regarding the opinions within the councils 'worry wart' squadron – a designation she'd branded to the more _bias_ councillor's – ceased completely. If three devils could hold their own behind enemy lines, cut off from any kind of assistance; then a damn war hero could do just as fine... if not more so with two others by his side.

Whatever plan Sirzechs had in mind, she was all game at that moment. Even when her mother locked eyes with her from the slight fuzzy sigil screen, as if begging her to speak some sort of reason to her mentor, she still didn't falter. The look of sadness in her mother's eyes raised a form of regret within Serafall; yet her own resolve bore through the slight pain of hurting her own mother based purely on what was at stake. Lord Ryden and the others were pulling more than their own weight in this invasion—twisting the tides of war as they all knew it— and the gut wrenching shame she had suddenly felt at knowing how little _she_ had provided to this invasion was all the more apparent at that thought.

She'd rather walk around topless – _naked_ even – then spend another second behind the 'protective' orders beseeched by the council. Though she prided herself on being the reasonable sort, she still favored her pride over full security; as too much security only created cowardice...

And she was no coward.

In the end, because of the complete resolve from the three generals; the council didn't have much to say over the threes more prominent motives, and due to that slight show of hesitance—Sirzechs left before any other argument could be made, his final words having silenced the council completely.

" _I have taken your cowardice paranoia with adept patience, yet my patience can only stretch so far... consider this a wakeup call"_

Sirzechs had been internally thrilled when the council had been stunned silent by his words of warning, yet he couldn't outwardly show his enthusiasm as his professional side demanding him to not smirk like an idiot amongst the crowd of medics and wounded knights; such a thing would appear slightly morbid if he was being realistic.

Was his choice of words towards the council slightly childish?... Sirzechs knew his father would laugh his ass off if he told him this, and his mother would giggle madly at the prospect of her own son telling a bunch of grizzled devils – most of them being at least a millennia older them him – that they were as paranoid as motherless children.

Though she would remind him of proper patience and courtesy directly afterwards, so... maybe?

Sirzechs shook his head while he continued to navigate forward. On a side note, Sirzechs had been slightly surprised Serafall had been on his side the whole time. Usually the pint sized devil would test his own logic and flawlessness within his plans; often times revealing a few holes within them to the point in which the council would cling to like leeches. A small source of resentment could be found in these moments directed towards the raven haired devil, yet thankfully the petite devil had refrained from over thinking his motives this time.

Currently... there was no time to think, and Sirzechs suspected Serafall had been aware of this from the beginning. She herself had sprouted an odd interest in his adoptive human brother, so her thoughts were most likely centered on the man. She may have been thinking upon ways to assist him anyway she could – as noted at the fact that she'd been the first to volunteer a praetorian rescue squad – which may have led her to realizing the time critical nature surrounding his survival. Even if her small team of praetorians managed to reach Ryden in time, their situation would only lighten by a shade and Serafall was probably wary of that; but now that his own motives and passion in regards to convincing the council of his intention to enter the battlefield had most likely been her tipping point.

 _Whatever worked_

"How do you suppose we go about assisting the front?" questioned Serafall as she closely followed Sirzechs through the large crowd of medics and wounded. "A few reports say the old-Satan's dug in and set up a sturdy defense grid all around the location leading to Ryden using improvised artillery emplacements and bunkers from ancient ruins; I even heard they managed to re-establish aerial defense sigils in the area—their self guided, so they're not that accurate but their operable enough to prove a threat—which means an aerial attack is all but useless"

Serafall mulled over the possible ways to reach Ryden in a timely manner, but she soon frowned when all she could think of was brute force as the prime answer to the problem. Funny how she'd be the one to recognize that, yet what surprised her was Sirzechs' answer...

"Ajuka and I have managed aerial defenses well enough before" Sirzechs waved off before he glanced over to Serafall. "I just want you to follow us from the ground, once I've made a large enough hole in the enemies defenses; I want you to make sure my men push forward without interruption" ordered Sirzechs. "Once the path is made, Ajuka and I will remove the remaining weapon emplacements while you assist the frontal charge—we'll join you when nothing remains at your flank"

Serafall lightly smiled at the larger devil. "Always the simple plans..."

"It leaves room for improvisation" replied Sirzechs with his own smirk before his gazed trailed back to his destination. "I've contacted Saladin and briefed I'm on the plan, if anything goes wrong then you'll have full authority of them while me and Ajuka work our magic"

"And what if you fail?"

Sirzechs paused briefly before glancing to Serafall, his gaze full of confidence narrowed down to a professional stare – hard and resolute.

"I won't" was his answer before he carried on

Serafall momentarily stared after Sirzechs; her thoughts mildly taken off track by his resolve and expression. Contrary to common belief amongst the masses and the council, but Serafall hadn't actually fought directly beside Sirzechs in open conflict. Sure there had been times where she caught a glimpse of Sirzechs in action while they faught on the same battlefield, but most of those glimpses were filled to the brim with large explosions and massive orbs of destruction from a massive distance between the two. Serafall hadn't actually seen what Sirzechs looked like when he operated, nor had she seen the cold disposition displayed by the crimson haired Gremory as he practically erased his enemies with ease.

Due to this detachment and distance, AND Sirzechs' natural attitude when out of combat; Serafall had ratified her opinion on her mentor as to that of being a bloody lusty maniac with more of a playful nature then any sort of profession, while most of the time displaying casual distance between himself and the council...

Deep down, she thought Sirzechs was a bumbling idiot with more power and luck then brain... how wrong of an assessment that was.

What she saw now, was a man laser focused at the task at hand, rigid and poised with not a leak to his resolve. She suspected a large part of his resolve was based purely on _who_ they were fighting to assist; as while Sirzechs didn't exactly word his true intentions as often as she did, but Serafall knew that Sirzechs was primarily passionate about rescuing his little brother...

She could moderately relate to that...

Often times she'd fantasize about having her own sibling – a younger sister perhaps – and what lengths she would go to insure the safety of her sibling. The thought was a profound sensation, and it bubbled forth a severe sense of protection unlike anything she'd felt before. The praetorians within her legion had all been handpicked by her – Eris being the first – and because of this, Serafall had developed a deep sense of connection with almost every praetorian in her legion; thus solidifying her protective nature with every praetorian she possessed – more so with Eris than any other.

In the end, Serafall could understand Sirzechs' resolve on a more personal level. While she may not possess a sibling – yet – she did however understand the length and drive.

"Let us hurry Sera, Ajuka is waiting at the staging area up ahead" urged Sirzechs as his pacing grew more purposeful. Serafall hummed in agreement quickly after; her own pacing matching Sirzechs' as they both peeled off from the large medical center within the open border zone and into a hastily built staging area filled with tents and barracks filled with recently resuscitated knights and lancers – even a few praetorians rummaged about the staging area, organizing their numbers, affirming their efforts and then vanishing into transportation sigils that led back into the fray.

Most of the surrounding area was rife with action, while most military personnel present were far too busy organizing troop movements to greeting Sirzechs and Serafall's arrival with any kind of salute. Though Serafall did dismiss a few knights that stood to attention, but the majority kept mostly to their tasks. Ignoring the matter, Sirzechs led Serafall to a large tent directly at the center of the Forward operating base where they both found Praxis standing over a large table with a map directly on it.

"I read you 7th platoon, I have several squads dispatching to assist—hold tight for their arrival" spoke Praxis into a comm's link, his voice firm yet seemingly frustrated. Upon their arrival, Praxis glanced up before pausing briefly at the sight in front of him. Praxis kept eyes on Sirzechs briefly before he replied back into the comm's link. "Negative, artillery units are far to scattered to lay down any kind of feasible suppression—we'll be firing warning shots if anything. Just hold tight for reinforcements, command out"

Praxis cut the link shortly after before he plopped down into a chair, his eyes slightly sunken with mental fatigue while his expression remained as it normally was... dead serious, with a mild sense of annoyance.

Sirzechs moderately regarding the devils posture before the devil casually strolled inside with Serafall directly behind him. "Status?" he asked calmly while pausing directly in front of the map table.

Praxis leaned forward before standing up. "Can't fully say how well were doing, but I _can_ say we have the Old-Satan's hunkered down tighter then a newborn in a cradle" replied the commander before he gestured to the map. "Old-Satan positions show that they are favoring their left flank more than anything else, which means we can assume they have established a form of backup communications system; however the extent of this seems far slower then what they had before"

Sirzechs nodded. "They most likely practiced this maneuver in the event their monolith system fell..." He muttered as he eyed the map. Troop positions showed that the old-Satan's had hastily developed a _crescent_ formation around the west side of the _Rose Garden_ , creating a very defensive perimeter around the location in which Ryden and his team were situated; while further inland was the remaining forces that possibly set up defenses on higher ground that stretched the full length of the _Rose Garden._ While the red legion held the majority of the land; the Old-Satan's made damn sure they didn't get an inch more.

Serafall eyed the table for a scant second before glancing to Praxis. "I had heard reports that the Old-Satan's had managed to re-establish aerial defenses deeper inland, can you confirm?" asked the petite devil.

"I got several bodies to confirm that report..." was Praxis' harsh reply, which quickly silenced Serafall. Praxis held his stare for a second before he looked to a silent Sirzechs. "I had suggested a low altitude aerial incursion—see if we could loosen up their defenses with an aerial bombardment—but the volunteers were shot down literally seconds after they took to the air... haven't tried since"

"Were you able to identify the origin of the rounds?" asked Sirzechs as he kept his eye on the map

Praxis momentarily paused before he nodded; his finger tapping two separate locations deep behind the Old-Satan's crescent perimeter.

Sirzechs nodded. "Anywhere else?"

Praxis shook his head. "No, we estimated the capable range to that of 200 meters maximum; any further and the bolts fizzle out like flares"

"Good"

 _Sirzechs possessed greater range then that..._

The crimson haired devil eyed the crescent formation closely before he picked up a marker and divided the crescent formation into three sectors, the middle sector having been marked as 'the kill box' while at the same time being marked as the largest of the three. Placing the marker down, Sirzechs eyed a confused Praxis resolutely. "Recall all sentinels for a briefing... I have new orders"

Praxis blinked at his nephew's words, yet the dead serious gaze directed to him spoke of the devils complete seriousness on the matter; however his confusion got the better of him...

"General; if I recall the sentinels we may lose ground"

Sirzechs merely smirked at the devils retort while Serafall smiled brightly, fully knowing Sirzechs' answer.

"When this plan is through commander... you won't need to worry about a few inches; I'll provide a lot more then that..."

With his words complete, Sirzechs turned around and exited along with Serafall; leaving behind a stunned silent commander Bael.

Sirzechs' words had only meant one thing...

 _...He was finally entering the fray_

* * *

 **[Obsidian valley/ Praetorian team 'Azure'/ ETA to enemy emplacement position: 10 minutes/ estimated time to Ryden's position: 20 minutes]**

Eris pressed her back against a section of black rock, her form fitted gel layer armor that covered the majority of her body managed to quell the rising heat within the area to a more comfortable degree as she waited patiently for her prey to pass her by. Soon after, two unaware inquisitors strolled passed her location within seconds after her form seemingly melded with the simmering rock, the dark blue metal plating that covering the majority of her body having acted as natural camouflage that didn't at all stand out amidst the blackened environment.

The two were well dead before they even knew it, as Eris's long sword cleaved their heads off with one swing from behind. Giving her sword a cleansing swipe to the side; Eris refrained from sheathing the blade before she twisted around and tossed the sword like a javelin, The weapon soon impending itself both into the sternum of a third inquisitor and the rock wall behind him, pining the devil in place.

Before the devil could scream in pain, Eris seemingly appeared in front the devil before her elbow connected with the devils throat; crushing the man's windpipe ruthlessly and staunching any form of alert.

Giving her sword a momentary tug, Eris yanked her sword from the devil before swiping it clean a second time, leaving the soon dead inquisitor in the dirt with not a second glance.

The situation had been far more tedious than previously thought, as the majority of the problems for the front line assaulter had been mostly in part to the maze like terrain between them and the main emplacement position. Originally, Eris had thought the enemy emplacement would be directly passed the main pathway from where the sentinel had set up shop, yet now she can safely say that it was a total cluster screw then previously assessed.

As of 20 minutes ago, Eris had no choice but to split her team up completely in order to secure the maze before they even thought of attacking the enemy's emplacement position, because the last thing Eris wanted was to half-ass a simple procedure and let a few stragglers behind to muck up the assault forces counter attack. Half-assing was not in her job description and so the following twenty minutes had been nothing but a bug hunt.

The inquisitors in the area had seemed to be unaware of their impending danger, as noted by their casual actions throughout the area; but Eris could classify this based purely on part of lord Ryden's actions. Due to him, the Old-Satan's no longer possessed the upper hand in communication, which left a large majority of inquisitors stranded and without following orders. The inquisitors present had most likely been ordered to secure the maze area after seeing the retreat of the Anti-Satan forces, and to establish a forward ambush position. But due to the lack of communication; the inquisitors weren't exactly notified of the presence of four hyper lethal praetorians and the death of their ambushers.

Tedious work wasn't something praetorians completely enjoyed; add a maze the size of a coliseum, foggy conditions, and a lack luster resistance that wasn't even aware of their presences and you'd have a complete snooze fest for most praetorians in existence. Every corner had to be secured, every inquisitor was to be provided with sudden and unexplained acupuncture and every inch of the surrounding area had to be 100 percent secured before any form of further progress could be made.

Eris had to have fought off three yawns by this point...

" _ **This is Hayden—I've ran into the same damn wall three times now, zero contacts, my sectors dead"**_

" _ **Camilla here... same thing, all clear"**_

" _ **Gregor checking in, reporting one casualty—it's one of ours—zero enemy contacts otherwise"**_

Eris activated her comm sigil with a thought, her eyes scanning the area before her sword was hastily sheathed. _**"Eris reporting with three EKIA, all clear—rendezvous at these coordinates"**_ with a second thought, a small map appeared at the top right of Eris' HUD before she recalled their previous heading and placed a blue way-point directly _north_.

From within her HUD Eris received three blue blinks as a sign of silent confirmation and affirmative from her squad, before she immediately turned around and carried on north towards the blue way-point on her mini-map. The technology used to establish the map had been standard to all praetorian units throughout the anti-Satan army – manufactured by Ajuka's technology division – which allowed every team of praetorians complete navigational sense of the area; coupled with the neural link in their suits, every praetorian could 'ping' a location on the map and designate it either as a way-point or a enemy controlled zone.

This had been the norm for every praetorian due to the communications dominance held by the Old-Satan forces; but now that they had both, their synergy and fluidity had tripled immensely. It was one thing to ping a location marked as an enemy bolter emplacement, but it was another thing entirely to inform the squad of its effective range and field of view.

At this point in time, praetorians were now a true enemy to fear...

Eris paused at the base of a small gully, her position held parallel with the rest of her team as they held positions directly across from where a small pathway led directly up towards a large opening and field. From assessment, Eris could deduce the area was the exact location the enemy emplacement was positioned. Considering the map they possessed, neither of her team could trust the safety in an open engagement with the Old-Satan's bolter fire. While Gregor did possess a mobile shield to provide cover; it only could sustain a suppressive fire from three maximum sources before overloading and they all knew the Old-Satan's used more than _ten_ casters on a strategic position.

Demonic magic nullification could only prove useful for a few shots before the alloy plating supplying the immunity sapped off completely from the heat, which meant they couldn't tank the amount of it bolts that would be coming their way.

And even worse, the open field between them and the enemy emplacement was bare without a trench and stone in sight for cover. While Eris did possess a modicum of faith in the unexplained, she didn't however possess much faith in the protective nature that came with blades of grass and pebbles... unless they were termite ants.

" _ **So what's the plan captain?"**_ asked Hayden as he slowly pushed his knife out into the open to use its reflective surface as a mirror. _**"We don't got a lick of cover from here to the emplacement, and I can estimate the distance to that of 900 meters... can anyone here toss a spear that far?"**_

Immediately Gregor shook his head which at the same time deduced both Camilla's and Eris' potential to that of zero. If the man with the biomass of three fully grown male devils couldn't throw a spear that far then they definitely couldn't, but yet...

" _ **We don't need to be perfect here, the only issue is hitting the enemy emplacement and if we can get it to land just 200 meters out from the target then we can micro adjust the artillery trajectory from here... forward the word to Imperium Company, tell them to standby"**_ Eris explained before pointing to Gregor. _**"On deck Gregor, let me see just how far you can really throw"**_

At her words, Gregor stood to his feet before the transmission spear was handed to him by Eris. Once his positioning was firm; Gregor's muscles flexed hard while the spear was held aloft over his right shoulder. The sight of a large man holding what looked like a metal stick was something hard to process but soon enough Gregor made it work.

The spear in Gregor's hand shot high and far – seemingly breaking the sound barrier by the sheer force of the throw – before Eris hastily opened comm's with the heavy artillery company the moment the spear was airborne.

" _ **Imperium Company this is Captain Eris, fire mission is a go—fire for effect"**_

" _Copy that Captain Eris, transmission signal is loud and clear—bolts are away"_

Eris's gaze quickly rose to the sky just as the spear embedded itself 200 meters from the weapon emplacements location. Due to the artillery company's specialization in heavy fire, the meters between the signal and the emplacement would lessen down to a matter of inches due to the splash radius.

From within the emplacement location, a small handful of inquisitors manning the improvised blockade noticed the lone spear land a couple hundred meters from their location. The sudden arrival of the spear was laughable – impressive in distance – but still laughable none the less as none of them had noticed the one that had thrown it, which meant the gully 900 meters from their location was compromised to enemy forces; yet their emplacement had long ago been solidified to become impervious to assault. A lone spear that had missed them completely by 200 meters was easily ignorable.

Unfortunately they didn't notice the small – very noticeable – sigil on the opposite side of the spear...

Wake up call in 3... 2... 1... Splash!

 _ **BOOOOM!**_

 _ **BOOOM!**_

 _ **BOOOOOM!**_

 _ **BOOM!**_

 _ **BOOOM!**_

 _ **BOOOM!**_

Eris waited one moment to allow the dust to settle before she identified the miss and the trajectory of the artillery fire. _**"Correction—200 meters to your northwest—fire for effect!"**_

" _Copy that captain, adjusting..."_

" _ **Send it when ready!"**_

" _Firing..."_

Eris kept the link open but immediately eyed the rest of her team with a solid point. _**"20 seconds till splash, once the round's make impact we charge through**_ _**without pause; copy?"**_

Praetor team azure slightly reeled at what Eris had ordered, yet the notion of it wasn't much of a shock to them. Strategically, the concept of charging into a hot zone mere seconds after an artillery barrage would be considered brainless and stupid; as the toxic fumes from highly condensed orbs of demonic energy could overwhelm a devils lungs to the point of collapse, even kill them completely. However, the acceptable nature of a praetorian team doing something as such wouldn't be so stupid.

Not only were praetorians trained and outfitted with above average technology and skills; they were also wearing air tight suits that filtered out any toxic fumes that may be harmful to the wearer. This made charging directly into a barrage more strategic then stupid, as the impact would not only rearrange the enemy's position, but also inhibit any form of counter offensive when they breached.

And it also got them to their primary object all the seconds faster...

Eris nodded when no objections followed her order before she eyed the six – no – _ten,_ rounds of heavy artillery quickly descending the enemies emplacement position. From where she observed, her HUD's enhanced eye sight function managed to identify the many inquisitors within the emplacement panic suddenly when they took notice of their coming deaths. It was mildly confusing that most of the inquisitors hadn't retreated when the first batch of artillery made landfall; yet she could assume the inquisitors had merely believed the event to mere a blatant miss and thought that any further bombardment would be continued failures.

In most cases, their assessment was true; as most artillery barrages were much more difficult to coordinate then it was now. However their desire to believe 'what if's' instead of 'possibilities' had been the ultimate reason their position had fallen so easily, as not even ten seconds after; the ten rounds of heavy demonic energy impacted a direct hit on the emplacement position, detonating violently and ruthlessly before the remaining five rounds carved a deep swath in the middle of the emplacement position.

 _ **BOOOM!**_

 _ **BOOOMBOOOM—BOOOMBOOOM...**_

Their path was open...

But Eris wasn't finished...

" _ **Direct hit Imperium—Target is dust! Continue barrage on the same coordinates and spread rounds further northwest, 500 meters—fire till empty!"**_

Praetor team azure immediately paled.

" _ **Wait... what!"**_ yelled Hayden in sheer shocked confusion which had been mimicked by the other two

Eris didn't answer, she only lead the charge without hesitation; charging forward at full speed directly towards the large opening. Hayden didn't even curse his lamination as it would waste precious time before he and the others quickly – and panicked – followed after Eris like mad men; wasting no time at all to catch up to their now crazy leader.

Their suits carried them forward much faster than any other devil could manage; having augmented ligaments that helped them operate much longer than any other. Yet in this instance, praetor team azure put the suits speed limitations to the test and it showed greatly. Eris felt like she was _air_ , a speed demon far beyond what she thought possible as the suits metallic plating easily parted the wind resistance like paper; allowing her and the others enough speed to clear a 900 meter dash in a matter of seconds, before allied artillery slammed down directly behind them, annihilating what remained of the emplacement before following after them as if their sheer speed was the cause of the explosions.

" _ **SHIIIIIIITTTTT!"**_ yelled Hayden as the slight heat from the explosions behind him singed his rear teasingly, forcing his pace to quicken far beyond the norm.

Gregor and Camilla hustled just as hard; the explosions following behind them close at their feet, while a few inquisitors watched breathlessly as four praetorians rushed passed them without acknowledgment, leaving them behind to be vaporized by demonic artillery; the last thing in their awed gaze was a team of praetorian's _out run a carpet bombing_.

 _They weren't even mad..._

 _ **BOOOM!  
BOOOM!  
BOOOM! **_

_**BOOOOOOM!**_

" _ **Oh come one!"**_ laminated Hayden as the final artillery round detonated a demonic cluster of energy within the dirt below; causing a violent reactionthat dwarfed the previous explosions. Eris could feel the repulsion wave and merely chose a spot before jumping forward _hard_ which was quickly mimicked by the others directly behind her.

 **Crash!**

In perfect sync, the four praetorians landed hard on fragile rock; their armor simmering with slight heat but they were otherwise completely unharmed. Without a moment to spare; Eris checked her mini-map for reference before smirking under her helmet when the designated area was almost directly to their right side.

" _ **Heads up Azure, priority objective is close—fall in"**_ Eris revealed.

Thankfully the area was clear of inquisitors, which meant they had a small window of opportunity to breach the border field before any reinforcements arrived; which was a literal _miracle_ in of itself with all things considered. Eris had fully expected them to be fighting the whole time during the breaching process, but now that it seemed like they would be free to operate without interruption, then it would move a heck of a lot smoother than previously considered.

They had to move quickly...

" _ **Double time Azure! Camilla, get that breach open as soon as possible—I wanted into the Rose Garden an hour ago, MOVE!"**_

Eris' command was hard and not a single argument was raised to counter the elder praetorian's urgency; and Hayden took the initiative the second he recognized their spot on the map and quickly joined Eris on her approach towards the border zone force field that sat just over a moderately sized berm at the right side of the hastily constructed road. Being flanked by Gregor and Camilla, Eris and Hayden took point towards the location they knew the border's defensive force field was located.

Not even five minutes of controlled movement and a faint shimmer in space was identified several yards from their location, signifying the presence of the border force field. The size of it was immense, having seemed to reach all the way up to the roof of hell itself and its consistency seemed to disentangle the image of the Rose Garden on the other side; yet they could all make out the faint image of road several yards beyond the border. Directly to the left of their position, was a moderately sized mound caked with multiple jagged rock shards that could be used for cover as they made to breach, exactly as they planned.

" _ **Objective identified, get to work Camilla"**_ Eris ordered as she and the two others took up defensive positions around the designated location at the top of the mound. Camilla didn't waste time in her actions and immediately began splicing the force field; while Hayden and Gregor hastily pushed a few rock boulders around her for added cover if they were engaged.

" _ **Don't be wasting time now, the old-Satan's we'll be on us the moment you trip the alarm system..."**_ urged the praetorian before he pulled out his caster staff and took to the right side of the mound.

" _ **Copy that, just don't stack on all of the pressure—leave a girl to work her magic"**_ replied Camilla just as she summoned several magic sigils and pressed them against the invisible wall. Gregor nodded silently before slapping the woman's shoulder encouragingly – gently though – and quickly summoned his own caster staff and took up position at the left side of the mound.

Eris held position furthermost from Camilla, caster staff poised forward, before she caught sight of a large platoon of inquisitors marching down the road they'd just recently been on. _**"Contact front, multiple hostiles converging down the road—they'll be on us in seconds; double time your effort Camilla"**_

" _ **Working on it—this isn't like opening a damn portal ya know"**_ laminated the younger woman as she hastily twisted and merged the various sigils together in a complicated pattern before the surface of the force field sudden shone crimson red; causing the multiple sigils in place to suddenly dissipate. _**"Damn it, Old-Satan's rigged the bounded field with a dissipation system; this'll take longer then desired"**_

Eris didn't glance over to Camilla upon hearing her words and simply cursed under her breath; it looked as if they would be fighting their way out after all.

Never an easy day...

" _ **200 yards out captain, and it looks like their aware of what we're doing... what's the call?"**_ asked Hayden as he primed his staff with energy.

Eris didn't need to think too deeply into the plan and instantly divvied her orders. _**"I want total field suppression; none of these assholes comes anywhere within 100 yards. If they get close; you suppress them or turn them to ash—I want absolute field dominance, no mercy"**_

Eris received two blinks of affirmative from within her HUD while at the same time receiving a simple countdown of 1 minute at the top most point on her HUD; courtesy of Camilla.

Upon seeing the time display, Eris casually swatted away the urge to curse a third time before quickly rising her staff to the ready once she spotted a selection of inquisitors mount over a bank right at their 12 o' clock.

" _ **Engage at will"**_ ordered Eris just before popping up and discharging three bolts directly at the closest squad of inquisitors. Her action – sudden and fast – managed to drop three of the five approaching inquisitors while the remaining two hastily plunged down into a ditching a few yards from their position.

With the sudden engagement, every approaching inquisitor suddenly dropped down into action – having easily identified the source of the caster fire at the peak of a hill directly in front of them – and took cover behind a multitude of mounds and ditches; while a few returned fire from a distance. Unfortunately, those that remained standing to suppress Eris were suddenly dropped by a small volley of bolts from a second location, courtesy of Hayden; rendering the three inquisitor casters completely headless.

" _ **Second wave on the right!"**_ reported Eris just as she spotted a number of reinforcements bound over a dune and make way towards them. Hayden flashed his acknowledgement light before redirecting his attention to his side of the hill.

Five rapid bolts reported in quick succession from his caster staff – dropping half a dozen inquisitors in the volley – and forced the remaining survivors into cover.

Killing them was preferable, but if they managed to keep the attacking inquisitors in cover long enough to give Camilla time to breach then it was all the same. Once the breach was made, the automated security system would quickly force the barrier closed at the breach; cutting off any would be followers.

Holding them off was all they need to do...

Gregor's large trunk like staff blazed brightly, the highly condense energy housed within the abnormally sized staff created more of a mortar like projectile then a straight focused bolt; which lightly arced when fired. However the decrease in straight forward accuracy was mildly acknowledged by the large praetorian because while the weapon couldn't nail a headshot from 500 yards, it did manage to reduce any cover to that of a smoking crater.

Gregor was beginning to like the damn thing...

" _ **Oi Gregor"**_ called out Hayden as he fired three bolts at a hunkered down inquisitor.

" _ **What?"**_

" _ **I got a squad of Oldies pinned in a ditch but I can't reach them... mind stirring the nest for me?"**_

" _ **With pleasure..."**_

Without any hesitation, Gregor and Hayden swapped sides rapidly and continued firing without any mercy. Hayden dropped two inquisitors at his 3 o' clock while Gregor launched mortar after mortar at any form of usable cover in sight; most of which having housed multiple targets.

Among the chaos and bolter fire, Eris calmly dispatched target after target with cold efficiency, as any inquisitor that peaked out from cover immediately lost their head or any inquisitor caught out in the open soon found themselves literally heartless.

While all things were going moderately well, she knew their position was only going to be over run in a matter of minutes; as even if they managed to keep a steady rise in body count, it would only take one breach in their defense to cause the rest of the inquisitors enough of a pause to cover enough ground to overwhelm them.

Just as the situation dawned on Eris, Camilla kept to her task as efficiently as possible but at the same time speeding up her processes the moment she found herself in familiar territory. Unlike before, Camilla had added in multiple sigil algorithms to counter act the force field's internal dissipation system; which simply meant she gave the force field something to eat while she worked her magic.

With three layers of security added over-top her task; Camilla could easily reinforce the algorithm with a couple swipes of her finger and a mild grunt of annoyance. At the back of her mind however, Camilla was lightly admonished with the system's sheer defensive capability and the large growth the border fields had built up over the course of the civil war.

She had heard rumors of past praetorian teams cutting silently through the border fields during the conflict in _Leviathia._ Back then, the old-Satan's had strengthened their positions by using border fields to funnel in assaulting forces into kill zones. Unfortunately that only worked once as praetorian teams had managed to swarm the last defensive position in the capital cities central square by cutting through the bearer without anyone noticing.

After that defeat the old-Satan's added in alarms, and then after that; they added in a dissipation system to completely nullify demonic energy the second it made contact with the field... how wonderful, they managed to evolve the defensive technique that was originally annoying and minor to a now completely fucking infuriating defensive barrier that was astronomically tedious to breach in acceptable time.

Thankfully she had been trained to 'hack' the system...

Using a splicing sigil – or several of them due to the size of the energy source – Camilla forcefully isolated the demonic energy in a selected area after having drawn a moderately sized dome in the border field. Once the designated size of the dome was solidified in place and prepped for use, she immediately added three more algorithms to the fields 'dinner plate' and quickly went to prepping the cut that would obviously give them the open they needed.

To go about doing that, Camilla had multiple options available; however, seeing as how time was of the essence, she opted to go for the quick but loud approach. Hopefully however, her small plan to stall the alarm system would pay off but that was simply wishful thinking.

If it worked then heck yeah, but if it didn't then she wouldn't lose progress.

Clenching her fingers momentarily, Camilla went to work...

Amassing a number of algorithms, Camilla hastily shoved them outward beyond her isolated dome and held her breath momentarily...

.

.

.

Nothing!

Camilla beamed for a nano second before she quickly went about drawing a second dome around her cut zone; directly behind the area in which her algorithms were. This action cut off the systems awareness of her actions by a large margin and completely blocked the border field's alarms from even noticing the abnormality, granting her immense freedom to proceed with the cut!

" _ **Thirty seconds guys, prepare to withdraw!"**_ reported Camilla as she placed three stalling sigils to the right, left and top of the dome and then began tracing a sigil directly over top her previous drawn line. As she traced, sparks ignited against the barrier; an action noticed by the three praetorians behind her.

" _ **Shit, that was faster than I expected"**_ spoke Hayden as he continued to suppress he many inquisitors gaining on their position. _**"Though I won't mind it If you sped up a bit..."**_ he added just as a bolt pinged off his pauldron.

Camilla ignored her senior's urging words and calmly traced her cut perfectly until she reached the top portion of the cut. Once she reached the half way point all cutting resistance lessened considerably, allowing her to finish the cut in a matter of seconds.

 _Clang!_

The portion of the dome that had been cut away pinged hard against the stone surface on the other side of the border field, before the glass like plate dissipated into dust a second after; the demonic energy fueled by the lay lines within the territory having ceased its connection completely.

" _ **Barrier breached, fall in!"**_ Eris ordered loudly.

Hayden held position while Gregor quickly broke formation and filed into the large breach without issue; once the large devil got through, both Eris and Hayden quickly rose up and backed into the breach all the while sustaining their fire on the quickly converging inquisitors; dropping dozens of the rushing knights before passing through the barrier.

Once they got through, Camilla quickly deactivated her sigils and algorithms and the effect was damn near instantly. With every abnormal trace completely erased, the system merely corrected the breach as if it hadn't even finished its construction; cutting off the inquisitors on the other side and best of all...

No alarm was summoned

Before anyone could breath out a modicum of relief, multiple cracking howls echoed off in the distance – the sound being sharp and violent – while at the same time the clouds above churned and blackened before being swarmed with crimson lightning, which then crashed down to the surface some hundred meters away.

Praetorian team Azure watched the sky for but a moment – breathless and mildly awe struck – until Eris signaled for the team to rally onto her. _**"We're not done yet Azure... eyes forward"**_ instructed the praetorian captain as she trudged forward. _**"Objective priority is just up ahead"**_

* * *

 **[Old-Satan communication surveillance outpost/ Rose Garden]**

 _ **BVVVVVVVVVV!**_

 _ **BANG! BANG! BANG!**_

Three rapid reports from _Cerberus_ cried out – dismembering three rushing inquisitors – before a massive wave of crimson lightning tore the ground and anyone caught in the wave apart.

Ryden stood amongst a burning barracks building a selection of wreckage, using it as both cover and ammo, while at his right side stood Rosalina, her attire and appearance – along with Ryden's – looking nothing short but haggard and torn, while at the same time being caked in the blood of many fallen enemies.

Wordlessly, the two continued to let loose barrage after barrage from their designated weapons and powers; decimating their enemies in mass, yet their efforts seemed mostly fruitless...

 _ **POP! POP! POP!**_

Ryden cursed – as did Rosalina – before the man quickly tackled the blonde woman into the barracks window when he spotted three artillery bolts descending down to their location. Ryden's wordless action was fast and without hesitance, yet the outcome received no argument from Rosalina.

Even if their disheveled position upon landing left much to the imagination...

Without complaint or curse, Rosalina ignored their odd position within the burning barracks and quickly absorbed the present flame around them and fired it out an adjacent window. Upon the action, a series of pained and tormented screams could be heard from outside; signifying a collection of roasted kills.

Sighing calmly at the very brief reprieve, Rosalina eyed the man still mounting her with a very serious expression of annoyance; yet upon see the man, Rosalina immediately grew worried when Ryden appeared to be unconscious.

"Ryden!?" yelled the woman worriedly as she rolled him off of her.

However, upon contact with solid ground, crimson electricity surged around the man's body; forcefully waking the human from his unconsciousness.

Ryden appeared shocked for a split second after waking, but just seconds after a brief moment, the man quickly adjusted and sighed out in annoyance. "Well that's three times that's happened now—" he muttered before looking Rosalina in the eye. "—sorry about that, Fulgur refrained from waking me because I was in direct contact with you... wouldn't want to give you a shock"

Rosalina regarded the moment with a brief nod of acceptance, but her attention was more focused on the situation at hand. For the past hour it seemed, Ryden had displayed easy forgetfulness and a lack of complete concentration – though he had managed to identify habits in the Old-Satan's artillery fire, AND warn of coming barrages – he had still expressed moments of extreme fatigue.

For the majority of the battle, Ryden had been almost constantly caked in crimson electricity; which meant _Fulgur_ had been constantly working to keep the man awake, and both Rivia and Rosalina had taken it upon themselves to notice that fact harshly.

 _Ryden was literally a dead man fighting..._

Rosalina cursed internally before she gripped the man's hand and hauled him to his feet. "Forget about endangering me _Fulgur_ ; just keep him awake" ordered the blonde woman before she led Ryden to the rear entrance to the barracks. As she led him to the back door, Ryden suddenly pulled the woman close and spun around to body block a war axe aimed to remove Rosalina's head.

 _CLANG!_

The sound of metal on metal echoed throughout the barracks, forcing a shocked yelp from Rosalina due in part to both Ryden's unorthodox block maneuver and the proximity she had to a near decapitation. Rosalina eyed Ryden closely in worry; yet the only response she got was a casual smirk before the man quickly pushed her back and spun around to dismember the shell shocked inquisitor with a diagonal downward swing.

As the inquisitor fell to the floor in two pieces, Ryden glanced to Rosalina and urged her to follow with a gesture of his head. "Come on; Rivia will need our help back at the monolith—wouldn't want to leave her hanging for too long" he urged before swiping his sword clean.

 _ **Careful boy, you got a few annoyances waiting outside to your right and left**_

Ryden nodded at the information and casually picked up the upper portion of the deceased inquisitor and re-calibrated _Cerberus_ to his intended firing mode. Seeing the action, Rosalina mildly grew disgusted by the action but followed Ryden to the rear entrance none the less.

"Uh Ryden... what are you—"

Ryden didn't acknowledge Rosalina's confused question and merely tossed the torso out the open door without warning. Once the body corpse reached a curtain point, Ryden – with unnerving speed – dialed in his breath and shot the corpse mid air.

The second his shot hit the body, the remaining demonic energy within the corpse AND armor detonated in a violent explosion of blood, gore, dust and energy; the effect doing exactly as intended...

Three surprised and terrified screams yelped outside, effectively alerting Ryden to the exact location of the 'annoyances' awaiting to ambush them. Without pause Ryden exited the barracks with his hand cannon poised at the first target in front of him...

 **BANG!**

Headless, the inquisitor collapsed to the ground without any resistance; like a rag-doll, before detonating into a fiery explosion similar to the improvised grenade before, yet with more punch.

Without a second glance to the first kill, Ryden turned to his immediate left and violently drove his magnum pasted his second target's head and quickly pulled the trigger...

 **BANG!**

Ignoring the second kill, Ryden quickly – with unnerving speed – reached up to the devils head with his left hand and slammed the his skull against the wall of the barracks; disorientating the devil completely. With the devil now unresponsive and looking to collapse, Ryden hooked his left arm around the knight's neck and gripped him tightly against his armpit; with the devils weight focused entirely on collapsing, Ryden quickly jerked the devil upward... snapping the spine completely in half

 _ **SNAP! CRACK!**_

Ryden disposed the body casually while Rosalina exited the building behind him, her gaze lightly ghosted white and disgusted at the sheer amount of blood and guts scattering the area. As she tip toed passed the cluster of gore, Ryden eyed the woman before holstering _Cerberus_ ;his gaze slightly confused by the expression displayed by Rosalina. It wasn't as if she was unaware at just how violent she herself was to her victims – like fire (at high temperatures) could easily melt skin from bone – so her disgust was honestly odd to digest, unless she never actually looked at the people she killed.

"What?" he asked, completely uncaring to the two – correction; _three –_ pools of blood surrounding him

Rosalina hesitated for a moment, her emotions mixed between awed and slightly disgusted. "Uhh... that was... brutal—not how I would have done it, but... nice?" she hesitantly commented.

Ryden felt like questioning the woman's words but dropped the notion and simply beamed at her glowingly. "Thanks! It's best to be as resourceful whenever possible. Now, how about we hop on over to Rivia before I collapse on your boobs again?" he asked quickly, uncaring of the reaction received.

"Eh?" came Rosalina's confused reply.

Ryden merely shook his head quickly to flake off the encroaching fatigue while _Fulgur_ internally snickered at his choice of words. "Sorry... that just kinda slipped out"

 _ **Sure it did...**_

 _Shut it_

Ryden rubbed the bridge of his nose in moderate embarrassment before firing a single shot to his flank without looking; dropping a fast approaching inquisitor with a nasty close ranged blast of demonic energy that ripped the devils torso completely open.

Ryden casually side stepped the rushing body as it slide to a halt at Rosalina's feet – dead – before the woman in question suddenly swung her sword at two more inquisitors that came at her from the right. _Ira flamma_ ignited briefly before firing a condensed wave of fire towards the two that easily parted the devils upon contact; both dicing the devils into two AND ignited them into bright orange flame.

Ryden was mildly confused by how Rosalina managed to use both white flame and regular flame but he merely filed away the reason as to the famous saying "Not even in her final form" as to the final reason... seemed obvious enough. If he was being totally honest with himself, Rosalina was probably being incredibly courteous for not using the hottest flame humanly possible...

That would be uncomfortable...

Ryden shook his head again – fatigue reasons – before mildly frowning to himself upon seeing the state of the compound around him, and the flames that caked the majority of the buildings and bungalows in the area – as well as the few remaining watch towers that framed the left side of the compound. Previously; before the main counter force could arrive, Rosalina had devised a contingency plan that would force the attacking forces into a narrow passage.

The plan was – as it was oh so simply put – was to use her flames to ignite the ruins on the right side of the compound – effectively narrow down the enemy's area of operation – and then do the same to the other half closer to the Zagan forest; cut off the enemies secondary route of entry with a wall of extremely hot fire.

Good in theory... but it didn't factor in the natural chaotic nature that made what fire what it was...

But in any case, the plan had worked – like _really_ well... too well – as the entire left half of the compound was entirely in flames as well as a small percentage of the right half. But the wall was up however, but unfortunately a small – or rather a large – platoon of inquisitors had entered in before the flames could close off the rear entrance to the compound; leaving both himself and Rosalina to fend off the small wave while Rivia held the monolith position all on her lonesome.

Ryden hoped she wasn't getting sleepy...

For a period of ten minutes – or longer – both he and Rosalina held position at the front entrance to a barracks on the right side of the compound all the while dropping more bodies then Germany dropped in Stalingrad, while at the same time sweating like a hooker in church when the flames raced up to their position from their side of the compound; consuming cover and buildings alike without acknowledgement to friend and foe... good times – especially when _Fulgur_ chose to inform him of Rosalina's attire and its current ragged and wet state.

The flames got mildly hotter at that point and he wondered if Rosalina had been the cause of it... he didn't ask.

By then the chaotic nature that made up fire consumed a vast majority of the rear entrance way; But thankfully Rosalina had come up with a fall back point encase her self-made flames became _naturally_ created flames – apparently there was a difference. The fall back point was an area located much closer to the monoliths position; close to the base of the plateau, and directly there was a self-made gully that was wide enough to keep the slowly encroaching flames from passing over to the location that held the monolith.

Wouldn't want that set ablaze...

In any case, they had their fall back point; and Ryden was beginning to wonder if Rivia was having about as an exciting time as he and Rosalina were having...

Any one way to find out...

* * *

Rivia waved her hand swiftly – engulfing a volley of bolts mid flight – before she redirected them back at the sender with the same rift; carpet bombing the crater that had fired them brutally. Her eyes briefly spotted a red mist within but she merely shifted her attention elsewhere without a sign of thrill to be had.

Directly afterwards, a second volley came plummeting down to her position and all she did was repeat her previous action over and over again with every pathetic assault onto her position.

It had been twenty minutes?

Rivia's brow furrowed deeply when she didn't truly know how long it had – just as she repeated the same action as before. She'd played this trivial game with the enemy force for a while now, with not a single change to enemy patterns and she was truly beginning to lose her patience.

It was a rare feeling for her to have especially in combat; but most of her restlessness could be due in part to Ryden's lack of presence around her. Even though she'd come to terms with the man's impervious nature and extreme survivibility, she still worried over his mental status which was solidified by Rosalina's continued worry as well.

The man was lethargic and seemed to have lapses in awareness and focus from time to time; leading to easily avoidable hits and tactically stupid manoeuvres. While she may not fear for the man's life anymore, the same could not be said for his weapon; because if they lost the _Infernum Armis_ then not only would they lose a legendary weapon capable of mass destruction, but they'd also lose Ryden as the weapon itself was keeping him awake.

She did possess faith however – as much as she loathed the word itself – she did believe Ryden to still possess the power needed for them to survive the coming onslaught, but that didn't mean they weren't gonna baby sit the man the whole time.

Two times already he'd passed out – possibly three times – and neither herself or Rosalina would let it happen without one of them to be there to protect him while he got himself back into action. All the enemy needed was a second and they could swoop in an take the weapon from him and that was not an opportunity they could afford to allow.

Rivia's expression shifted moderately from contemplative to annoyed when she identified three inquisitors break cover from their craters and rush forward towards her across the dirt road; The three were fast but it wasn't something that bothered her to a degree because she knew what they were planning.

Her eyes ignored the rushing devils and easily spotted the three artillery bolts that had been fired directly after the inquisitors had broken rank and rushed her. Obviously they were trying to split her attention to four different assailants, yet she couldn't honestly believe they that this would be an optimal strategy.

Were they even paying attention to what she'd been doing this whole time?

Rivia shook her head and grumbled internal before she swiped her left hand to the side – absorbing the artillery bolts before they even come into acknowledgeable range – and then engaged the three devils attacking her with a different form of strategy... she engaged without actually engaging.

She could have her fun when she wanted...

The first devil to reach her range suddenly vanished into a rift while the second devil's head completely exploded when Rivia summoned a rift directly in front of his face and released a fraction of the power she'd absorbed in the battle at hand.

With the second devils corpse laying dead and the first inquisitor completely MIA; the third inquisitor grew immediately fearful when he noticed cold expression on the woman's face as he approached her. At that point his training vanished and his fear took over his instinct, causing him to swing forward without thinking. The devil swung downward harshly before his head suddenly split in half... courtesy of his own swing that had come from a rift directly behind him.

Rivia darkly admired her own kill – or was it the inquisitors? – Before she closed the rift and side stepped the devils collapsing body. Smirking to herself, Rivia causally snapped her finger's and watched bemusedly as the first inquisitor suddenly appeared from a rift in front of her, confused beyond the term.

"What?" he asked in confusion before he noticed the two corpses at his feet.

Upon the devils emergence, Rivia spotted several sigils appear at the far end of the compound – directly where most of the enemy forces were situated – aimed at her position. Calmly, Rivia swiped her hand to the side; summoning multiple rifts that released the pent up energy from the previously fired artillery bolts.

 **BOOM!**

 **BOOM!**

 **BOOM!**

A serious of explosions erupted from the enemy's position, staunching the obvious suppression fire with their own artillery bolts. Rivia rolled her eyes at the enemy's efforts, having already assumed they were trying to lull her into a false sense of security. Considering the amount of lost lives in the endeavor to reach that point; it was honestly a wasted effort.

They really thought of her as an idiot... how old did they think she was? New born!?

A magic sigil appeared in Rivia's right palm before she pointed at the lone inquisitor in front of her. "Vanish" commanded the female devil before releasing a blast of annihilation at the terrified devil; deleting the man's head in an instant.

Rivia sighed to herself as the body crashed to the floor, her eyes lightly regarding the plume of dust and debris from her counter bombardment with a dissatisfied glower. Surprisingly she'd felt a mild jolt in her blood stream but otherwise the Old-Satan's were still as predictable as ever; not once actually out smarting her.

Come to think of it, the only reason she lost before was strictly because the enemy swarmed her completely – buried her under a mass of corpses and live knights alike. Her loss was mostly because of large numbers then any kind of strategic play; and because they didn't have the thousands they had before – merely a fraction of it – it made combat a lot more _slow_ then it had been that fateful day.

The Old-Satan's possessed artillery but it was fruitless against her when all that was needed to counter it was a wave of her hand. At first she thought the Old-Satan's had realized the complete uselessness of it after the first twenty attempts but so far they were tenacious in their efforts; all the way to even throwing bodies at her in order to try and distract her.

With the enemy's position at the base of the second ridge completely destroyed – she hoped – it made her situation all the more quite. Even with the fire wall raging at her left – courtesy of Rosalina – the area was much to quite for her taste.

Obviously the Old-Satan's were mount some kind of opportune strike, and it most like had something to do with the three high class signatures just looming over the far ridge top. While not in complete eye sight, Rivia could still sense the presence of three high-class devils somewhere at the top of the ridge and she could only recognize one of them.

With her own abilities, Rivia could distinguish the individual by a few measures of senses; the three being, sound, smell and taste. Odd way to detect approaching targets but the reality was as such and Rivia had mastered her senses over the course of 4000 years. In those years, Rivia had managed to distinguish the majority of the 72 deil families with a single notable trait that carried on for generations.

Rivia closed her eyes gently and sniffed the air elegantly before lightly licking her lips slowly – _smell and taste_. The targeted scent was neutral and bland, almost flaking and old; while the taste was like that of copper... of blood.

 _Bathin... but... it was the eldest son?_

Rivia's brow raised slowly at the signature, her eyes blinking in confusion when she identified the eldest son within the noble family Bathin. Her knowledge of the man was limited but she did know of the man's preferred field of profession.

Full name Fimaris Bathin; Fimaris was the eldest son within the Bathin family – having only one sibling named Gloria – and is a gleaming figure of combat proficiency amongst the enemy forces; specially task with recruit training and live combat drill instruction. His age marked him to be close to half Sirzechs' age – close to Serafall Sitri if anything – and his skill with a war hammer was profound enough to even warrant caution from ultimate-class devils.

But the most important thing to think about was... _Why was he here?_

Rivia's brow narrowed dangerously as she looked into the two other signatures but they didn't correlate with anyone she was familiar with, which left out the possibility of there being three pure blood nobles closing in on them. A relief to be sure but it was still a worthwhile warning; Fimaris was no laughing matter and the fact he was here and NOT some place deep behind enemy lines meant whatever he was doing, it was more personal then business.

Then she remembered something...

Back when she'd visited the _devil Whore_ lady Stolas, she also happened to see a few familiar names on the enemy casualty list that had been given to her back in the morgue room. The names _Vringr Marchosias, Lady Stolas_ – true name still unknown for some reason – and _Lady_ _Gloria Bathin_ were registered down on the casualty list followed by a couple dozen mid-class inquisitors.

So that was the reason... Rivia was far from surprised at finding out Gloria Bathin had bit the dust; as the woman wasn't exactly good at making friends – more like enemy's – as almost every comment from her mouth regarding the Anti-Satan 'doctrine' was so callus and vulgar, so over the top in its brutal vulgarity; even she had found herself fantasizing the woman's brutal death... most of it being particularly violent.

However, even with Gloria's nature to piss off half of the Underworld – if not all of it for that matter – there were still a small total of individuals that considered Gloria to be someone worth loving. The first name that came to mind was Vringr Marchosias – the third son in the Marchosias family – as the two had been engaged prior to Rivia's 'inconvenient' capture.

To make a long story short; they were made for each other... while Gloria possessed uncanny skill in the vocal department and a deep connection to _bitchonomics,_ Vringr possessed a degree of bloodlust and violence that commitment Gloria's vulgar nature to a T. Whenever Gloria opened her mouth, Vringr wasn't too far away to shut up any would be counters and fulfill any twisted requests with disturbing glee.

Rivia was glad both stains were whipped from devil history, many innocent devils had died to the duo and she knew no one but Gloria's closest would mourn for them... which led to the second person closest to her.

surprisingly it was Fimaris Bathin... Gloria's family wasn't particularly close and for good enough reason. Gloria Bathin was a failure in most regards, power and intelligence – even though she knew how to talk a good game – Gloria didn't actually possess the academic skill to prove for the family income nor the militaristic power to lead an army. So what's a black hearted mother to do with such a worthless and weak offspring?

Easy... spread her legs to every noble in the room.

 _Old-Satan's really put the 'Old' in their name..._

Gloria was lucky the first _dog_ to _mount_ the opportunity was Vringr... the second was Fimaris; her own elder brother out of some kind of protection scheme or something. Rivia didn't bother trying to figure out what went through the Old-Satan's heads; most of it would probably be garbled perversion or murderous mumbling most likely...

 _Did she forget to mention the 'Old' part yet? Yeah that mostly implied a shit load of incest... eeeewwww_

Anyway...Fimaris was a strong devil that held great resentment to his mother; mostly because she raped him at a young age in order to 'strengthen his masculinity' and even forced him to have sexual intercourse with his younger sister; all the while living with the knowledge that she had killed his father for the head position in the Bathin family... yeaah, she's a real sweetheart. Fimaris had his revenge several decades later when he did 'you know what' to his mother – for... reasons – and then claimed prime ownership of the Bathin family house by _right of dominance_ ; leaving the former Lordess of the Bathin family to take up position within the Ars Geotia government... with a raw ass.

Lotta love in that family...

Well in the end, Fimaris and Gloria shared a deep connection of resentment towards their mother and for some reason the connection bonded a form of romance that Rivia couldn't honestly rehash without a heavy amount of alcohol within arm's reach.

Rivia knew the Bathin house was a prime example of the old times and for good reason...

Rivia shook her head – roughly in order to flush her thoughts clean – before she eyed the ridge area with a concealed ferocity. With Gloria dead, Fimaris was probably out for revenge and she knew the one responsible... Casually, Rivia glanced over to her left just as the man in question came into her field of view.

If it was any other time, the man's arrival would slightly brighten her mood; yet at the moment, Ryden's presence caused a deep sense of foreboding within her when just as he and Rosalina came rushing up to her position, a sudden rise in demonic energy soon followed.

Ryden paused in his advance towards Rivia; the woman having casually situated herself perfectly at the front entrance to the monoliths control bungalow – his gaze noting the pristine state of it – and immediately twisted around to gaze at the top of the ridge across from them... the one they'd been on prior to taking the monolith compound.

"Rivia... what am I sensing" asked the man as Rosalina took up position to Ryden's left side; her own gaze locked onto the ridge while her sword lightly ignited.

Rivia didn't waste time in answering, her tone dead serious and resolute. "Fimaris Bathin... Gloria Bathin's Older brother and second betrothed; that is _who_ you are sensing" replied the elder devil, shocking Rosalina deeply

"What?! You are certain?" asked the younger blonde, her skin slowly beginning to sweat out of nervousness

Rivia just glanced to Rosalina and held a steady look; a look that answered the woman's unnerved question. Rosalina swallowed deeply at Rivia's un-voiced response before she looked back up to the ridge only to see the man in question.

He was a sturdy built devil, lean and muscular with zero signs of fat. His armor – designed closely to that of a dark knight with jagged plates of onyx black metal – gleamed menacingly against the fake sun that created a perfect silhouette that heightened the devils imposing stature. The soft winds gently set aloft the devils large cape momentarily before the devil suddenly leapt from the edge of the ridge and violently descended to the ground below.

As Ryden slowly suspected the new comer to perform a generic 'superhero landing', the devil suddenly extended out ten black wings – massive and ivory in color – that suddenly froze the devils descent just before he could slam into the ground. With the sudden stopping of his fall, a powerful gust of wind erupted outward from a single flap of his wings; however neither of the three made a move to acknowledge the mild flux in wind pressure.

Ryden was honestly taken back by the devils entrance however his mind suddenly slammed its breaks when he realized something...

"Wait a bloody second..." he said in revelation before his head whipped around to look a dead serious Rivia in the eye. "...Did you say this guy was betrothed to his own sister?!" asked Ryden in morbid confusion.

Rivia glanced over to Ryden – mildly having heard the devils out of topic question – and merely gave the man a 'are you serious' look, which Ryden merely gestured for her elaborate... that's not something you just say and forget!

Rivia merely held an extremely confused expression directed to the man that honestly didn't seem to be aware of the danger they were in, yet before she could speak her response; Fimaris did so in her place...

"and what of it, warm?" asked the man as he gently landed, his tone condescending yet slightly agitated.

Ryden glanced to the man before blinking. "oh he's got generic insults; wonderful... always nice to find someone with a little 'creativity'... don't stain yourself bud" Ryden verbally countered as he waved teasingly to the black knight.

If he was looking hard enough, Ryden could make out a slight twitch to the man's eyes just under his Spartan styled helmet... a perfect give away, the guy was angry.

Ryden merely smirked at the sight of the man's slight annoyance before he elaborated to his previous question; now directing the personal question directly to the new arrival. "anyways, I just wanted clarifications... are you betrothed to your own sister?" he asked casually with a hint of disgust.

Fimaris breathed in deeply before replying. "I was, but I see no reason to hold this type of conversation with an ant whose death awaits him at the blunt end of my—"

"Woah-woah-woah! Your getting a little long winded there; you could've just said 'Don't care, come at me' and be done with it!" Ryden interrupted scoldingly before he pressing on. "But of course ya gotta water board us with your profanity and cringy insults... what next? You gonna threaten to rail her when you kill me?" Ryden questioned casually all the while gesturing to Rosalina; the woman quickly tensing violently at the man's words.

Ryden apologetically shrugged at Rosalina off handily before he regarded the calmly studying Fimaris. The black knight merely staring at him coldly before speaking...

"Are you even trying to take me seriously? I would warn you that I have killed far more focused opponents then the likes of you, _Jester_ " he threateningly replied before a hammer suddenly fell from the man's right hand; the large rectangular metal block that made up the head of the war hammer slammed hard into the ground, causing an actual tremor to shake the ground below.

Ryden blink in interest before his own weapon stabbed directly into the ground before him. Nameless bearing itself present before the obvious threat.

 _ **So you plan on using that instead of me? Color me disappointed...**_

Ryden smirked playfully at the swords comment.

 _Remember what I said about training Fulgur... using you would be too easy, so why don't you just focus on keep me awake_

 _ **Fine, but next time I want in on the action!**_

 _How 'bout I give you the kill shot? Maybe bathing in some blood will calm that angst of yours_

 _ **You got my attention...**_

 _Thought so..._

With his little conversation done away with, Ryden casually walking forward; slightly shocking the two female devils framing him. Rosalina appeared shell shocked at his headstrong action while Rivia seemed almost ready to yank the devil back; yet Ryden escaped their range long before they could act. As if sensing the two's worry, Ryden merely waved over his shoulder casually in order to ease the two's nerves just slightly as his body was coated with a constant shroud of crimson lightning; courtesy of _Fulgur_.

Seeing Ryden's approach, Fimaris slowly grew restless as his target approached him with an oddly large swordspear. "Oh? Your approaching me? Even when your colleagues seem so nervous?"

As Ryden approached, a small smirk rose to his lips until it suddenly dropped down to a much more serious expression.

 _He never failed to recognize an opportunity..._

"I can't beat the shit out of you without getting closer..." he retorted confidently, all the while dragging nameless along the ground beside him.

"Ho oh? Then come as close as you like..." beamed the dark knight as he also approached with his weapon low; his blackened armor groaning with each step forward.

It was hard, very hard for Ryden to not want to crack a shit eating grin at the man's follow up reply. So in order to distract him from the perfect moment, Ryden calmly glanced up towards the ridge line and the other end of the compound – directly across from him – and spotted a moderate collection of casters lining the edge of the ridge; calm and standing by. And directly behind the imposing devil came a firing squad of casters, elite-guards and knight-class inquisitors alike; each of them remaining back, just like the casters above them.

By the simple fact they haven't attacked yet meant the little confrontation he was having with this Fimaris Bathin was more of an honor fight then anything like a typical western standoff. All throughout history wars told of conflicts waging on single combat; general vs. general... well not exactly, but most cultures lived by a form of code when combat was prevalent in their history, often having heavy influences on daily lives.

Most common was the dark ages and the knights that thrived within; and the eastern countries, where the likes of samurai were the most honored of statuses among the society.

It was no surprise that devils harbored a close relation to this custom – maybe even being the progenitors of the habit itself – but with an otherwise more 'brutal' approach than any other society ever conceived.

Ryden didn't know what was at stake – other than his own life obviously, if that was ever an issue – or if there was a type of honor code implied with his acceptance of the devils challenge; like if he was given the choice to spare the life of his enemy or outright kill him... either way, the most default approach would most easily be 'till the death'

Kinda fit the devils motto...

Ryden only had one question to ask...

"So..." Ryden began while stabbing his swordspear roughly into the ground at his feet. "...You mind I ask why you've chosen _me_ to be your opponent? It's kinda hard to ignore when all you've ever looked at to this point has been me" he asked with moderate confusion.

Rivia felt herself lightly shake her head at Ryden's conduct, while Rosalina merely swallowed at Ryden's continued barbs. It wasn't hard for either of them to notice Ryden's ploy, yet not one of them seemed to consider it a viable strategy at the moment... however neither of them voiced that opinion.

Ryden lightly watched Fimaris' gaze from with the gaps of his Y shaped helm and quickly noted the devils agitation. By slowly opening his mouth and popping his ears, Ryden easily focused his enhanced hearing entirely onto the devil in front of him.

 _ **Seems like your making head way... that's several beats faster than before**_

 _Indeed... this Fimaris fellow seems to possess an irritable personality, or perhaps possesses an underline degree of anger for me; either way, pissing him off should help me loosen his defenses enough, but I also should consider the possibility of him getting stronger when enraged..._

 _ **No devil possess complete control over his emotions... especially rage; even if he gains some form of increased speed or strength, its only because he's pushing himself far harder than before, AND because he completely disregarded hesitance and doubt... best way to avoid someone without mercy and care is to simply outsmart them and stay focused on possible patterns**_

 _You gonna be my teacher now?_

 _ **Maybe, I AM a sword after all... got a few tips for the trade**_

Ryden hummed at the swords info before his gaze locked onto a moderately restrained Fimaris. Unbeknownst to him, but Fimaris had slowly lost a marginal fraction of his control when the man's ignorance had finally graced him.

It was one thing to receive attitude from the enemy, but another to receive attitude from an ignorant man completely unaware of his sin...

 _Safe to say the devil didn't appreciate Ryden's ignorance_

"You honestly don't know? You have no idea of the reason I have at being here?" asked Fimaris as his temper idly sidled to frustration.

Ryden shook his head calmly at the question, a moderate look of apology scrapping along his features as he scratched his cheek. Now that he thought on it, Fimaris hadn't exactly acknowledged _Fulgur_ so his intention – solidified by his clear rising anger – suggested his presence was more personal then business.

That was the most obvious reason now that he thought deeper on it... he must've killed someone the man knew...

He cleared his throat silently before he looked Fimaris directly head on. "For the record, none of your men introduced themselves to me prior to attacking, and none of them lived long enough to voice their name; so I don't exactly know who it is your avenging..." Ryden said before flexing his hands readily. "Apologies, I usually consider introduction before swinging" added the disguised human.

The dark knight merely peered at him calmly, yet his agitation was still very much clear. Ryden suspected the man to be normally patient and calm; as the devil did possess the stature of a veteran fighter and the gaze of a hardened killer, yet the look in his eyes now contradicted that assessment. The slight clenching of his hands showed Ryden that the man was close to breaking his usual character.

"If that is your natural conduct; then would you do me the honor of introducing yourself?" asked the noble devil as his posture slightly shifted favorably to his right leg... an action easily noticed by Ryden.

Ryden merely raised his brow at him pointedly; ignoring the man's slight change in stance before speaking with a knowing smirk. "I think you know who I am..." he countered before pointing at the knight lazily. "I did state before that your gaze has been on me this whole time; perhaps that agitation of yours has clouded your memory..."

The large knight slightly expressed frustration at a lost chance at a cheap shot – something both Rosalina and Rivia had noticed along with Ryden – and because of his lost chance, the devil now stood on an unfavorable leg defense wise; his balance completely uneven. Fimaris knew he couldn't move or correct himself or his ploy would be noticed easily, and merely remained where he was. The possibility of a second chance could still present itself later so Fimaris gambled on this before replying.

His gaze hardened like steel and his hands slightly loosened when his memory slowly flooded his mind; causing a slight grin to stretch across his lined and concealed lips. "It would seem you have read me well... I do know who you are" revealed the large knight.

Ryden lightly exhaled a sigh before dropping a question mixed with slight annoyance. "And how did you figure that out?"

"Someone on high let a bit of information trickle down the vine, she spoke of the one who killed my sister... does that answer your question, _Lord Ryden?"_

Two things stuck out in the man's reply... the first hint was the man's knowledge of his name, and the second hint...

 _There was only one person that knew his name... and that person was the only one to know of his deeds in the crucible_

Ryden's eyes hardened – steeled over harshly – all the while slightly lowering from his gaze with Fimaris; his previously playful attitude slowly corroding down to a dull monotonous glare that bore into the earth at Fimaris' feet.

The devils second chance presented itself right then!

His right leg flexed hard – cracking the ground at the sudden rise of demonic pressure – before his right hand clenched tightly around the handle of his war hammer. Fimaris' muscles tightened like iron, bulging under his obsidian armor before he used all of his strength to swing his usually two handed war hammer directly at the lowered head of his sisters killer; his intention to remove the man's head with one swing completely clear to all on lookers.

Rivia and Rosalina rose slightly in deep worry when Ryden remained motionless even when Fimaris' tremor inducing hammer closed in on him...

 _But their worry was shattered a second after..._

 _ **BOOOM!**_

With unnatural speed – the likes of which no devil could replicate – Ryden's left hand shot up and intercepted the oncoming hammer with his bare hand; stopping it dead in its tracks. With the sudden halt of the hammer, a loud and powerful shockwave exploded from point of impact; causing all present – even Rivia and Rosalina – to feel the wave deeply, with only the latter two remaining completely unaffected.

Fimaris stood frozen in place, his surprised gaze locked with a calmly glaring Ryden; the man's eyes boring deep crimson holes directly into his own black eyes, all the while keeping the his hammer clenched tightly in vice grip.

"Did you say ' _she_ '?" Ryden asked coldly, his hands clenching hard against the man's hammer; enticing a moderately audible metallic groan.

Fimaris couldn't believe his ears and his eyes when he spotted the man's left hand actually _warp_ his hammer just slightly; yet the sight was still something to believe. Quickly, with a very slowly rise in fear, Fimaris eyed Ryden hard. "What's it to you?" he asked with a wavering resolve.

Ryden merely tightened both his hold and his gaze; idly noting the devils slight decline in hostility. "Don't start bitching out on me now, if all I have to do to get you nervous is squeeze a hammer, then you're just wasting my time..."

Fimaris clenched his teeth at the words spoken, frustration mounting before his resolve quickly solidified back to before, giving him the strength to rip his weapon free from Ryden's clenched hand. "Don't mock me _imp!_ " yelled Fimaris before he collected himself and launched forward. "The death of my sister will be avenged here! Ready yourself scum!"

Ryden casually held his gaze at the noble while Rivia and Rosalina slowly grew restless when the numbering casters positioned along the ridge summoned multiple casting sigils. Directly below, the dozens of knights and elite guards readied themselves for a charge; but just before all hell could break loose, Fimaris held up his fist with a growl.

"Hold your fire whelps, this one's mine and mine alone—anyone touch him and I'll line you up for target practice" he seethed threateningly, staunching all activity on his end.

Ryden huffed humorously at the man's sudden spike in heart rate before he pulled _nameless_ from the ground in front of him. Readying it at his right side just as he'd done so against Sirzechs, Ryden locked eyes with Fimaris just before the devil vanished from his spot across from him.

Ryden tensed harshly at the sudden development before he dropped low into a two handed grip and swung to the right.

 _ **CLANG! BOOOM!**_

Just like before, a massive shockwave rocked the area like a gale force wind except it was followed closely by a sharp metallic clang.

Ryden eyed Fimaris before he advanced his own strike. Swiping the devils hammer to the side and out of the way; he quickly drove a knee into the devils side. However, instead of turning the devils legs to jelly from the liver shot; Fimaris' armor seemed to ripple with a faint green light before subsiding.

"Hmm..." hummed Ryden before he dropped to the defensive and ducked under the dark knight's retaliatory swing. Seeing a second opening, Ryden went to drive his blade into the devils unprotected side but immediately dropped into a barrel roll when the man followed his swings momentum and propelled his leg in for a mid kick.

Recovering from his roll, Ryden quickly blocked Fimaris' downward swing with the shaft of his swordspear...

Again, a loud metallic clang and aftershock ripped out from the point of impact and this time, Ryden's form cratered the ground beneath him when all of his opponent's weight accentuated the downward swing.

With his arms preoccupied, Fimaris quickly drove a strong kick into Ryden's right side; sending the devil a few feet away and into a recovering roll. Breathing at the impact, Ryden quickly recovered and stood up quickly in order to prepare for the dark knights charge which came almost seconds after he twisted around to acknowledge it.

Heavy foot falls echoed out from the large noble knight's charge, each step cracking the ground beneath him all the while causing ripples of green light to waiver along the devils greaves.

 _Another feature Ryden acknowledged_

Ryden could see the devil was not giving him time to breath or collect himself, yet Fimaris would be disappointed to know that even if Ryden was on the defensive; his mind was still working perfectly well.

Just in the small trade of theirs, Ryden could already tell there was a synergy between the devils hammer and his bulky armor. With each step the devils armor shown emerald for just a moment before fading, even impact based strikes created the ripple like effect he'd seen upon striking the devils ribs without any sign of damage.

Somehow the devils armor was absorbing every form of kinetic energy available; be it footsteps or strikes and somehow redirecting it back at him through his hammer, as noted by the tremor and concussive force the weapon emitted.

Because of this, his swordspear – and his _tactile telekinesis_ to the blades cutting edge – wasn't capable of cutting the devils weapon like it should of been – a mild surprise to be sure when he blocked the man's first strike – and this was mainly because the hammer was firing kinetic energy directly back at the point of impact. Normally nothing rises to counter a cutting point, as the cutting points kinetic force is so narrow and small, but in this case the weapon was protected by its own offensive capability via concussive blasts... and because Fimaris' armor continuously fueled the weapons power by absorbing every source of kinetic energy available, it continuously possessed the power to counter him.

 _Something was wrong though..._

Ryden ducked under the devils horizontal swing once it finally arrived and sporadically twisted around and slammed his swordspear directly down at the defenceless devil with a pummel grip, but Fimaris predicted the swing and blocked it with the shaft of his hammer; creating another loud and powerful shockwave like before.

Ryden slide along the ground momentarily before halting, his expression grim.

What were the odds of meeting a devil with kinetic absorption? A devil that both possesses knowledge of his name and apparent sin? He knew the answer to that question simply enough and bared his hands into fists when it all began to make more sense.

The devil had been informed by _Grayfia,_ briefed on his power and abilities and outfitted with armor that countered his strength completely. THAT was how he knew of him; Grayfia had been the only one to have known of his involvement with the crucible and the events within because he had told her himself!

She was trying to kill him by using the man's thirst for vengeance as a weapon...

 _ **Bold of her to assume it would be so easy...**_

Ryden acknowledged _Fulgur's_ growled comment with a light huff of amusement before noticing Fimaris hadn't pressed him and spoke up in question. "What's up big guy? You getting tired?" he asked casually; his breath not even haggard by their small skirmish.

Fimaris merely glanced to him before huffing angrily. "I'm more bored then tired" he countered with clear frustration.

Ryden lightly laughed before pointing his swordspear at the man. "Careful now, insulting me only insults that dead sister of yours... see I'm trying my best to not mock the dead and a grieving sibling, but your making it hard to pick here"

"Be silent maggot!" snapped the man before he pointed his own weapon at Ryden. "You possess no right to speak of my sister"

Ryden shrugged with a playful grin on his face. "Well to be fair I really don't have any idea WHO your sister is sooo..."

Fimaris' nose flared at the man's comment before his form shot directly towards Ryden in a violent charge, his voice trailing off in a long growl which forced a mildly surprised expression to spread across Ryden's face.

Just as Ryden's blade made contact with Fimaris' hammer, Rosalina's expression shifted into deep seriousness when she slowly downloaded the situation at hand. From the positions above the ridge line in front of them, enemy forces possessed substantial ground in order to completely blanket their location in bolter fire; while directly below them was a large collection of inquisitors waiting to charge towards them and finish them encase the rain of fire didn't completely shred their location.

If it wasn't as bad before then it was now even worse...

With Ryden preoccupied with his one on one fight with Fimaris – a combat expert and possible _general_ in the Old-Satan forces – their chance of survival was rendered to almost zero with only her own regenerative powers as her saving grace. What kept them alive however, was Ryden's continued engagement with Fimaris in one on one; and it was clear enough that Fimaris himself desired no interference, yet Rosalina AND Rivia knew that could change the moment Fimaris lost the upper hand.

In any case, the continuation of the fight was all that kept them present and not at the 'nonexistent' mercy of the Old-Satan's. Even if Rosalina wanted to interfere, she knew that in doing so the enemy forces would merely open fire and completely overwhelm them...

So it all rested on Ryden...

"He's learning..." Rivia commented with a light to her eye

Rosalina didn't say anything and merely watched Ryden the second after Rivia spoke. She watched as Ryden moved with great speed that matched Fimaris' own – maybe even superseding it – and watched as each clashed strike rippled with loud concussive force and kinetic energy.

Ryden's swordspear twirled violently in both hands – perfectly clanging off the man's weapon before being redirected back for a continued series of strikes – his offensive swings slamming hard against Fimaris' hammerhead and shaft, causing several loud explosions of kinetic force which dwindled with every successive strike before Fimaris hastily stomped his foot into the dirt behind him. Rosalina idly noted the green ripple of light at the man's greaves before Rivia pointed it out.

"Every step Fimaris takes creates that pulse of demonic pressure, and Ryden seems to have figured out what it was—do you notice the dwindling output of power in the devils weapon with each strike? It almost as if he's absorbing his own kinetic energy output"

Rosalina glanced to Rivia with a slightly stupefied expression. "Since when would Fimaris Bathin resort to using arcane augmentation?" she asked only to get a shrug of confusion from the older woman.

"since his sister was killed most likely... it's clear this fight is personal by the fact he knows Ryden's name without introduction; and that also means someone tipped him off—thus equipping him with the armor" Rivia theorized. "the Bathin family possesses moderate control of temporal matter and blood magic; yet none of those things can truly defeat Ryden with his impervious body"

"So you think hitting him with overwhelming kinetic force would do it?" Rosalina asked inquisitively yet Rivia quickly shook her head.

"Not me... whoever tipped Fimaris off on Ryden's capabilities and equipped him with the armor most likely possess a thin understanding of his abilities" Rivia drawled as she watched the two combatants moved rapidly in a flurry of loud clangs and shock waves. "Ryden took a heavy bolt to the head and survived; though he was rendered unconscious he still survived the blow without any kind of long term injuries. Whoever thought kinetic force would work obviously didn't test—or fully grasp—the success rate of it working against someone who tanked through six months of torture"

Rivia's hands clenched tightly at the mention of torture but her point was across and Rosalina understood after a second of downloading. Dwelling on the subject of Fimaris' armor for a moment; Rivia mulled over the armors inadequacy before she suddenly wondered what it would take to defeat kinetic absorption; a question that caused her eyes to narrow deeply in contemplation before rising into realization.

"I see you've realized the situation..." muttered Rivia as she watched Rosalina move through a variety of emotions before falling on her last expression.

Rosalina nodded. "I have..." she replied before turning to watch as Ryden and Fimaris continued their rapid skirmish. "if Ryden wants to win—or gain any kind of ground—against Fimaris, then he'll need to overload the armor's absorption... shatter the armor like glass"

"exactly..."

Ryden's lips slightly rose when his hearing picked up Rosalina's words before his mind dove into planning, all the while continuously batting away Fimaris' hammer with fluid twists and twirls of his swordspear – his form finally taking on a more aggressive approach to the situation.

As he kept himself up to Fimaris' speed, Ryden soon began thinking about his choice approach in overloading the devils armor. The idea wasn't as brilliant as one may think – from his time age anyway – as any form of solid material could only handle so much kinetic force before breaking, and Ryden knew Fimaris' armor was made from simple _Terranite_ metal and black iron; and not _Dragonite,_ as the material compound that made up _Dragonite_ was so very much different to what made nature metal due to its _'Bioarcanic'_ make up.

The strategy here was much easier to handle then dragonite; and the only thing Ryden needed to do was strike the devils armor in a single location multiple times without letting the man's hammer touch the ground, as the kinetic energy would be dispersed completely – forcing him to start over. The torso was the best location to strike mainly due to its coverage of the man's important organs; breaking it would be the easiest.

Solidifying his plan, Ryden hastily ducked under a horizontal swing and then rolled to right when the devils right leg rose to follow up the assault. Once the devils kick missed completely – leaving him totally unbalanced – Ryden slew foot the black knight, toppling the man to the ground with a violent clang and groan of metal.

Seeing an opportunity, Ryden quickly delivered a powerful left handed strike to the devils wide open abdomen and then immediately retreated; his actions effectively starting the devils kinetic absorption with a massive initial load. Fimaris growled at the force behind the strike before he rose to his feet without any sort of damage.

"Useless effort..." growled the clearly aggravated devil

Ryden merely smirked to the man. "Whatever you say..." he casually retorted all the while dropping into a rushing pose; his frame lowering to the ground, legs flexing hard.

If this was going to work, he needed to somehow separate the devils hammer from him – which could possibly cut off the devils only way of dispersing the kinetic energy. And the only way he was gonna do that, was through hand to hand combat. His swordspear was far too large for delicate striking – and because he hadn't trained very deeply in the weapons full range of potential, it left much to be desired with the weapon.

While the kinetic energy absorption was a boom for his experience growth, it didn't exactly allow for room to achieve victory. _Fulgur_ may possess the striking power to break kinetic force but he couldn't really be sure; and because he didn't train to deeply with swords for targeted striking.

 _Wing Chun_ and _Krav-Maga_ however was something he'd practiced religiously... self defense and disarming techniques being the main focus. Ryden didn't exactly get into many fights as a kid, but some of the company he did have at times gave off a threatening vibe, and _that_ gave birth to his parent's favorite quote...

" _better have something, rather than nothing..."_

who knew that training would be useful in hell?

 _ **Interesting... I'm interested in seeing what this style of yours can do**_

 _Don't hold to much expectation, while these skills may work on lesser intelligent opponents like Brinyalf; it may not be as effective against someone whose actually earned a name_

 _ **Maybe, but you possess far superior strength to your opponent AND greater speeds... reputation can only go so far, and skill can only reach so high before someone better shows up.**_

 _Hmmm... ya gotta point there_

 _ **Always do**_

 _Don't get ahead of yourself..._

 _Fulgur_ chuckled distantly before her presence entirely disappeared, leaving Ryden to stare at an annoyed Fimaris Bathin.

Surprisingly the devil was casually approaching him, his hammer lazily resting on the man's right shoulder and his gaze was held half lidded; appearing bored. "is this all you can do whelp? I'm beginning to think my sister was killed by cowardly means... no way someone like you could defeat her upfront"

Stabbing his swordspear into the ground at his side, Ryden lightly flexed his hands before a thought crossed his mind, causing him to look at Fimaris with a look of revelation. "ya know I think I'm starting to remember who your sister was... long black hair and Gold eyes? Was that your sister?" he asked, eyes narrowed in confusion.

The devil noble grumbled harshly but his reply was apparent enough for Ryden to have his confirmation. Pausing for a moment, Ryden clicked his tongue before correcting the man's previous assumption with a mild cringe. "Well I'd hate to destroy your assumption Fimaris Bathin but... she didn't give much of a fight, and I stared her head on" Ryden revealed.

"Really..." Fimaris growled in disbelief. "That is hard to believe... even if my sister possessed lackluster potential, she still would've been more than enough of a match for you"

"Considering how vehemently your defending her, I can only assume she was top... and you were bottom" teased Ryden before shivering to himself in disgust when the knowledge of their relation came back to mind.

Fimaris growled deeper than before, eyes blazing with mounting anger. "You annoy me..."

"Clearly... seems that armor can't protect that thin skin of yours from my minor words" Ryden pressed teasingly before he snapped his fingers after remembering even more points. "I forgot to elaborate actually... just before I met your sister, I killed someone that caused an emotional reaction from her; not sure if you'd know the guy but it was some idiot that used a hammer and a war axe... ring any bells"

The knight paused in his slow approach, his eyes suddenly widening at Ryden's pressed revilement and words; minor shock being most prevalent in his expression. "Vringr Marchosias... you killed him as well?" Ryden nodded hesitantly at the question which caused doubt to creep into his gaze. "that's not possible..." muttered the doubtful devil.

Ryden sighed deeply in response, his arms hand lightly sliding along the shaft of his swordspear before resting on the pommel. "You have a very difficult time accepting things don't you?" he questioned before taking notice of Fimaris' posture and the completely wide opening stance it possessed.

There was an opportunity...

Ryden however smirked right before Fimaris could answer; his intentions on exploiting the devils stance taking priority over his desire to enrage the man. Keeping his gaze on the noble head, Ryden kept the guise of conversation all the while shifting his feet to the balls of his feet; prepping for a front charge.

"Believe me or not, once I killed this Vringr fellow; your sister seemed incredibly distraught and terrified... this was solidified when I massacred her military escort quite brutally I must say – I got a few issue of my own – but anyway, your sister didn't rise to challenge me and I didn't feel like killing a cowering opponent so I told her to warn her leaders – ' _masters'_ was what I said – and let her run off without a scratch... unfortunately we met again when I went to approach her after killing lady Stolas and the military presence in the crucible; sad to say, but she was completely broken at that point and went to detonate the _Ruina imperium_ prematurely, forcing me to strike her down with a merciful decapitation"

Fimaris stood by calmly – if you could count shaking as calm – before his eyes flared brightly in anger. "You speak lies! Dribble! You besmirch her honor before me presence! I'll have your head!" roared the devils readily, yet his posture only tensed; not shifted into a more ready pose.

Ryden rolled his eyes – accentuating the mocking expression for distraction – all the while leaning far more on the balls of his feet. "If you don't believe me, then ask Euclid lucifuge—he was there, find your answer with him... if you survive that is" Ryden warned

Fimaris' right eye twitched at the warning, his own pride slowly enveloping his tone. "Arrogance... any attacks from you are useless, futile desperation and squabbles to the inevitable—I will make you beg before ending your life, maybe even force you to watch as my men—"

 _ **Wait for it...**_

 _Wait for it..._

"—violate those whores you protect!" finished Fimaris brazenly, forcing a completely revolted look from both Rosalina and Rivia.

Ryden however...

"There it is! I was waiting for that..." Ryden casually observed with a bored expression dotting his features; stunning both Rosalina and Rivia by the casualness Ryden had towards the despicable. However, a second after Ryden's eyes dilated; a fierceness unlike before invading his expression darkly which directed itself entirely onto Fimaris, pausing the devils thoughts instantly. "Do you have any idea how easy I have been taking it easy on you? How truly trivial this actually all is?" Ryden pressed questioningly, yet his tone reflected no ounce of care to an answer; as his words spoke of a truth that only he knew of...

Ryden's eyes bore deeply into Fimaris' enraged gaze, a confidence soon radiating into a clashing fortitude between two beings. Yet Ryden's prior words spoke of an imbalance...

 _Fulgur... amp up the power output, I'm gonna go hard for a minute..._

 _ **Oh? did the insect strike a nerve?**_

 _No..._

 _ **Heh... whatever you desire master...**_

The crimson sparks that had coated Ryden's form slowly increased in output, writhing into angry tendrils and then into violent arcs and swathes of pure crimson lightning and energy. Enveloping Ryden's form completely, the sudden increase in demonic pressure created a deeply disturbing image of a man bathed in crimson fire and lightning; his image accentuated by the flaming backdrop behind him, which creating a horrifying silhouette of what looked like a _**demon**_ trudging through hellfire itself.

 _The man's presences... suddenly became_ _ **tyrannical**_

Rosalina slowly glanced to a enraptured Rivia – her own gaze having a hard time looking away from the power that Ryden emitted – and soon realized the reason Rivia was so enraptured was due to the fact that the older devil hadn't truly seen Ryden's actual potential power – as evident by her previous nervousness for his potential and safety – yet all that could be seen in the woman's eyes now was reverence.

Rosalina couldn't honestly disagree with the feeling... it was one thing to see Ryden's display back at the crucible; back when she had watched the promising knight Valeria tank the full force of Ryden's attack. But she couldn't honestly feel the whole majority of the power he emitted back then, due to the magic dome that encircled the arena; protecting the onlookers from the pressure that most certainly bathed the whole arena completely.

Honestly, now that Rosalina could feel it... it wasn't something she could dismiss... especially after what had probably _caused_ Ryden to react in such a way.

A faint blush rose to her cheeks at the thought of Ryden stepping up to defend her; a mild sense of warmth rising up to her chest at feeling a genuine sense of safety from the man. His power, coupled with his kindness and possible sincerity wasn't something that Rosalina resented like usual.

It was possible, that in a rare moment of genuine glee; Rosalina couldn't feel a desire to distance herself from the feeling like she always had. back in her childhood, her mother always warned her that weakness could lead to a fate unbecoming of a woman such as herself; this was mainly due to the nature of devil kind in past times, well before the civil war broke out.

Back then – if a female showed weakness – her body would be the only thing redeeming of her weakened nature; often leading to horrible treatment from the stronger female populous and disgusting treatment from the strong male populous.

This knowledge obviously struck fear into her, and had driven Rosalina from loosening her acceptance of male partners and their character, in fear of revealing a fraction of weakness to them. This often lead her to over-analyze possible suitors and accentuate the few negatives that were found until nothing redeeming remained, leaving only a negative cloud on the suitor and an unapproachable memory.

Now... it was different...

 _As event by the man in front of them..._

Ryden stood poised where he was before his hands let go of his swordspear, the long metal weapon clanging hard against the ground before his bright crimson eyes regarded Fimaris deeply. Fimaris however bore a deeply angered expression, his gaze and posture rigid beyond belief.

"' _taking it easy on me'?_ _'trivial'?_ " requited the Bathin devil with a tensely aggravated expression, his veins along his neck and temple popping out accordingly to his now present rage. "Your arrogance baffles me _Gremory..._ I'm going to enjoy seeing the despair in—"

"—you spoke of uselessness before didn't you Fimaris?" Ryden interrupted with a calm voice, uncaring to the devils anger and comment, however his eyes soon locked down into a hard accusing stare. "You arrogantly proclaimed my power didn't possess the means to breach your armor... do you wish to stand by that theory?" Ryden asked calmly, underlining his challenge through casual question.

Fimaris lightly stared at Ryden before his gaze narrowed further into a demeaning glare. "Don't think yourself capable of breaching my defense _Gremory_ , even with this change it matters not what you can do" replied the noble devil warrior before his form stepped forward threateningly. "It's as I said before... _useless"_

A brow raised on Ryden's expression, his own doubt rising to contradict Fimaris' belief before he merely chose to show the fragility of his confidence via action.

"very well... allow me to show you—" Ryden's posture dipped low – legs flexing – all the while the demonic lightning surrounding him briefly flared sharply. "— _who is truly useless"_

 _ **CRASH!**_

Fimaris' eyes flared wide when Ryden's form suddenly vanish completely at the sound of a thunder clap, before the man in question appeared directly in front of him. "what?" Fimaris hastily question in shock just before he received a thunderous knee to the abdomen.

Ryden drove his right knee into Fimaris hard, all the while his hands reached out between the gap of Fimaris' right arm and head and grappled the devil into a hunched over position; both due to the force of his strike and the strength in which he applied to the devils neck with his right triceps.

With complete control, Ryden quickly hooked Fimaris' hammer under his left armpit and wrenched the weapon free from the devils grip just as he back peddled away.

Fimaris growled at the sudden assault and subsequent disarming, before the man quickly re-calibrated his strategy and charged Ryden; fully intent on spearing the devil down to the ground. However Ryden prepared for this and quickly caught Fimaris' charge by placing his hands on the devils trap muscle's and performed a perfect _Tomoe Nage_. The technique was like that of a _sacrifice throw_ by allowing yourself to fall to the floor with your opponent; however by placing the left or right foot at the opponent's hip – his center of gravity – it's perfectly possible to _catapult_ the charger into a throw.

Fimaris landed hard on the ground several meters from Ryden, slightly reeling from the sudden change in events, before he quickly rose up to reengage the red head; yet once he stood, Ryden appeared directly in front of him again.

The speed in which Ryden moved was enough to slightly catch the devil off guard, yet Fimaris easily controlled himself and sent several strikes towards Ryden.

Ryden easily recognized the attacks and even noted the style necessary to begin charging the devils armor. However instead of using simple _Krav-Maga_ like before, Ryden instead employed his _Wing Chun_ experience, due to Its rapid strike and defense style that would be proven hyper effective now that his speed, strength and reflexes were well passed human limitation.

Normally, martial arts allow people to gain a centralized understanding of combat and NOT a perfectly choreographed fighting style, as seen in movies. Regular fist fights look more like slapping contests and grappling matches then any actual form of martial art. What the true intent of martial arts is a complete understanding of violence and the dangers of it... the training is mostly used to assist those when worse comes to worse.

 _No one looks like Bruce lee or IP man..._

Useful in most cases, but not as flashy as one may think... however a fight between two beings from the supernatural looked choreographed as fuck.

Fimaris' fists rose rapidly in attack, his style appearing close to _boxing_ then a mere street fighting style; which came at Ryden in rapid volleys and barrages. However Ryden countered with equally fast counters and redirection which were instantly followed by strikes to Fimaris' neck, face – his intention in doing so to distract and blind.

Just as one of his backhanded slaps cracked against Fimaris' helmet – forcing his eyes to instinctually close – Ryden used the opportunity to close the distance and lock the devils arm with his left hand and then subsequently elbow strike the temple of the devils helm. Even if there were no vibrations going through the helmet, a simple hit still created a loud enough ring; and he could use that to slightly stun Fimaris briefly.

Seeing as how the devils attention faltered briefly from his strike, Ryden immediately spiked his demonic energy and _Fulgur's_ to incredible levels. The effect of his spike in energy heightened Ryden's speed greatly, extending Fimaris' brief falter to that of minutes.

Ryden let his hands drop in close to his chest; his opponents torso completely open to strike.

 _I'll show you_ _ **useless**_ _..._

For a Brief nano second, a ravenous grin appeared on his lips before his strikes began... however... he couldn't resist the opportunity...

 _ZA WARUDO!_

Like bullets, Ryden's fists shot out in rapid fire – nearly breaching the speed of sound – and impacted against the torso armor of Fimaris' kinetic absorption plates _**HARD**_ ; each impact creating explosive waves of concussive force that tore out violently, the sound of each detonation being close to that of a sonic boom.

However... Ryden's voice could be heard over it all; the context of his speech automatically translating to 'useless' to the devils around him, yet Ryden's actual words came out as such...

" _MUDA-MUDA-MUDA-MUDA-MUDA-MUDA-MUDA-MUDA-MUDA!"_

Confusing as it was to most devils – especially for the enemy forces – Ryden's prevailing strikes continued in sync with his loud boisterous proclamation, before coming to a grand finale after a solid _9 second_ barrage of unyielding punches _._ Surprisingly, due to the sheer amount of kinetic energy within Fimaris' armor, the man's chest plate shone bright green for a moment until Ryden's right hand became encompassed in crimson lightning.

"I told you so you Son of a—"

 _ **BOOOVVVVVVVV!**_

The final strike from Ryden exploded crimson, blinding a majority of individuals present before subsiding to reveal the commanding noble embedded in the cliffs wall – directly behind where the Old-Satan forces derived... His armor all but shattered and broken, overloaded with kinetic energy.

Rosalina and Rivia stood by silently, eyes locked both on Ryden's back and Fimaris' unconscious body before the both of them suddenly smirked at Ryden's victory...

However...

"OPEN FIRE!"

By the command of the Adeptus Astarte's standing below Fimaris' unconscious form, every inquisitor present suddenly activated their bolter sigils and primed them directly on the one responsible for their commander's defeat; the man himself standing all but motionless in the open field.

"RYDEN!" Rivia and Rosalina yelled upon seeing the lack of motion in Ryden, their forms suddenly charging forward to the man hastily to protect him; an instinct born from reverence.

Yet before the old-Satan inquisitors and casters could open fire, new arrivals made themselves known instantly.

" _ **Open fire, ridge line—priority target"**_

 _ **BANG! BANG! BANG!**_

Just before the casters could fire on Ryden, their positions suddenly ignited into fiery explosions after a dozen volleys of blue bolts slammed into their position in rapid succession; incinerating dozens of casters in the initial barrage before even more fell due to the discord and chaos.

Rosalina and Rivia marginally noted the arrival of the praetorian team but merely focused entirely on getting to Ryden; however, while the casters were occupied with returning fire to the praetorians, it left the ground forces completely free to charge towards Rivia and Rosalina; with Ryden being directly in between the rush of attacks.

 _ **THUNK-THUNK-THUNK-THUNK-THUNK**_

Just before the attackers could reach Ryden before Rosalina and Rivia, several dozen arrows embedded themselves in the ground a few meters from the charging inquisitors; a couple seconds later and they detonated into massive plumes of crimson flames.

 _ **BOOOM!BOOOM!BOOOM!BOOM!**_

Rivia was barely fazed by the intrusion, yet Rosalina quickly glanced off to the left to see a familiar woman standing comfortably on a thick tree branch above the raging flames, her dark red skin tight outfit and dark red hair being the dead giveaway as to who it was.

"~Yooohoooo!~" Abigail greeted with a beaming smile. "You girls look like you could use some help?"

"Mind if we cut in?" questioned Nyx as he appeared directly beside an unmoving Ryden, however the man's face went from smirking decisively, to confused when Ryden didn't respond. "huh? Oi! I said do you mind if we—" Nyx paused upon seeing Ryden's closed eyes. Upon seeing Ryden's state; a blank expression encompassed Nyx's expression. "He's sleeping... the man is literally sleeping in combat... what the fuck?" Nyx laminated with disbelieving eyes before he shook his head and fell back into a combat ready stance. "I'd say 'sleep tight' but I'm not his mother—guess I'll leave that to you Abaddon" he said just as Rivia arrived; Rosalina not too far behind.

"Can you cover us while we get him to safety?" Rivia pointed questioned while picking Ryden up... bridal style.

Nyx merely huffed in amusement before glancing to the woman with a mock look of hurt. "I Thought that'd be obvious..." he replied before waving her off. "get going before the enemy regroups—I got a kill count to increase and I'd appreciate the space"

Rivia nodded to the man's reply before she vanished into a rift, her form appearing at the entrance to the monoliths bungalow; leaving the three to handle the attacking forces that slowly collected themselves on the other side of the smoke screen.

Rosalina lightly glanced to the bungalow worriedly before huffing to herself and turning to face the enemy horde alongside Nyx Oriax. The man himself lightly acknowledging her before looking towards the remaining enemy forces that still seemed to gain reinforcements; evident enough by the almost continuous stream of inquisitors funnelling out of the forest in front of them.

' _ **This is praetorian Captain Eris Talia—we are here to assist'**_

Rosalina lightly sprang in surprise at the message – not really used to sudden comm's messages – before quickly opening a comm sigil with the captain. "Thank you for arriving captain Eris; this is sentinel Phenex—your assistance is greatly appreciated"

' _ **What are your orders sentinel?'**_

"Orders will withstand captain Eris, focus your fire on the casters above—we'll handle the ground forces" Rosalina replied seriously all the while keeping her eye on the slowly fading smoke screen.

' _ **What's the update on the ground? Do you have any wounded?'**_

Nyx chuckled at the question before he tuned in on the comm's channel. "Tsk! if you can count _sleeping_ as a form of casualty report then sure... we got a man critically wounded with _boredom_ down here—we need a freaking medic!" Nyx jested with a disbelieving shake of his head.

' _ **Uhh? Can you repeat last transmission? I didn't quite get that'**_

"oh you heard me..."

" _ **Right...**_

' _hate to interrupt the moment Nyx but you got Inquisitors bearing down on you from the left flank—quit flirting and get to work!'_ Abigail chastised pointed before cutting the line dead.

Nyx shrugged at the woman's words before Rosalina took off to his left side. "I'll handle the flankers, you handle the frontal assault" commanded Rosalina before she took off in a flurry of white flames; leaving Nyx to greet the frontal advance of attackers with a wide grin.

"heh... She knows me so well..." Nyx commented casually before his crimson spear ignited dangerously. "Alright maggots!—" with a series of expert twirls, Nyx's crimson spear pointed forward threateningly at the advancing army of inquisitors. "— _Whose first_!?"

* * *

 **[Anti-Satan forward operating base]**

Sirzechs stood straight and rigid, his form flanked by both Ajuka and Serafall; while an army of several hundred knights and lancers stood primed for charge directly behind them, their eyes wreathed in morale as the sight of _three_ generals leading their charge filed them all with a vigor not yet seen in the invasion into the _Territory of Thorns_.

Their plan was set and ready for action. Their goal; to go beyond the horizon of the _Rose Gardens_ upper hills, and reach the intended location in which the general's younger brother – the man responsible for disabling the enemy's communication network – was pinned.

Their means of entry?

 _ **A super devil...**_

Sirzechs stepped forward along with Ajuka, while Serafall remained at the head of Sirzechs spear headed army along with commander praxis Bael and elder Shaxx. Stopping several dozen meters from the petite general; Ajuka reached forward and summoned his grand magic, the _Kankara formula_ and quickly summoned a serious of triangular sigil's that formed into a three side pyramid that encompassed both himself and Sirzechs.

Soon after formation, hundreds of magic formulas began running and writhing along the edges of the pyramid and all throughout; while several circular sigils sprang to life at Sirzechs side and above.

Soon after, the green pyramid rose slowly to the sky, leaving Sirzechs to address his army...

His form twisted around forcing his long crimson cape to wave violently by the sudden action; his body, now fully clad in golden armor, hugged his form completely which was accented by a line of red fur around his neck and pauldrons. His Pauldron's themselves – decaled in a intricate embroidery of his family crest – shone brightly yet ominously due to the sight of a enraged skull at the center of his family pentagram, the wide open maw – sharp and jagged – spoke of his history as _Ruina Nex_ in the great war.

With his form decorated every bit the way a general should appear; Sirzechs' voice thoomed out loudly, both due to his own voice and Ajuka's manipulation.

"We have lost many brothers and sisters today—many of whom I thank for their sacrifice—yet their deaths will not be in vain!"

" _ **HOOOO!"**_

"The enemy has pressed us beyond our patience—now we will take what we came for!"

" _ **HOOOO!"**_

"beyond you all stand our enemies—thieves, scoundrels, murders and vile creatures! They bury into the land and drink the resources—they besiege our own! Swarm after them like insects while they hold against insurmountable forces! If they can survive then none can stop us!"

" _ **HOOOOO!"**_

"Stay your hands! await the coming destruction—once nothing remains, the horizon will be next!"

" _ **HOOOOOO!"**_

With the final war howl of his men below, Sirzechs' steeled gaze nodded firmly before his form turned to regard the Rose Garden with a firm glare; his gaze dead set on where Ryden and his team were located. He had told Ryden the main force would not make it for a long while, yet now they possessed the means to shatter the previous words like glass.

With his efforts – along with his soldiers – they'd reach Ryden as fast as possible...whatever it takes

"we are closing in on the acceptable height Sirzechs" informed Ajuka as he continued to focus in on the Kankara formula's stability.

Sirzechs nodded before his hand gripped his sword tightly and unsheathed it; revealing the crimson edged blade that shimmered in the sky, signalling his forces to howl out at the sight of it. "Good, I'm starting to shake with excitement"

Ajuka's calm gaze slowly opened to regard the excitable General with a neutral expression, however his lips slightly curled into a smirk after a moment of taking in the sight of his old friend's glee.

Suddenly, a series of lights lit up deep within the enemy's defensive line before dozens of explosions appeared at the forefront of the pyramid; however the distance of the explosions was well out of range to be considered dangerous, leaving the aerial defenses to appear as desperation to the allied forces below.

Sirzechs smirked at the sight; Praxis' words having proven true. "heheh... seems the enemy forces have noticed us" muttered Sirzechs with a humored glint in his eye.

"Sirzechs I'm picking up a transmission from your advisers...their relaying a message directly to you" Ajuka informed without acknowledging Sirzechs' earlier comment.

The man in question merely titled his head at the turn of events. "put it through..."

Ajuka merely rotated his left hand a centimeter to the right, his meager action created a sigil that sprung up right in front of Sirzechs, which suddenly filled the magic pyramid with the sounds of bolter fire and explosions; most of which sounding distant.

"This is general Gremory, go ahead"

" _General, this is Lady Abaddon"_

Sirzechs' eyes widened at the sound of his former commanders voice, his heart rate rising at hearing the woman and NOT Ryden's. "Rivia...what's the situation, what's the reason for your call?" he asked worriedly.

" _Situational report... Nyx Oriax and Abigail Valac have arrived at the monolith compound along with general Sitri's praetorian team—_ _ ***Boom!***_ _-unfortunately Ryden has been rendered incapacitated after engaging old-Satan commander Fimaris Bathin"_

Sirzechs' eyes widened upon hearing of Nyx and Abigail's arrival but his attention fell right on to the mention of the old-Satan commander. "Bathin? What the hell was he doing there?"

" _it would appear his reason on being here was for a personal reason involving his dead sister—to which was killed by Ryden before"_ Rivia revealed, causing Sirzechs to nod after a moment. _"The good news is he won the little bought—even managed to hold himself up really well against him, but he has—heheh—fallen asleep since then"_

Ajuka and Sirzechs locked eyes, disbelief apparent in their gaze. "He...fell asleep?" Ajuka muttered, causing a slight chuckle from Rivia.

" _I'm not lying boy"_

Sirzechs quickly jumped in before the conversation could deviate. "Anyways, aside from the situational report and status of the others; what other reason have you opened comm's?"

" _we need back up Sirzechs..."_ Rivia's tone was deeply serious in that second; a seriousness the two had both heard way back when they had gotten delayed transmission from Rivia herself during the fall of the Abaddon manor.

Sirzechs knew then the degree of danger Rivia and the others truly faced... he needed to act now

"keep your eyes to the east Rivia...i have a surprise you may like to see" came Sirzechs cryptic reply

There was a pause on the other end. "... I shall await this surprise eagerly General—~don't disappoint me now~"

With Rivia's final words, the channel cut completely; leaving Ajuka and Sirzechs in eerie silence.

Glancing to the emerald General, Sirzechs nodded firmly. "let's do this"

"Aye... I do believe I am also 'shaking with excitement'—as you said before" Ajuka commented before the pyramid rapidly began to shine brighter than before, courtesy of Ajuka amplifying his demonic pressure immensely.

Sirzechs smirked at Ajuka's playful comment – if one could count monotonous as 'playful' – before the man spiked his demonic energy with a flick of his sword; crimson mixing directly into the jade light.

* * *

 **[1 mile inland/ monolith compound]**

It didn't take long for the situation to deteriorate...

due to the massive size of Old-Satan inquisitors bearing down on the enemies position, defensive lines tightened rapidly for Nyx, Abigail and Rosalina; while the praetorian team 'azure' had suddenly fallen under artillery suppression that had only recently been alleviated by efforts from Rivia Abaddon via her demonic rifts.

However everything was slowly collapsing under the sudden weight of the Inquisitors that flooded out from the forest across from their location. Even though Azure had managed to quell the suppressive fire from the casters on the ridge; it still left hundreds of inquisitors to deal with on the ground, and only Rosalina and Rivia possessed the destructive power to quell the swarm, with Abigail assisting with long ranged support—the very devil having joined the praetorian's at the top of the ridge.

However, with the increased pressure and subsequent increase in demonic expenditure; it wouldn't be long before Rivia and Rosalina exceeded their limit.

Yet just before the old-Satan's could push them into the bungalow for a final stand; something happened that struck pause in the advance of the enemy—a darkness that swallowed the very illumination of the fake sun above, and an ominous sensation that crept into the hearts of all who knew of what was happening...

 _ **RUINA NEX... RUIN ITSELF...DESTRUCTION MADE FORM...**_

 _ **DEATH ABSOLUTE...RAGE GIVEN FORM...**_

 _ **NOTHINGNESS...**_

 _ **...END...**_

 _ **THE CALL FOR DESTRUCTION HAS COME...**_

* * *

Directly above the anti-Satan army originated a black star, a spherical shape of darkness and crimson light that encompassed a now faded and dim pyramid that glowed a dull green. However the small light within seemed to strengthen the black sun, pulsing like a rhythmic tune, gradually increasing the size of the black star until it floated ominously in the sky.

Deep within the black star, originated something terrifying...

An existence that rivaled its progenitor...

And being that challenged life itself...

Its form was blackened like the darkest of nights, _bipedal_ and desolate like the demons of old. Its eyes narrowly shaped and crimson in color, shined with a violent ferocity that had been discarded by the majority; its jagged maw... _hungry_.

Due to the darkness that completely cloaked _its_ body, the terrifying visage of the one that had once taken the form of _Sirzechs Gremory_ was completely invisible to those below; its form shrouded in shadow and nothingness that only briefly gave off a glimpse off the horror within the black star.

 _ **ITS EYES GLARED FORWARD...**_

Soon after a minute of growing, the black star suddenly swelled and writhed angrily, wisps of red and black energy arced out in droves of arc energy that masked the deeply guttural growls within the black star...

 _ **ITS AIM WAS TRUE...**_

Without warning, dozens of beams fired off in every direction towards the enemy line, the effect itself vaporizing whatever it touched before red fiery explosions engulfed the area without sound... nothing, no screams or shockwave, just red light before nothing remained.

 _ **ITS MERCY WAS NONE EXISTENT...**_

As the horizon was filled with silent red lights, the black star merely continued its onslaught before a small orb appeared at the forefront of the black star. Strange as it was to appear in its lonesome; none would see the terror beneath the veil of darkness focus its power into the small orb...

 _ **THAT WHICH IT DESIRES... IT GETS!**_

Like a howling banshee, the small orb suddenly fired off like a beam of blackness; its size immensely magnified by the power of the one that fired it. Along the _Territory of Thorns_ , a black trench was drawn into the ground courtesy of the beam; its range reaching all the way to the intended target, caking the assailing devils in the danger zone.

 _ **ALL THAT STAND IN ITS WAY... PERISH!**_

 _ **VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVPPPP—BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!**_

Unlike before, the final beam from the black star created a massive explosion that began from the initial impact of the beam before following the black line all the way to the Old-Satan's closing in on the monolith compound; leaving both the monolith – and the ones protecting it – completely free from enemy attack.

Down below the black star, Serafall stared forward with a look of deep shock. She hadn't witnessed the destructive capability that Sirzechs could dish out – she didn't think anyone present had ever seen Sirzechs distribute this much destruction – so to say her expectations were superseded was a clear understatement.

He was well beyond her...

Swallowing lightly at the destruction , Serafall lightly – or nearly – jumped out of her skin when Sirzechs' voice suddenly filled her ear; his voice slightly hoarse and... _vile._

' _Sera..._ _ **crea**_ _te the_ _ **path**_ _way"_

Without words, Serafall nodded before stepping forward...

intent on showing what she could do...

* * *

Ryden's eyes lightly fluttered open groggily, his sight fogged with a clearly present fatigue that had yet to leave him. Yet his senses screamed for him to get up...

"By the Satan's..."

Uncaring to the environment around him, Ryden could eerily hear the sound of a voice in front of him before his vision was greeted by the sight of a brown cloth that shone golden from the light on the other side. Weakly, Ryden pushed it to the side only to be invaded by the bright hot light of smoldering ruins and the smell of both ash and wood.

"Oi what the hell is he doing up?" came a voice yet Ryden didn't acknowledge it. "Come on! What the hell is with this ignoring shtick? Oi Ryden! Where the hell are you—"

"Ryden!"

Ryden could hear the sounds of worry coming from two familiar voices and the subsequent foot falls of their hasty approach. And It was only a matter of time before one of them reached him; but before they could touch him, his hand had already drawn the crimson sword from his back.

The light from _Fulgur_ shone brightly, worriedly and desperately... his connection with Fulgur had weakened with his fatigue yet it seemed a small part of him still remained awake to sense a coming danger.

Without thought or care, Ryden stepped out to what looked like a cliff, which only turned out to be the edge that led directly into the massive _three hundred foot wide canyon_ that had once been the main road of the Zagan trail.

"Ryden!"

His senses snapped into action at the sudden call of his name; a violent awaking to his drifting senses which reminded him of his intention. before the presence behind him closed in, his hands gripped _Fulgur_ in both hands – reverse grip – and stabbed it directly into the ground.

The action was simple; yet from the sky, a red lightning bolt crashed down from the black clouds above and slammed down directly to the pummel of the blade; directly into the crystal that was embedded within before a massive crimson dome enveloped the area completely; the monolith, his allies and himself...

With his action done, Ryden's senses trickled to unconsciousness; yet before he fell into the arms of a worried Rivia Abaddon, Ryden caught a glimpse through fogged eyes of what looked like the world itself...

 _...Freezing over_

 _ **-X-**_

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 ** _SMOKING_** _ **SEXY STYLE!**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

" _ **Warning; a fellow Agent has gone rogue"**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **11 years Boi's... 11 freaking years! DMC IS BACK BABY! – And that division 2 doe – BUT DMC IS BACK! TAKE A SEAT YOU EMO ASS 'DANTE' MY MAIN MAN SMOKING SEXY STYLE IS BACK IN TOWN AND ROCKING IT! YEAH! WOAAAHHHH!**_

 _ ***clears throat***_

 _ **... Probably not the best of excuses but it'll do; anyway, jokes aside it**_ **HAS** _ **been really busy for me lately. Not only did inventory kick in at my main job – forcing my considerate ass to go in more than mentally acceptable – but calls also started flooding in for lawn work and mild landscaping – ya boi is a part time blue collar during spring now – and at the same time, DMC 5 dropped; like it damn well ghosted past my awareness and dropped right when I went to check my recommended on YouTube.**_

 _ **Never knew a man's ass could clench so hard at seeing a GAMERANX video...**_

 _ **But what's that? The division 2 dropped a couple days later?**_

 _ **Why does life gotta hit me with a fine ass single player game and then hit me with a completely finished – content wise – RPG game?**_

 _ **So not only was I bustin booty at two jobs, I was also mentally distracted from writing by two gorgeous games! Of course now that I've beaten both games and drained myself dry, I can finally clear my head from all distractions in order to write a decent chapter...**_

 _ ***Sekiro laughs distantly***_

 _ **Speaking of which, this chapter was mildly lengthened in order to extend the short time Ryden was involved. I knew the last time I neglected Ryden I had wasted too much time off hand for it to be in the acceptable range. So for that, I added in Fimaris in order to strengthen the impact of Ryden's moment and also showcase the true power of the general's!**_

 _ **Well some of it that is...**_

 _ **But anyway; on to the ever present explanation!**_

 _ **Originally I planned for the whole chapter to be nothing but Ryden and the gang duking it out against wave after wave of enemy forces before being saved last second by both praetor team azure and Sirzechs... but does that sound incredibly enticing?**_

 _ **If I had done that, then most of the chapter would not only be incredibly shorter then what most of you guys would want; but it would also be extremely boring and out of character as well. Rivia wouldn't exactly be weak in this situation because of facts on her past stated a few chapters ago and Rosalina as well because she's... ya know... ultimate-class.**_

 _ **I haven't really given Rosalina much room to show off but she really is powerful!**_

 _ **Kinda think of it, but Ryden was the only one actually on the brink of collapse last chapter (and this one) but even that is just an underlining factor; not an actual struggle—considering the item in use that keeps him awake.**_

 _ **So in the end, merely throwing cannon fodder at a team of three overpowered badasses doesn't exactly help sustain image; irregardless of fatigue on Ryden's part, Rosalina and Rivia would merely handle the situation with moderate degrees of worry for the man sleeping behind them...**_

 _ **If Ryden fell asleep mid fight, do you really think Rivia OR Rosalina would hold back to defend the guy their fighting over? If anything, I'd be rooting for the other team just for pity points...**_

 _ **Anyway; other than that; the reason I introduce praetor team 'azure' was mainly because I wanted to flush out 'Eris Talia' AND also highlight the effectiveness and strategic power Praetorian's possess and how effective they are at turning tides in war...**_

 _ **For future reasons...**_

 _ **I don't just mention stuff and then forget about them later on, only to suddenly reintroduce them when necessary ... everything mentioned has its uses and I wanna make sure you all take in every factor written; For both the present of the story... and what will become of them in the future.**_

 _ **A lot of people are thinking Ryden leaves at the end of the civil war, and all I gotta ask in counter is...**_

 _ **How dangerous is the devil species?**_

 _ **Food for thought...**_

 _ **Anyway, good news! Considering my schedule is naked and because I have nothing else to do, by the time you'll have reached this point in the story, I'll have already started the next chapter ;)**_

 _ **Normally I take a couple days off after uploading in order to keep myself from burning out completely, but I have become restless ever since I finished planning the next chapter; by that point, the adventure aspect of the story will commence... bought time Ryden started 'collecting'**_

 _ **R &R you beautiful people, until next time...**_

 _ **PEACE!**_

 _ **P.S—due to the haste of the upload, I am most likely aware of minor grammar mistakes and issues... chapters been long time coming and I just wanted it the hell out.**_


	19. Crimson Dagger

**-Crimson Dagger-**

 _To say the Anti-Satan forces were successful in the Territory of Thorns would be considered a massive militaristic understatement. Not only did the main force cover more ground then predicted – due to Rivia, Rosalina and myself – but the Old-Satan's had lost one of their biggest game changers as well._

 _The monolith system was a ground breaking form of technology that would provide massive benefits for the war to come; and I could only imagine the glee Ajuka had felt upon meeting_ _ **Harbinger**_ _..._

 _Due to this victory, the main force wouldn't have to rely on surgical sigils for communication; nor would they be under constant danger of artillery fire if they communicated with allied forces. The lag time in between pretty much everything logistics would be exponentially faster than ever before; allowing for much more fluid attacks and operations that would lead to more victories than defeats._

 _It felt good... really good; to provide a massive military invasion the means to triumph over a tyrannical army was something dangerously euphoric; almost 'video game-like' if I was being totally honest. All my life I'd trudged day and day out without making that much of a difference, yet seeing the beaming looks on everyone was probably the biggest and most exhilarating feeling of my life._

 _But never the less, the war was still very active..._

 _While the victory at the Territory of Thrones border was a large scale win on all aspects; there still remained several_ _ **thousand**_ _miles of land that made up the Territory of Thorns... we just barely nicked the surface._

 _However... the majority of the operations that would be conducted here would mostly be out of my jurisdiction, or not totally my business..._

 _My business was elsewhere..._

* * *

 **[Days later]**

" _Yes... I'm aware indris... no—no, I was not deployed to the— yes I'm aware of the time, I'm well aware of it all... yes—lord General Gremory gave me strict orders to await for a summoning once lord Ryden awoke... I don't care about mothers worries, the General has not decreed disciplinary action for—would you stop interrupting me! I'm trying to explain the situation here, so shut up and listen"_ Rosalina hissed quietly.

Ryden's eyes fluttered open slowly, a grogginess quickly enveloping him as the sounds of what he knew to be Rosalina arguing with someone not currently present. He couldn't exactly know for sure why she sounded so angry when his eyes groggily opened further to see her sitting in a chair beside his bed, her eyes closed in annoyance as a magic sigil hovered just a few inches from her right ear; the details appearing to be that of an intricate bird design...

Confused momentarily; Ryden slowly glanced around himself and noticed that he was currently laying in the bed of his adoptive family's canvas tent, the one he'd awaken in with Rivia prior to the invasion. He could see his clothes – cleaned and pristine – at the far side of the tent, close to the entrance way; and way off to the table directly across from where he was, sat his three weapons. _Nameless_ was gently leaning against a clothing cabinet just a few feet from the table, while _Cerberus_ was neatly sheathed in his thigh holster; hanging off of the cabinets handle while _Fulgur_ leaned gently against the coffee table.

Upon seeing _Fulgur,_ the weapon shone briefly at the pummel; the sheath having concealed the blades excited shine from Rosalina...

 _ **Bought time you woke up... I was beginning to grow rusty...**_

Ryden smirked at the sound of _Fulgur's_ voice; excited and thrilled as it normally was.

 _How long was I out? I feel like my bones haven't moved in days..._

 _ **Heheh...you've been out cold for three days sleepy—and I've been sitting at this table for the same amount of time!**_

Ryden's head gently glanced over to the blade – shocked at the allotted time – yet his meager action immediately caught the attention of the woman at his left; forcing her to drop her conversation with indris the second she detected motion.

"Ryden?" questioned Rosalina as she disposed of her family sigil; attention fully landing on the active Gremory.

Ryden shook his head to rid himself of the shock _Fulgur_ had just dumped on him; AND the fact he'd been asleep for a whole half week. Being a sleep for that long wasn't healthy, and Ryden was feeling the full effects of it. "Hmm..." hummed the man with a mildly hoarse throat before he wiped the crud from his eyes and cleared his throat. "...I'm alive" he added after a moment of slow movement.

Rosalina remained in her seat beside him; a look of relief encompassing her features as Ryden sat up and...

 _ **SNAP! CRACKLE! POP!**_

Like a high pressure valve finally releasing; Ryden's back cracked loudly like a pack of crushed lays chips, thoroughly rejuvenating himself and terrifying Rosalina at the violent sound of what seemed like Ryden's bones shattering into a million pieces.

Ryden sighed in content; his form slightly relaxing before he glanced over to a confused and mortified Rosalina. "So..." Ryden began while eyeing Rosalina. "... three days huh?" he muttered in question.

Upon hearing Ryden's words, Rosalina's eyebrow quirked in shocked confusion. "How did you—" she began before she spotted _Fulgur_ shimmering brightly at its spot at the small dining table. Once she spotted the blade, Rosalina sighed in realization before standing up and walking towards Ryden's neatly folded clothes. "Yes, you've been out cold for three days" Rosalina confirmed before picking up his clothes and disposing them on the edge of his bed. "Quite a bit has happened since you fell unconscious"

Ryden blinked at the woman. "You gonna fill me in?" he asked but Rosalina shook her head and quickly pointed to his clothes.

"Not until you get dressed..." Rosalina replied with a frown while crossing her arms under her bust, a small blush quickly making its way onto her cheeks.

Ryden found himself frowning at the woman's display before he recognized the distinct feeling of extremely soft bed sheets against skin... namely his own. After glancing down to his status of dress – minus his underwear – Ryden knew then the reason of the blush on Rosalina; however he didn't tease the woman for two reasons.

First was obvious... she looked serious; more so then normal; while she did appear relieved of his waking sure, yet the edge in her eyes suggested there was a time constraint for some reason. The added taps of impatience to her arms – noted by her tapping her arm rhythmically – spoke of it. The second reason was based purely on the first; Rosalina didn't seem very keen on teases at the moment.

"Something the matter?" he asked while getting out of his bed... more bones cracking as he moved.

Rosalina shook her head before replying with her eyes closed...that wasn't a good idea, yet Ryden rolled with it anyway. "I don't know... three days ago after the invasion General's Astaroth, Sitri and Gremory ordered the five of us to remain station at Zagan castle; we've been cooped up here ever since, while the main invasion force carries on further operations into the territory"

Ryden's eyes narrowed at the information provided before he grabbed his black pants and set the armor plating to the side while he worked. "By the five of us you mean; yourself, Rivia, me and?" he asked while pulling his pants up.

Rosalina nodded with her eyes still closed. "Nyx and Abigail are the other two... you may not remember it, but just after you defeated Fimaris the two of them showed up and helped us ward off the enemy forces before Sirzechs went and eliminated them all in one blast" she answered.

Ryden nodded in surprise, having slightly remembered – in his haggard daze – the massive trench that had once been where his enemies were. Shaking his head from the old news, Ryden regarded Rosalina with a lopsided expression "Didn't think they'd show up there—I thought they had their own objective" he muttered while he put on his combat dress boots... comfy and stylish; looked like a pair of dress shoes except they hiked all the way up to mid calf... they were surprisingly breathable. Ryden smirked at his outfits new addition before a frown of curiosity returned to his gaze. "So what else did I miss?"

"You missed the award ceremony" Rosalina informed, causing Ryden to pause mid dress.

"That a bad thing?" Ryden asked; frozen in place with trepidation

Thankfully for Ryden, Rosalina shook her head dismissively. "The Generals pardoned your absence due to your incapacitated status; the award was granted to your mother in your steed... I'm sure she'll give it to you when the chance presents itself"

"I'm sure I won't need to wait long before she finds me... she'll either kill me or hug me depending on her mood" Ryden shivered while Rosalina's expression shifted to pained...eyes still closed.

"I can understand the feeling; mine as well wishes to see me..."

Ryden chuckled at the woman's response before he strapped the cuisse plates to his thigh, greaves to his shins and then finished after securing his sabaton plates to his boots; leaving only his torso completely bare for Rosalina to see... speaking of which...

"Done, you can open your eyes now" Ryden said with a wide smirk on his face.

Sighing to herself, Rosalina's eyes opened completely all the while her words trailed on..."Now that you've—" her form froze in place when her eyes immediately took in Ryden's toned torso, abs and arms; but soon after a moment, a blush – deep red – followed.

"Like what you see?" Ryden teased with a smirk.

Rosalina glanced up from looking at his naked torso before a glare quickly took over her expression; yet her very own blush easily disarmed the lethality of it. "Not. Funny" she growled out before she reached down and threw Ryden's new shirt at him. "I have grown accustomed to your teases lord Ryden; it won't work anymore..." Rosalina informed confidently

Ryden snickered softly before he pulled his shirt off his face to regard Rosalina with a toothy grin. "Considering you've been looming over me for three days I can only assume so"

Rosalina shook her head at that. "I have not been the one looking over you—that was mostly lady Abaddon" she countered, causing Ryden's grin to drop into a curious frown.

"Really?" he asked before glancing around the room. It was a feeble gesture honestly; if Rivia had been present then he was sure he'd have _felt_ her by now. Frowning just slightly at the lack of the second blonde bombshell, Ryden turned back to Rosalina. "Where's she right now?" he asked confusedly while putting his long sleeve shirt on and then his custom red flock jacket.

As Ryden fiddled with his jackets many buckles and buttons, Rosalina regarded him while proceeding with her explanation. "We both had family matters to handle, but considering Rivia had been away from her own family and servants for longer then I; I saw it fit to let her handle her matters before I did... we swapped places for a time until Rivia returned. Yet before I could go and deal with my family, general Gremory requested her presences at the main castle... leaving me here" with her explanation done, Rosalina sat down on the bed with a loud sigh of relief.

"Now that you're awake, the Generals will finally request our presence and I won't have to leave to deal with my pesky family, win-win for me" added Rosalina as Ryden stepped off to the side to grab his weapons; his lips going lopsided in mild amusement to Rosalina's glowing positivity.

As Ryden slung _Fulgur_ over his shoulder and secured the sheath to his back tightly, he casually glanced over to a smirking Rosalina. Wordlessly, Ryden shook his head at the woman's sudden attitude change before he grabbed his thigh holster holding _Cerberus._ While tightly strapping the holster in place Ryden observed himself in a mirror; making sure his appearance was at least marginal for military discipline. "So what exactly does the General's want? Some kind of promotion or something?" he asked casually while fiddling with his attire and then his hair.

"He spoke of some kind of _initiative_ —some kind of plan or something... he wouldn't elaborate further because they were still working out the details; its why he wants us all present and not out fighting the war" replied Rosalina.

Ryden hummed curiously at the woman's reply before he turned and approached her after disposing his swordspear into his pocket dimension. "Got any idea what this initiative is called?" he asked while combing his hair into a perfect flow.

Ryden had to appreciate the gel Zeoticus had given him for his hair. Considering Zeoticus had longer hair then his own – almost looking like a red headed Chad Kruger from fricking _Nickleback_ – the man had to somehow make the style work for noble image... apparently Venelana was a fan of ' _the flow'_ because Zeoticus had merely gelled his hair completely back.

While the man looked no short from hunting down every ounce of weed in hell and then shredding an O.D.R; Ryden however looked like he was completely obsessed with _POWER,_ as the gel had not only slicked his hair back into a perfect and noble flow, but it also added a tinge of spikes to it... all he needed now was the _YAMATO_ to make the perfect image of a red headed _Virgil_.

Wasn't exactly his preferred style but it was a lot better than having hair in his eyes...

Humming contently at his style in the mirror, he turned around only to see a mildly blushing Rosalina staring at him for a nano second before the woman lightly coughed into her hand and looked away... guess she wasn't adverse to appreciating appearances, but not confident enough to actually voice it.

Shame...

"To answer your question... no, I don't know the name of the initiative; all I do know is that once you awoke, we'd get all the answer's we need" she replied before waving for him to follow. "Now saying that, I think its best we move immediately to the castle before we get side tracked any further; one more impatient call from Nyx and I'll ring his neck" laminated the woman with a growl before she summoned a teleportation sigil.

Smirking at the woman's annoyed twitch to her brow, Ryden silently complied and stepped to Rosalina's side; the light of the fiery sigil immediately exploding to action the moment he stepped in.

* * *

Instant transportation...

Ryden had used the teleportation platform before back when he traveled with Sirzechs to meet Ajuka; and he'd experienced the mass teleportation sigil that was used for the invasion, yet what Rosalina had just used defied the speed of all two.

It was a better experience then the mass teleportation sigil

Instantly after his vision was clouded in flames, the image dropped a nano second after to show off the image of a castles main room; or cathedral mass area. All along the sides of the massive cathedral stood large European styled support pillars graphed with markings and scriptures of some form of ancient language. The roof was painted Gothic in style, possessing a more morbid and crude image of war and battle while periodically the roof was sectioned off by arch ways that bleed off down towards the pillars in the main hall; subsequently attaching to them to finish the skeletal image of what was a traditional cathedral. On the main floor of the cathedral room spanned several thousand candles that where perched on either the corner of the room – directly on the floor – or on candle sticks heavily decorated with gold and silver.

However there were obvious differences to a traditional cathedral...

The cathedral was rife with moderate activity as advisers scurried around the area along with a few officers; their tasks ranging from maintaining communication with forward operation teams and artillery brigades, to coordinating joint strikes on enemy patrols and encampments. As this occurred, analysts positioned at desks littered with magic sigils, holographic maps and paper documents; helped maintain coordination and orders from other officers in the field, while also providing detailed mapping data for any would be reinforcements looking to regroup with other platoons.

The image that was created at that moment was simple... it looked like a previously used cathedral had been retrofitted to accommodate a military presences. While at the same time, the initial construction design was meant to appear like a normal cathedral built to worship god; yet instead built to worship conflict and war... whoever built It obviously was spitting some form of insult to the deceased being.

It was kind of petty in a way...

Ryden and Rosalina stood in the middle of the room momentarily; mildly put off by the sudden activity, before Rosalina shook it off and carried on through the central isle of the cathedral with Ryden following a moment after.

As they moved on through, Ryden noted the few glances from some of the analysts and officers were pointedly glowing when they locked eyes with him; their expressions rising to a more positive light then before, as if his presence had instituted a form of morale that instantly bolstered the working effort of all that took notice of him. Surreal as it was, Ryden could only notice his effect on those present before he was led by Rosalina toward a central stairway in the middle of the cathedral hall – directly were the cross and podium would be placed traditionally. Once they reached the top, Ryden had to breathe a mild hitch in his throat when directly at the top of the wide stairway was a massive and long hallway framed by both support pillars and Praetorian's; the latter few standing rigid at the base of each pillar present.

Taking notice of the two, the Praetorian's suddenly shown a form of restlessness at the sight of Ryden; their helmed gazes boring directly at the young man as he stepped passed them; respect almost bleeding off of them in droves as he regarded them all with firm looks.

Ryden had no choice but to regard the tall knights, as their image imposed a serious case of inferiority in him that he couldn't honestly explain or ignore. Ever since he was a kid, knightly armor instilled a serious amount of intimidation in him, as the usual expression on any helmet worn by a knight would look about as serious as a drill instructor with a serious desire to fuck you up.

The armor itself looked far more advanced than any human crafted armor; possessing a degree of flexibility and fluidity, it helped build his intimidation – and slight awe – greatly. The added bonus was the mysterious glow the armor exhibited in between a few grooves in the armor; however the glow was most noticeable on their helmets, as the 'Y' or 'T' shaped visors shone a clear vermilion hue that amplified their gazes greatly.

The cool thing though; was that all of them possessed a type of individuality that helped differentiate them from the other, which ranged from markings, scars or even medals graphed into their chest plates and even paint jobs to their helmets that helped create whatever image they desired.

Unfortunately they all looked spooky as fuck... everyone of them seemingly favoring a skull type paint job to their helmets.

Ryden still gave them all a glance, not only because they regarded him with a clear form of respect – their posture sharpening into a very crisp stance at his approach – but also because he wanted to take in their preferred style of customization.

He would admit... he was a fan...

After giving each praetorian a respectful nod, Ryden stopped in his tracks a few feet behind Rosalina as they finally approached the massive twin doors. After a very brief sigh, Rosalina stepped forward and knocked three times using the doors golden knocker before falling back into a very rigid pose; arms crossing behind her to rest at her lower back while her eyes steeled over greatly.

 _The usual business..._

Ryden sighed at the woman's habit, mildly annoyed with how serious the woman can get even with him around her. She knew of his habit in trying to topple her little castle of seriousness whenever it was possible; which honestly baffled him with her persistence. He knew Sirzechs and the others weren't as formal as most believed, mainly due to him having conversed with three of them on personal occasions and none of them seemed particularly fond of extreme levels of formality. Thinking on this, Ryden raised a brow before he casually – and very gently – slid his pointer finger along her spine.

The effect was immediate, as Rosalina suddenly shivered when Ryden's finger gently slid along her thinly woven blouse; practically touching her skin by the simple action.

"S-Stop..." she seethed with a meek voice, posture cracking.

Ryden had a simple reply...

"...No"

Ryden repeated the action multiple times, however his motion carried on slower than before – methodically making sure his finger barely touched her in order to amplify the effect greatly – forcing a slight and very silent _moan_ to escape her lips that only Ryden heard.

A smirk rose to his mouth at the reaction he received, a slight chuckle escaping his own lips as the woman seemed completely dismantled by the simple stimulation. "The fact this works so well only highlights my point... you truly need to loosen up" he said quietly before he eased off the action; completely missing the disappointed glint in Rosalina's eyes.

By that point, the massive set of doors parted slowly; revealing a mildly fatigued Serafall who regarded the both of them with half lidded eyes.

Rosalina remained silent – for some reason – while Ryden lightly regarded the tired General with a Glowing smirk that seemed to be just the thing to awaken the petite General enough for her own glowing smile to spring up.

"Lord Ryden... I'm happy to see your finally awake!" she all but beamed in excitement before she quickly gestured for them to enter the candle lit room.

Ryden smirked before he stepped in, all the while pulling a silent Rosalina behind him. However the moment he entered the room, everything and everyone suddenly went silent upon his entry. The first person he noticed instantly was Sirzechs Gremory; the man's crimson locks easily glowing in the dim lit room which also gave way for his similarly fatigued expression to greet his with a mild smirk.

Before he noticed anyone else, Ryden took notice of a massive table – futuristic appearance – sitting directly in the middle of the room, which possessed a perfect geographic image of what he assumed to be hell itself in its entirety.

After he noticed that, the others soon followed...

Nyx – personifying the very image of elated – stood off to the side of the room along with an equally elated Abigail, the both of them still wearing their previous attires from before. Across from them and directly beside Sirzechs, stood Ajuka; the man also appearing exhausted just like the other two General's.

Ryden stood at the entrance of the room along with a silent Rosalina before he lightly crossed his arms in amusement. "Seems like I'm the only one here that got some sleep—the three of you look like the dead" Ryden commented with a glint of humor in his eyes.

Sirzechs waved off Ryden's worry; having operated under much worse conditions then mere 'heavy eyes'. "That's not really an issue for us – maybe for someone else we know – but our state of exhaustion is little concern" after his words left his mouth, Ajuka stepped forward and tapped the large table.

"The main focus right now is simple..." Ajuka began before a familiar white orb appeared at the center of the table; floating just above the blue map. "Now that your awake Ryden; we can truly beginning amassing our attack strategy"

Ryden lightly leaned back in mild surprise when he stopped just a few feet from the devils OPSAT station. By the sounds of things, it appeared the entire room's occupants hand specifically waited for him to be active again, which honestly unnerved him to a degree.

Ryden coughed into his hand, his nerves rising as he considered the situation at hand. "Everything seems to be going a little bit faster than I can follow—I didn't even get a chance to get a drink... so huh... what's going on?" Ryden's nervously questioned in confusion. Considering everyone was staring at him like he was the damn messiah, it honestly gave him the freaking chills.

Sirzechs smirked at Ryden before a light chuckled escaped him. "I forgot... you've been asleep this whole time while we've forged our next move—I guess we'll need to fill you in before carrying on with the main point of this meeting"

Ryden lightly cringed. "If it's not much to ask for"

Serafall shook her head while she calmly situated herself back into her chair at the table. "Nope, should be a quick recap of the previous day's events" she eased before Ajuka took the reins by sighing in slight annoyance... whether it was due to him or something else was hard to identify.

"Three days ago, the anti-Satan forces conquered the majority of the three sectors listed in the invasion _and then some_. With the secure capture of the enemies monolith system, coordinated strikes on enemy pocket positions and fall back points helped create ambushes that crippled the enemy forces immensely. After that, multiple meetings were conducted on several subjects discovered during the invasion" Ajuka listed

"What were the subjects discovered?" Ryden asked inquisitively.

Ajuka lightly gestured to Nyx and Abigail. "The efforts by Lady Valac and lord Oriax during the invasion managed to uncover a branching operation called _**Operation: Lazarus,**_ which revealed that enemy forces had been carrying out resource mining in the _Territory of Thorns_ for a military purpose that would be transported to the _Halphes territory_ " Ajuka revealed before pausing, allowing the information provided to immediately sink in for those all present.

Ryden froze, his eyes growing stone cold and serious at the name of the territory; a form of reaction that only two people present completely expected, yet everyone else completely stood frozen at the expression Ryden suddenly directed toward the emerald general. " _What_..." he seethed out coldly before his gaze landed onto Sirzechs. "I thought you managed to completely overrun that place—raze it to the damn ground" he said hotly

Sirzechs merely dipped his head marginally in reprehend before replying. "We did—overrun it I mean—yet our window of operation within Halphes was brief, and we didn't possess the total man power needed to survive multiple reinforcement waves if they had come. Considering all of this, we had no choice but to pull out completely and hope the Old-Satan's didn't recapture it-considering its completely lacking in a tactical perspective, the odds of it actually being retaken by enemy forces was very low" he defended

Ryden shook his head. "Guess it was useful more for hiding something then actually being used openly" he muttered to which Sirzechs agreed fully with a nod.

"Ryden..." called out Abigail, forcing the man in question to regard the woman momentarily. "Do you know of the Halphes territory?" she asked in confusion, obviously having noted his reaction to the territory.

He merely nodded. "It was the territory I was held prisoner..." he replied casually before winking his eyes brows at both Nyx and Abigail; the both of them having suddenly gone rigid. "So yes, I know it quite intimately" he added before he looked to Ajuka. "What were the other subjects?" he asked before the present subject carried on any further.

Ajuka quickly nodded, seeing the man's desire to hurry away from the reveal. "we didn't exactly find a new subject to add to the previously discovered information, but lady Valac and lord Oriax did discover an oddity that were all still studying today" at his words, Serafall shivered at the mention of it before Ajuka carried on to electorate. "What they discovered was a subterranean hole caked in a mysterious substance; the location of its discovery was found in an Imp nest located at an Old-Satan mining outpost a few miles from here"

Ryden took in the information but frowned at its relevance. "What's that gotta do with anything? Sorry for asking but it seems like nothing connected with anything you've told me" he said dismissively

Ajuka lightly nodded. "We know, but my scientists theorize the event to be something related to the release of _Infernum Fulgur_ —the reason of this is basic ecology. Some events that happen when an ecosystem is invaded by a foreign element can lead to an _eco-neutral zone_ —leading to destabilization within the surface" the devil explained.

Ryden raised a brow at the information before _Fulgur_ suddenly lit up.

 _ **I do not see how I could be responsible for something of my own creation—if anything, a lightning strike from me would actually cause the ecosystem to thrive**_

 _Really? Does it have anything to do with the demonic energy within your element?_

 _ **Most definitely...**_

Ryden shook his head before he regarded Ajuka. "Not possible; _Fulgur_ just told me her effect on the ecosystem would actually cause it to thrive more then it usually does—whatever it is, it can only be something we haven't seen yet"

Ajuka nodded. "I'll need to double my study then... find the source of this corruption" he muttered before Sirzechs stepped in

"Whatever the case—our analysts have made the connections with all of our information regarding both _**Operation: Lazarus**_ and _**Operation: Revenant**_. At this point we all know that Old-Satan forces have conducted mining operations to supply resources to the secret base at the Halphes territory; while at the same time the resources provided would be used to help further _**Operation: Revenant**_ —which to our knowledge has led to a dead end" Sirzechs informed before pausing to rub his eyes in frustration. "We don't know the full reasons on why the enemy desires resources to conduct operation in the territory of Malphes, yet we theorize the reason as to the harnessing of the mysterious energy signature that has risen there" Sirzechs summarized before his gaze landed onto all of the devils present, yet before he could speak; a rift suddenly appeared at the far side of the room.

Stepping from the rift was a serious and dreary Rivia Abaddon, her expression held in an unimpressed gaze of annoyance and disappointment. "The council is still as paranoid as usually—why am I not surprised..." she muttered aloud before her eyes suddenly noticed Ryden standing across from her.

Smirking at the silently shocked woman, Ryden waved at her invitingly before Sirzechs pitched in with a fatigued grin. "Lady Abaddon—what news do you bring from the council?" he asked casually. Rivia remained silent – her eyes locked with Ryden briefly – before she shook her head and regarded Sirzechs with her usual disinterested expression.

"The council is in favor of the initiative—I spoke of the importance of the plan at great length, and also provided in depth examples of possible outcomes if we don't focus on the issue arisen" she replied seriously while approaching the – what Ryden assumed to be Ajuka's 'OPSAT' station – and stood at casual attention. "In short, the council has decreed the plan the full authority needed, and has provided full support of its creation"

Sirzechs beamed at the information, a part of fatigue almost fading away at the supposed good news. "Perfect, now we'll finally beginning making some serious headway in this war" he exclaimed excitedly; something almost out of character for the red head... Ryden assumed it was the man's fatigue because normally the man wasn't as 'excitable' as he was right now.

Whatever the reason, Ryden was still confused on the matter and quickly rose his hand to gain everyone's diverted attention. "Uuuhhh—still confused over here" he lightly called out.

Gaining the attention of the room... again; Ryden sighed before looking to Sirzechs, his patience already at its limit. "Now that I've gotten a good idea as to what this meeting is; perhaps it would be best to explain why everyone seems so interested in me?" he asked while crossing his arms.

Serafall lightly smirked at the man's uncomfortable expression but found no energy to speak on behalf of the whole room; leaving Sirzechs to continue the explanation.

The red haired General chuckled at Ryden before he also crossed his arms. "Our plan is simple, but your involvement in it is beyond crucial..." he eased slightly before he sighed. "The plan is the acquirement of the other three _Infernum Armis_ "

Ryden's eyes widened at that before he slowly nodded in agreement. "No shit..." he muttered before glancing to Rivia. "...I guess it really does involves me" he said with finality – amusing Rivia with his sarcasm – yet immediately afterward, his expression shifted to troubled. "But I'm confused... how do we do this? I mean I can't be the only one thinking of the difficulties in trying to acquire the _Infernum Armis'_ with an entire army right?" he asked in confusion to which Nyx snorted in amusement along with Abigail; leaving Rosalina and Rivia to stare at Ryden neutrally. "What? It's a good question! Unless we got a different strategy then I don't see the practicality of it" Ryden defended after seeing the incredulous looks from the two blondes.

Sirzechs shook his head at the question before he corrected the young man. "Your right when it comes to moving a whole army—it does seem impractical—however the plan doesn't involve sending an entire army into the bowels of the enemy lines... we need only send five individuals... and their all present" Sirzechs replied all the while locking eyes with Ryden, Rosalina, Nyx, Abigail and Rivia

.

.

.

Ryden wasn't the only one caught off guard by the devils reveal, as both Nyx and Abigail – along with Rosalina – suddenly sported shocked expressions. "Wait a minute..." mouthed Rosalina. "You don't mean we're being sent behind enemy lines again right?" she asked nervously only to receive a nod of affirmative from the red headed General.

Sirzechs glanced over to Ajuka with an amused grin. "Mind taking over?" he asked softly, to which Ajuka merely stepped forward with a sigh.

"While the concept of this does seem surprising – maybe even alarming – but the three of us have discussed at great length regarding the effectiveness of your conduct when handling the capital city _Lucifaad_ " began Ajuka as he eyed the four devils – minus a calmly composed Rivia Abaddon. "Each of you possesses great potential in multiple fields of operation, you have all demonstrated prime effectiveness when faced with insurmountable odds and have also shown great effectiveness when operating with each other... we believe putting all five of you together will create something much more then what was previously given to you" once Ajuka finished his reasoning, his hand tapped the OPSAT station; revealing a series of blips at the furthest northeast region of hell; within the territory of _Lilith_.

"What you're seeing is troop movements detected by long range sensors and information provided by the AI _**Harbinger**_ _—_ "Ryden's eyes quickly rose up to look at the General – slightly shocked by the reveal – only to receive a slight amused glint from the green haired devil upon moving _._ "—it has yielded information of the Old-Satan forces within the territory and their interest with the mountainous region within the _Territory of Lilith_... Rivia has informed us that _Infernum_ _Ventus_ is located there" Ajuka revealed before a grim expression overtook him. "Their aware of our possession with an _Infernum Armis_ , so we can only guess what they're planning" he said with dreadful seriousness before Rivia added in as well.

"Regardless of who they are; Intel has revealed the enemy force possesses mass produced _Omni-keys_... if they have enough, then they might just be able to free the weapon on their own—we CANNOT let that happen" Rivia explained with all seriousness.

Ryden hummed in confusion. "What's gonna happen with the Old-Satan's to the far south? Whatever their doing can't be good either" he reasoned with slight nervousness at the situation.

Serafall beamed at the man's worry, catching his attention by the sheer confidence in her eyes. "You don't need to worry about that Ryden; I have deployed multiple assault forces to that territory... while you retrieve the _Infernum Armis'_ , I will work alongside your brother to disrupt whatever their doing and hopefully put a stop to whatever scheme their planning" she informed confidently. Ryden however slowly nodded at the woman's words in regards to the situation in the south; however his confusion rose at Serafall's prior words.

" _Infernum Armis'..._? As in were going for all of them? Not just _Ventus_?" Ryden rattled off curiously.

Rivia and Sirzechs nodded firmly at Ryden's slew of questions before Rivia elaborated further. "A small team of five should be effective enough to breach enemy lines without detection and steal them all before they can be defiled by the insects... we'll even be tasked with sabotage and disruption within the area as well—foil any kind of large scale force with the power of the weapons once acquired" she informed with a smile... a very dangerous smile if Ryden had to comment.

 _Someone was excited..._

Sirzechs also nodded in agreement with Rivia, his eyes boring into Ryden's with a deep seriousness unlike before. "The _Infernum Armis'_ are immensely powerful weapons Ryden—"

 _ **Damn right we are...**_

"—if we can possess all of them, then this war will be over well before the year after this one—IF everything goes well that is" Sirzechs reasoned before he bit his lip.

Ryden lightly regarded the devil before his mind quickly began putting together everything present; and what the devils were truly building in front of him. " _Prowler warfare..."_ he muttered in realization to which Sirzechs slowly nodded in confirmation, a smirk of his own rising along his lips.

"Yes... if we are to win this war without any further bloodshed, then any kind of method is welcome to me" Sirzechs exclaimed with a look of honesty.

Ryden glanced to Rosalina humorously after having put together the situation. "So this is the initiative you mentioned before—the reason all of us were withheld from further operation strictly because of this plan" he said with rising excitement. After hearing Ryden's words, Rosalina mildly nodded in affirmative before a massive grin appeared on the Ryden's face "Now I'm fired up..." he muttered gleefully before he regarded Sirzechs.

"What's this little initiative of yours is called..." Ryden pressed.

Rivia snorted humorously at Ryden's almost childlike interest, while Sirzechs merely smirked at the man along with Ajuka and Serafall. "The name of the Initiative is derived from those within the team and their operational conduct and objective..." Sirzechs began before he sighed humorously when Ryden's expression almost began to shimmer brightly in complete excitement

Shaking his head with moderate embarrassment, Sirzechs pressed on. "The initiatives name is ' _ **Crimson Dagger**_ '..." Sirzechs revealed with a slight smirk of amusement as the five devils involved eyed him closely; even Rivia seemed amused by the name. With another shake of his head, Sirzechs elaborated on the initiatives tasks. "The primary objective of the Crimson Dagger is simple; ' _acquirement of the three Infernum Armis'_ is paramount above all other, however Secondary objectives are as followed... subterfuge, assassination, hostage rescue, high value target acquirement and strategic bombardment of any military compounds found; any other none listed objectives are also included..." listed the crimson General before Ryden piped in with a small reminder.

"I should also mention the possibility of recruiting Tiamat—" Ryden muttered for all to hear; slightly spiking the room with a very steep reminder from awhile ago. "—With how things work out, we could possibly acquire every _Infernum Armis,_ AND a legendary dragon king just for the sake of fucking the term 'overkill'... wouldn't mind scaring the living shit out of Rizevim if ever given the chance" Ryden snickered at his own comment along with Abigail and Rivia; leaving the others to ponder Ryden's sanity.

If the man could be so calm about a trial by combat with a legendary dragon just below the level of a _heavenly dragon..._ then some ones bat shit.

Serafall shivered at Ryden's confidence while Ajuka casually regarded his OPSAT station without further acknowledgement to the insanity in front of him. Sirzechs however kept his cool by laughing moderately at Ryden's positive nature. In his defense, Ryden did speak of acquiring the _Infernum Armis'_ BEFORE engaging the dragon king, so at least the man would be fighting at a moderate level of power in comparison to the dragon, which spoke of a slight hint to the man's possible intelligence... for the sake of his own sanity, Sirzechs could only cling to that possibility...

Ryden scratched his cheek calmly before he lightly added in another objective. "Speaking of which, Tiamat and I did forge a deal—one of many—that required me to retrieve one of her lost treasures in the _Necropolis_ ; Tiamat told me the Valefor demon was the culprit, yet she herself wishes to avoid confrontation with the denizens that live there" he informed casually.

This time Serafall shivered harder than before; a loud yelp of terror following the action while Ajuka's focus on his OPSAT station slightly faltered... and Sirzechs... well he...

"With good reason damn it!" yelled Sirzechs as he scanned the old castles interior with great focus, his gaze for some reason favoring a corner of the room that possessed a large clump of cobwebs. "There's a damn good reason no one desires to travel to that place, and I'm not surprised Tiamat herself dreads a trip there... those fuckers are HUGE!" laminated the great General... a _super devil_ if Ryden's facts on his elder brother were right.

Ryden's eyebrow rose slightly in befuddlement, having expected at least a moderate degree of professionalism from the three; yet he soon realised the gravity of his words when he noted the expressions on the rest of the rooms occupants. Abigail and Nyx were slightly ghosted white at the mention of the _necropolis_ – possibly due to being involved in going there – but they seemed only slightly effected by the mention of the underworlds graveyard territory. Rivia and Rosalina posed with calm expressions, yet he could see the nervousness in their eyes anyway.

A nervously shaking Rivia Abaddon... that was a sight...

Ryden shook his head in confusion, slightly unnerved by the extreme arachnophobia present in almost everyone in the room. "I can understand the fear of spiders to a degree, but is it really warranted right now?" he asked to which Serafall jumped into her chair when something out of view grazed her leg.

"Eeeep!" she wailed with a clear case of the 'heebie-jeebies'.

Sirzechs eyed Ryden closely, a deep seriousness embedded into his gaze. "Ryden... you are too young to understand the horrors of the _necropolis_ ; a single bit from even the smallest of _scuttler's_ can curse even the most resilient of devils—turning them into walking corpses!—if they're not hungry that is..." Sirzechs warned darkly.

"Their always hungry..." muttered a calm Ajuka Astaroth as he continued to fiddle with the OPSAT station.

"Exactly! A single bite can cause instant paralysis—Euuuugh!—Most of the time they prefer to eat the victims from the inside out WHILE THEIR STILL ALIVE!" wailed Sirzechs before a wave of nausea over took him.

Ryden stood slightly off put by the Generals show of fear towards these ' _Scuttler's'_ before his vision was obscured by Ajuka's hand; a small circular disk-like item sitting directly within his palm. Confused by the offered item, Ryden glanced up to see a withdrawn Ajuka Astaroth; his expression laden with acceptance and understanding... yet he didn't look totally on board with the subject.

"Here—"Ajuka offered as Ryden took the item hesitantly. "—I compiled a map of the _necropolis's_ known regions towards the inner sanctum where the major 72 demons were buried; this should help cover some distance and also help in limiting your engagement with the _scuttler's_. Considering by that point you should be in possession with _Ignis_ I don't think they should be very difficult to deal with..." he added before stepping back over to his OPSAT station, leaving Serafall and Sirzechs looking on mortified by Ajuka's casual surrender to Ryden's plan.

Seeing the looks from the two, Ajuka merely shrugged. "Do you two really think Ryden would back down from getting on Tiamat's good side? If he does this for her then you can bet there will be a benefit of some degree... no amount of childhood stories from your mothers will deter him from this path" he scolded casually before going back to work.

Surprisingly for all present; Ajuka's words forced a series of blushes on Sirzechs and Serafall as the truth of their worries was based solely on bedtime stories from their mothers...

Sometimes hard truths can often possess the same effect as a physical strike, and both Generals were feeling that effect.

Ryden snickered at the two's dejected pouts while putting the necropolis's map away in his pocket dimension. "Well then, now that that is dealt with and everything is planned—what does this Initiative have in regards to our ranks? Special treatment such as this certainly has some sort of benefit to our collective ranks right?"

At Ryden's words, Serafall nodded in agreement as her previous expression slowly melting away to a more professional glint. "Indeed it does lord Ryden—considering all of you are nobles, we thought it would be detrimental to form a sort of hierarchy amongst you; so to counter any form of dysfunction in the future, we created a new rank for all of you to equally possess" informed the ravenette with a slight mischievous glance to Rivia and Rosalina.

Nyx's brow rose in curiosity along with Abigail's, while Ryden lightly glanced between Rivia and Rosalina before ultimately dropping his inquisitiveness after a moment. "What is it?" asked Nyx

Serafall merely smirked at the man's intrigue. " _Lord Sentinel_ " Serafall revealed, sparking a slight rise of awe in the two devils. "The status of which will place you in between the status of _Elder_ and _Commander—_ though slightly in league with the latter. This will allow for complete freedom to operate outside of limitations normally placed on those below them; however your authority over an _Elder_ only allows for requests for reinforcements and priority target engagements. Your status with the commanders will vary on situation, however they do not possess complete authority over you and you don't posses authority over them"

Nyx and Abigail's eyes flew open at the reveal, obviously not expecting the level of promotion presented; while Rosalina looked not too far from experiencing a serious heart failure—what with the ghostly white look of extreme mortification and wide mouthed gape, it didn't leave much to the imagination at just what the Phenex devil had expected from the meeting.

Ryden on the other hand was slightly floored by the unorthodox promotion; as was every other person besides Rivia Abaddon – having obviously been granted the promotion beforehand. However, unlike the others, Ryden merely preserved the promotion from a societal standpoint. The rank _Lord Sentinel_ should help keep dysfunction in their _team_ to a very small possibility; making sure no one went over the others heads and cause a mutiny amongst them.

The idea of such a thing happening – considering their allegiances – was still a very high possibility based purely on their task and the _length_ in which they'd be with the others. Nyx and Abigail seemed inseparable at the hip, so the chances of them becoming excessively annoyed with the others presence over time was very low. However when it came Rivia and Rosalina – and the few times he'd witnessed or heard their minor arguments – he knew they'd be the ones closest to picking unnecessary fights after a week.

It was unavoidable to consider, but with the lack of hierarchy meant there'd be less of a chance of a fight arising from their petty squabbles and banter... if he could truly call it as such; Rivia seemed to enjoy it.

Hmm...

Either way, the squad functionality would be a lot like _Grey-Team_ in the halo books that he'd read. a small group of Spartans without a chain of command deployed into covenant controlled space just to disrupt anything in sight... guerrilla warfare, sabotage and assassination; the whole fucking nine yards.

Ryden liked it, considering the situation – the _true_ situation – the Anti-Satan forces were in, they needed to mount as many victories in a row as possible to establish a firm enough hold on the war before any kind of retaliation reared its head, and if Sirzechs had to deploy a single team of badass devils into enemy territory with simple orders to break shit then all the more power to him; he was all game.

As Ryden mulled over the developments, the white orb floating above the holographic map of hell suddenly shone brighter than before; signalling a sudden activation...

 **[Sorry for interrupting lord Astaroth, but my scans have detected an immense increase in meteorological anomalies in the** _ **Territory of Lilith**_ **]** spoke a seemingly modified _harbinger_

Ryden's gaze landed on the white orb floating above the OPSAT station; its spherical form pulsing with every word spoken. He could tell the difference in the AI by just the words from it alone; the tone was smoother and less friendly, almost as if it possessed a much sharper personality linked with a professional suave. _She_ didn't Sound completely like Cortana; but she didn't seem like she wasn't a stranger to sarcasm.

Glancing to Ajuka, Ryden lightly smirked at the familiar voice before nodding his head in recognition. "I see you got _Harbinger_ all fixed up to your liking..." he commented as Ajuka fiddled with the stations control panel.

"Indeed I have lord Ryden..." acknowledged Ajuka. " _Harbingers_ systems were advanced but extremely limited in potential; all I did was broaden her horizons and linked its network into the Anti-Satan's nexus system" he added robotically as the geographic map pinged the mountainous region in the _Territory of Lilith_.

Speaking of which; now that Ryden could truly see the full map of hell – something supposedly impossible due to the sheer scope of it all – he was finally able to digest the territories locations by glance rather than by guessing all the time.

Hell was sectioned off by two massive borders that split hell into four distinct territories. At the northwest regions of hell sat _Lucifaad_ – located in the middle of the territory – while in the far left corner of the territory spanned the massive region of hells graveyard, the _Necropolis_ ; which went out much further into the _void lands_... a place where one of the bloodiest conflicts in hell was waged _._

To the southwest of the map was the _Territory of Thorns,_ while directly beside it was _Leviathia_. The main subject now, was located northeast – _Lilith's_ trophy territory. Ajuka casually controlled the maps movement just as anyone would with a touch screen; gently zooming in on the mountainous regions within the _Territory of Lilith_ before _harbinger's_ voice caught everyone's attention.

 **[My long range scanners have pinpointed the signal to be...]** as harbinger spoke, a small ping location – marked in green – pegged a location point directly at the tip of the tallest mountain in hell. **[—here! meteorological anomaly has been triangulated to this point—at the tip of 'Satan's nipple']**

Ajuka smirked at the information while Rivia eyed the location closely; seemingly deaf or uncaring to what Ryden had just heard. However while everyone focused on the subject, Ryden's eyes squinted in extreme befuddlement at the name of this mountain. His hands launched up in complete confusion; catching the attention of a handful of people in the room. "Hold the fuck up—did I just hear _Satan's Nipple_ just now?" he asked in wide open confusion.

Sirzechs giggled – fatigue induced – at the question proposed by Ryden; enticing a few other chuckles from Nyx, Abigail and surprisingly Rosalina of all people... even Rivia and Serafall huffed out a moderate expression of amusement, yet they both seemed mildly pained by the question.

"Yes Ryden, you did just hear that—" Abigail opened in between a set of giggles. "—to answer your question; _Lilith is a mild pervert..._ "

Ryden's brow merely narrowed at the reply but he ultimately relented the subject; much to Rivia and Serafall's relief. "Whatever..." he sighed in relent before pointing at the mountain peak. "Anyway; It's obvious _Ventus_ is situated in this location, and we can also assume the sudden increase in meteorological anomalies is his doing—which either means _Ventus_ is in trouble or he's having a slight temper tantrum" he theorized before looking to Sirzechs.

"If it's the former, then we need to move immediately in order to make sure _Ventus_ doesn't fall into the wrong hands" Ryden urged, yet Sirzechs shook his head quickly to dissuade Ryden's urgency.

"Deployment at this point is too risky, _Harbinger_ and Ajuka scanned the territory prior to this meeting—what they discovered showed us that the Old-Satan's possess more than one monolith surveillance station within the civilian populated capital city; if we deploy you all now then enemy forces may detect you before you even make it in"

Nyx huffed in annoyance along with Ryden. "Sounds like they don't want anyone inside the territory at all..." he said with clear frustration.

"I can guess as to why" replied Abigail knowingly. "They did lose a major capital city—they may think the city of Lilith is next on that list"

"It won't be..." pinched Ajuka sharply, his eyes glancing up from the console to regard the few devils in front of him with a keen eye. "—the city of Lilith is a refuge for all low-class and mid-class devils; most of the noble families also have homes within the territory... destroy it and we'll only receive negative lash back to our cause"

Ryden nodded at the warning. "So it's a cease fire zone then?" he asked inquisitively.

Serafall however shook her head at his hopeful question. "No, Old-Satan forces pretty much control the entire city—from low status police forces all the way up to a small detachment of _Death knights_... getting inside the city would be more trouble than it's worth" reasoned Serafall, yet Ryden's lips rose into a pain smile; relenting a glint of information by his expression alone. "What?" Serafall asked curiously as Ryden stepped up to the OPSAT station with a knowing look.

Ryden sighed before he looked the three general's in the eye. "What if I told you I had someone on the inside?"

At Ryden's odd – and slightly foreboding – question, all the Generals; including Nyx, Abigail, Rivia and Rosalina, all eyed Ryden closely in interest. Yet all of them for some reason felt the man's coming words to be yet another shock for them all.

 _Ryden wouldn't disappoint..._

He shrugged with a slight disparaging demeanor; correcting his previous words by the action before his eyes locked with Serafall. "I'm not saying I have someone on the inside of the capital— _BUT_ during our little incursion into the monolith outpost I managed to run into an inquisitor who didn't particularly like his job" he revealed, sparking a degree of surprised looks from all present. Ryden smirked at the expressions before he raised his index finger in order to stop Ajuka from butting. "Quick defusing—the inquisitor wasn't just any block head off the street with a massive disappointed opinion against the order; no, this inquisitor was an original"

Sirzechs eyes bore into Ryden hard, his gaze narrowing at the subject. "Does this inquisitor possess a name?" he asked seriously before Ajuka quickly activated several sigils on the OPSAT console; clearly intent on search the devils name.

Ryden nodded. " _Valois_ is his name..." he answered truthfully. Ajuka nodded at the information before he typed in the name, leaving the others to stare at Ryden as he elaborated on his encounter with the devil. "I found him having quite the heated conversation with a devil named _Calris_ – a fellow colleague of his – and as they argued, Valois spoke of his extreme discontent about Katerea Leviathan and the man's obsession with her"

Sirzechs suddenly nodded in realization while Serafall stared at him closely. "So you're saying you chose to speak with this _Valois_ strictly because of his disdain towards the Old-Satan regime?" Sirzechs summarized with a look of mild doubt.

That was one heck of a gamble on Ryden's part...

Ryden merely nodded to the question as the image of Valois appeared over the OPSAT station; garnering the attention of everyone present.

Ajuka lightly cleared his throat before pressing a series of holographic buttons that brought up a window of information directly beside the black haired inquisitor; leaving _Harbinger_ to read off the information displayed...

 **[Valois Xa – mid-class devil – born 900 years ago... according to Old-Satan records that I managed to pick up, Valois is a distinguished Inquisitor that served with the first wave of inquisition forces when the order was built in that last centuries of the Great War during the fall of the Demons. He served valiantly for several centuries before Lucifer's demise near the last days of the Great War. Afterwards, the remaining first wave inquisitors were quickly inducted into the ranks of the Old-Satan forces and distributed amongst the generals for higher ranking positions; which would then lead to their reactivation into active military service when the Civil War began. However, later reports showed his declining loyalty and emotional control to the Old-Satan cause, and was even trialed for killing fellow inquisitors in the battle of _Leviathia_ regarding the condition of several dozen female prisoners]**

Abigail and Rosalina sneered at the information, yet it was clear to everyone else that Valois wasn't exactly what they were expecting. Ryden nodded triumphantly, his decision and judgment of character having proven positive.

Serafall's eyes locked with his after rereading the information, an expression of curiosity soon taking over her features. "You chose to speak with this devil—yet I must ask what the reason is that forced you to make this decision" she urged questioningly.

Ryden nodded while the others regarded him closer than before. "It's simple... I have a personal investment in this War and I wished to hunt down someone of strategic interest that some of you may consider worth killing—Valois merely had the means to relay a message for me"

Sirzechs eyed Ryden closely, already knowing the reason for Ryden's involvement in this, yet his curiosity in the topic was peaked at just what Ryden was planning. "A message? For whom?" he asked.

Ryden smirked. "A lucifuge... _Thee_ Lordess herself specifically"

At Ryden's words, all three Generals regarded him with questionable expressions; doubt lining their lips at the sheer stretch Ryden's plan possessed. They all knew of the sheer secrecy shrouding the Lordess of the lucifage family, how her very appearance was shrouded under a magic visor that let none of them truly perceive who the woman was. Knowing this, Ajuka lightly regarded Ryden with a defusing glint in his expression. "And how would you manage to assassinate the single most elusive devil in the Old-Satan forces?" he asked, targeting the futility of Ryden's plan.

However Ryden merely smirked at the question, waving it off like it was a simple matter all together. "It's a lot easier then you think General, Lordess lucifuge is the one who spear headed my torture when nothing else worked" Ryden answered, spiking a series of shocked looks from the devils in the room. After seeing the looks from Nyx, Abigail and Serafall; Ryden merely gesture to his body and face. "As you can see, I'm still good lookin—so obviously she failed as well" Ryden gloated while smirking almost seductively to Rivia before his eyes returned to the Generals. "AND to put even more of a dent in her little reputation as the boogieman – or woman – of hell, I also manage to escape her clutches and blow up the literal crown jewel of hell... _Lucifaad_..." Ryden's words forced realization into all present, everyone quickly realizing the situation Lordess lucifuge was in.

Ryden smirked at that before pressing on with his point with a more confident expression; almost smug if anyone had to describe it. "So, with that all said and done, I ask you all to think about what Lordess lucifuge is thinking right now—and if that for some reason follows along the lines of _'oh shit, oh fuck, oh shit, oh fuck'_ then you're probably on the same page as me"

Nyx, Abigail, Rivia and the three Generals were floored by the information while Rosalina was merely staring at Ryden, a new understanding of the man's tactical mind set quickly forming as she digested the sheer potential damage Ryden had over the mysterious woman in the lucifuge family. Any second Ryden could merely broadcast his involvement in Halphes – along with his hand in destroying _Lucifaad_ – and then mention Lordess Lucifuge's involvement and soon after the woman would be paraded throughout Lilith as either a trophy for the masses to enjoy or as something worse.

Rizevim wasn't exactly known for showing mercy to traitor's or incompetence, so if word of Lordess Lucifuge's failure got out, then her suffering would be far worse than death. Knowing this and the suffering the woman had caused to both Ryden and the innocence within Halphes; Rosalina was mildly confused why Ryden wasn't delivering the woman's fate with a public announcement at this very moment.

But whatever the man's reasons, she'd understand. That woman had caused extreme suffering for many people and had been the one to defeat her back at the crucible; had it not been for Ryden, then she would have been killed that day...whatever fate befell her was well deserved.

As Rosalina dwelled on her own opinion on the matter, Serafall lightly peaked at the subject's direction; completely ignoring Ryden's personal interest in the plan and looked more towards the strategic value of it instead. Any form of new found source of intelligence – or possible strategy on Ryden's part – was something Serafall almost desired. Way back during the debriefing in the simple bungalow, she slowly began recognizing Ryden's true tactical awareness and understanding when he'd introduced the topic of _'prowler warfare'_ ; and while the full uses of such tactics couldn't be used at the time – which enforced Ryden's previous words on the life expectancy of strategy – it still sparked a serious level of interest in not only herself, but Sirzechs and Ajuka as well.

It was why the _Crimson Dagger_ had been made in the first place...

Serafall honestly couldn't quite contain herself from pressing Ryden's plan further; since it seemed her little private conversation with Ryden was all but impossible, she had to at least get something to tie her over. "Lord Ryden?" she called out, eyes brimming with interest.

Ryden nodded simply to the General. "Hmm?" he hummed

"Can you tell me the effects in taking out the Lordess of the lucifuge family? What effects it may have? and exactly what length of damage it may bring to the Old-Satan's? While I do agree with your personal desire for vengeance, I do hope it hasn't clouded your judgment completely" Serafall asked inquisitively while giving Ryden a look of understanding.

Ryden on the other hand merely shrugged at the latter portion of the question. "You don't need to worry about my judgment General—If the Lordess wasn't a tactically rich target then I'd simply bide my time before every other problem is dealt with—Civil war included" he answered truthfully.

Serafall's eyes rose slightly at Ryden's reply. "You're saying you'd actually hold off vengeance?" she asked, shocked by the man's show of control towards the rather tender subject.

He nodded. "Precisely..."

At that reply, Nyx huffed out a mild chuckle. "I find that hard to believe really—" he commented off handily. "No offense to you lord Ryden, but if I was victim to some crazy torture then I'd probably lose most of my focus in anything until whoever responsible dangles lifelessly from my spear"

Ryden merely smirked at the devils colorful words. "You're mistaken Nyx, the Lordess will inevitably find herself in my path; be it tomorrow or by next year it hardly matters—time is irrelevant"

Serafall grew confused at that set of reassuring words, a culmination of confusion that forced her to pry further. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

Ryden smirked at the question, his words already made. "What I mean is—I'm not locked in hell with her... _she's locked in hell with me; and I have all the time in the world_ "

At his darkly spoken – and ominous – words, the room grew momentarily silent before Ryden clicked his tongue; rounding back to Serafall's earlier question. "As for the strategic value I'd say it's worth the trouble—considering the Lordess directs the efforts of the Death knights personally; killing her could potentially destroy morale and shift attention from the main issue—the war." Ryden sighed before he lightly cracked his neck. "There is also the possibility in cutting off the Lucifuge family's financial support..." he added, causing the Generals and Rivia to tense suddenly at the man's implication.

"The family crest..." muttered Sirzechs quietly; a distinct look of sickness in his eyes. At his words, both Serafall and Ajuka felt a cold chill creep up their spine while the others merely sat on the matter with a cold disposition.

Ryden licked his lips at the effect of his words before affirming his intention. "Destroying the family crest – the _main_ one – not only destroys the families' connection with their vast resources and money, but it also destroys the entire family pillar as well... with the Lucifuge family destroyed..."

"...The Old-Satan forces would no longer possess superior funding..." whispered Serafall as she locked eyes with Ryden. As she stared at the man, a cold shiver over took her senses when all that stared back at her was a cold and derelict man...

 _Void of mercy_

The cold uncaring gaze that Ryden gave her spoke of such vehemence that she couldn't honestly believe the man was possibly joking. Destroying a family crest – the centralized one – completely cuts off the family from their wealth and history; the death of the one who bore the mark of the family would mean the complete erase of an entire legacy of devils.

The only memory of the fallen, gone... now merely limited to those that remembered them...

The Generals were at an impasse.

"Doing this is considered a war crime..." muttered Rosalina as the true gravity of Ryden's words finally reached her.

Rivia however clicked her tongue dismissively at the woman's warning. "Killing innocence indiscriminately – for nothing but sick pleasure – is also considered a war crime is it not?" She asked; a coldness to her tone that none could truly refute.

Ryden lightly wiped away a dust speck from his freshly cleaned flock coat before he locked eyes with a particularly interesting section of the room. "If I'm not mistaken... the penalty of such crimes leads to the families disbanded..." he added calmly; casually reciting the time he'd read through a list of war crimes.

At his words, Serafall and a silent Ajuka merely nodded at the information while Sirzechs chewed on his bottom lip; a fierceness in his eyes that none could truly distinguish.

The man hesitated for a moment, but soon after a period of thought Sirzechs regarded Ryden with a deep look of seriousness that honestly unnerved Ryden to a moderate degree. "Tell me... is the Lordess truly as brutal as you say she is? Is she truly worthy of death to you?" he asked with desperation in his voice.

Ryden's eyes flickered red at the question while his muscles flexed briefly at the implication in Sirzechs' words. "Are you implying that she may not be?" he growled questioningly while _Fulgur_ slightly amped up; its own raw anger rising.

 _That wasn't a smart question to ask him..._

Sirzechs shook his head quickly while the room slightly grew on edge. "No, that's not what i—"

"Your previous words contradict you—you seem interested in there being a secondary outcome" Ryden countered with a hard tone. "Why are you interested in showing this insect mercy? The very insect I witnessed – _first hand_ – distribute orders to her personal interrogators to shift their attention from me to the innocent civilians... she was the one to do it all, all blame rests on _her shoulders—_ therefore death is the only thing that suits her" muttered Ryden in a whispered growl. "...she deserves neither pity nor mercy"

At his growled words, the entire room was stilled into absolute silence. The vehemence, the resolve and the conviction in Ryden's words – including the context provided within them – easily painted the image they all needed. The Lordess of the Lucifuge pillar was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocence, which meant the penalty of her actions would lead to her family's disbandment by the authority of the Dantalion court; The legitimacy of Ryden's assassination was therefore solidified by this fact—war crime or not, the crimes committed by the Lordess would inevitably lead to the disbandment of the lucifuge family house, therefore canceling out any repercussions on the Anti-Satan's end.

With all intents and purposes, they would simply be carrying out the punishment for the Dantalion family...

Sirzechs knew the crime well enough, but he needed total verbal confirmation from Ryden himself. He was the only one alive that could truly testify against the devil house and any sort of proof of his involvement merely came down to Sirzechs' own words. He had all he needed though, and so his expression merely shift to a resigned poise. "Then I have my answer—" he muttered with a resigned sigh before his gaze sharpened into a professional one. "Carry out whatever measures you see fit to accomplish this assassination—should you accomplish this task, then all remaining noble houses that haven't been strong armed into following the Old-Satan forces will begin to lose interest—with an ever present decline in morale and financial support, most will begin to lose faith in the supposed 'promised descendants' and start leaving them of their own volition" added Sirzechs, sounding as if he was convincing himself more than anyone else present.

Ryden raised a brow at the devils tone, confusion lacing his eyes.

 _Seems like Sirzechs really didn't want to go through with this..._

 _ **It's not so surprising really...**_

 _Care to elaborate?_

 _ **Contrary to your belief or expectations, but I'm more aware of the devils then you are... but to answer your question: it's simple economic stability for future uses...**_

Ryden rolled his mind's eye at the topic, doubt soon creeping into his thoughts.

 _I thought the devil species operated under their own family resources, but your saying these devils actually_ _ **share**_ _their own wealth... pardon me while I try and cope with that idea_

Ryden heard a mild scoff deep within his mind, his comment evidently amusing the sword spirit.

 _ **Its mind boggling—I know—but its real. However the answer for this Sirzechs devil is honestly a lot simpler then you may think**_

 _I'm listening..._

 _ **During the time when I was sealed, I witnessed the devils and demon's lay waste to each other for nothing but the wealth and power of the ones they chose to covet—I witnessed a lot of murder back then; any devil who actually became unfortunate enough to establish a vast wealth of 'whatever-was-of-value-this-millennia' would suddenly become public enemy number one... this went on for hundreds of years – mostly involving the demons, and only slightly involving the devil species – but once the demons finally died off close to the end of the Great War, the devils were quick to inherit the issue. Since no true civilization or unity could come out of their nasty habits, Lucifer himself devised a 'banking' solution and gave full control to the most unbiased devil family in existence...**_

 _The Dantalion house..._

 _ **Exactly... greed was a nasty thing back in those days, and the devils couldn't exactly amass enough wealth without finding a dagger in their back. So Lucifer merely created a deterrent—not exactly a fix, but it sure as shit kept the devils greed at bay...**_

 _Let me guess... the family crest was the solution?_

 _ **No actually, the family crest was long since created to establish the lord of a particularly important devil connected to whatever pillar they were born in; The deterrent I'm talking about was more of a key so to speak... since the main reason the devils were killing each other was for the wealth involved in it, Lucifer merely linked the family's wealth to that crest, and when that crest fades after the lord or Lordess dies—so too does that wealth. Safe to say it worked like a charm 'cause the reason for killing has gotten a lot dumber then before; now it's just for sick pleasure...**_

Ryden nodded at the sword spirits words with his own resolute nod.

 _So your saying Sirzechs is more remorseful towards the complete lose of money and wealth then the actual woman?_

 _ **Its highly possible, but it's also possible the devil wants to keep her alive...**_

Ryden's hand clenched at the implication, the possibility of such a thing being real

 _Sirzechs wouldn't forgive such a creature..._

 _ **It's not as much as forgiveness as it is dominance master. I have dwelled a tad bit into your memories regarding the year 2018 – I was bored when you were asleep – but what I learned is that human's possess a much more fragile sense of morality than any other species in existence at that time period... a sensitive lot you all are. But to answer my previous words; this crimson devil may not be looking to forgive this woman, he may desire to dominate her instead—use that vast wealth for his own 'greater good' while also keeping a trophy on the side for personal uses...**_

 _That... that doesn't seem like anything Sirzechs would do..._

 _ **Don't be naive boy—you're smarter than that, looks are always deceiving... never trust face value**_

Ryden quietly sank down on the subject provided by _Fulgur,_ I mild – no – _massive_ sense of disgust slowly enveloping his thoughts as he considered the idea of Sirzechs' true nature, and possible interest in the Lordess of the lucifuge house. While he did hate Grayfia with every fiber of his being, there still was a small part of him that loathed the idea of leaving a woman to such a fate as slavery or worse... if that was who he was now, then Grayfia had truly done what she had sought out to do...

" _My lord desires a monster... I have the means to make one..."_

 _No... Her means_ _ **failed**_ _..._

"Ryden?"

Ryden suddenly jumped to attention once he heard his named called; the man in question quickly eyeing Serafall with a very brief fluster before he cursed at his own distraction. No matter the length of a conversation he had with _Fulgur_ , it always seemed to move slower than time itself.

He shook his head dismissively before he regarded Serafall with an apologetic nod. "Sorry for zoning out, _Fulgur_ wanted to tell me something—what did you need?" he asked

Serafall merely shook off the inconvenience before repeating her previous words. "I was just informing you all about how you'll be able to breach into the _Territory of Lilith_ and the order of the operation within..." she said calmly before _harbinger_ lightly acknowledge Serafall's words.

 **[Indeed! My scans have picked up a vast build up of energy within the designated territory. According to my calculations, wind pressure surrounding the territory has reached an all time high; however its centralized around the mountains and slowly rising in speed. I estimate 17 hours before a cataclysmic event occurs within** _ **Territory of Lilith,**_ **this event will temporarily disable the monoliths effective range greatly, allowing for anyone to enter the territory without detection]**

After the AI's additional words to Serafall's own, the whole room suddenly grew even more unease by the simple mention of a cataclysmic event. However before anyone could fully speak of their curiosity regarding the sudden development; the candles lining the room suddenly billowed out by a sudden gust of wind that erupted from the rooms upper windows, an event that caused a brief period of shock to those present.

Ajuka looked to the OPSAT station. "Harbinger, what just happened?"

 **[A massive pressure flux in the upper atmosphere—The energy build up is still increasing around the pinpointed location but the wind in the region is fluctuated methodically, as if its...** _ **pulsating**_ **]** at the confused tone within _harbingers_ voice, many present soon developed surprise at both harbingers confusion _and_ the unnatural wind pressure fluctuation.

As Ajuka quickly studied the map and his readings of the territories meteorological levels, Ryden merely gazed at the OPSAT stations holographic map and kept his eyes directly where _Ventus_ was supposedly situated. When the pulse of wind had hit them, he'd felt a slight _tug_ at the back of his senses that quickly forced all of his attention onto the map in front of him. His curiosity had seemed to pay off as after a brief period, Ryden slowly began to feel a thume – or pulse – of energy in the back of his mind as his gaze held tightly on the map; it wasn't long before someone figured out what was happening...

 _ **This pressure... it can't be...**_

 _What is it Fulgur? Talk to me..._

 _ **I-It's him!**_

 _Who?_

Slowly, Ryden's mind began to connect the dots; but in doing so, a slow sense of realization followed after, causing Ryden to develop goose at _Fulgur's_ next words...

 _ **Its Ventus!**_

 **[Event identified! Wind pressure change imminent!]** Rang out harbinger as Ryden watched the small green blip at the tip of the tallest mountain suddenly pulse out a massive green wave of wind pressure not even a couple seconds after _Harbingers_ warning.

Ryden felt a slight chill rise up along his spine as he watched the green wave completely encompass the entire _Territory of Lilith,_ before it then covered the entire map of hell within _seconds._ However the chill along his spine didn't truly affect him until the wave reached their position...

However... once it did reach them... Ryden quickly realized the 'chill' that rose up his spine wasn't actually because of the cold.

No...

It was _anticipation_...

He knew what was coming...

.

.

.

 _ **So... you're the one that freed Fulgur huh?**_

 _ **...Impressive**_

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **I think I'm gonna wrap this up here... yeah... that would do it best... god If I go any further it'll be another 20,000 words and 2 more months before this gets out!**_

 _ **Anyway, other than the fact this chapter only takes place in one room, I do hope it gives you guys enough of an idea as to what I'm doing...**_

 _ **That's right folks... It's a god damn fellowship of the Infernum Armis'! Woah! God was I waiting for this debut like crazy, its adventure time fuckers!**_

 _ **As it said in the chapter, my main inspiration – and to Ryden's mild amusement – for the creation of the 'CRIMSON DAGGER' was the idea from 'Grey Team' from the halo book 'Cole protocol' and literally 'the Fellow Ship Of The Ring'... one side of the spectrum you got a small team of hyper lethal Spartans fucking up covenant forces on their own accord, and the other side of the spectrum is a quickly tossed together band of awesome main characters on a quest for victory.**_

 _ **I Kind of put the two forms together and said "ITS ALIVE! ITS ALIVE!"**_

 _ **With my enthusiasm aside, I can agree with my reviewers that the story seems more appealing with world building, adventure, character development, and awesome action... and fu—I mean romance!**_

 _ **Speaking of which, the romance is a slow process folks; I want the development to truly mean something—and while a lot of you guess deeply love Rivia, it only goes to show you that I'm on the right track (I think). I'm a little curious if anyone actually likes Rosalina though, cause no one's really said anything about her... kinda makes me sad, she WAS originally planned to be the main girl until I said FUCK IT and brought in Rivia LAST SECOND!**_

 _ **I don't normally like stroking my ego in public but hell ya! My last second plan actually seemed to work out!**_

 _ **That could honestly be the main subject to my autobiography... low key feels bois**_

 _ **Ok, this chapter is a wrap! However this may be the last one for a little while – possibly? – Because I'm gonna be going on my last ever road trip with the family to Vancouver Island. I may just be able to get another chapter out before then, but it may be left on a SERIOUS cliff hanger—and that's still a tall order (if you're aware of my slow-as-shit upload rate, you will agree to that)**_

 _ **Trust me, I know the pain of cliff hangers (WHERE THE FUCK IS SEV LUCASFILMS!?) and leaving my readers on one not only hurts me on the inside, it also makes me feel obligated to pump out a chapter as quickly as possible.**_

 _ **You wanna know how to get to burn out avenue? Cause that's how you get there...**_

 _ **Anyway, to leave you guys off on a something I've been meaning to try. Leave a review stating your preferred ships that you may like to see in the future. Not gonna promise it may happen nor will I confirm it, but it's always nice to see what you guys may want...**_

 _ **Who knows, I may see a character and suddenly go "OH yeah! I actually like her, let's try and sneak her in there!"**_

 _ **Ya never know... oh and if anyone wants to see more Venelana or more specifically a ROMANCE path with her (yes people have asked me... yes I was shocked... and yes I did kinda consider it... shut up)**_

 _ **Anyway; R &R and have a good one folks, until next time...**_

 _ **PEACE!**_


	20. Feet First Into Hell

**-Feet first into Hell-**

 _To say I was excited about the formation of the Crimson Dagger would be an understatement; long had I dreamed of the day where I'd experience the famous 'we're putting a team together' moment..._

 _I was honestly expecting Nyx of all people to say 'We might just die doing this' or 'I got no real plans for the future—I'm in'... it honestly would have tied the knot for me then and there; bad enough I got to experience a legendary halo moment back at the crucible, but that would have honestly sent me over the hills with giggles._

 _Honestly I still get Goosebumps to this day..._

 _But what really got to me on that day was the fact the Infernum Armis 'Ventus' had actually called out to me..._

 _I didn't think it was calling for help per say; but rather reaching out to the supposed 'Arbiter' of hell. Rivia had made it clear to me that the Infernum Armis' could only be released by 'the chosen one' so it's a no brainier to anyone that there was a possibility of a there being a reaction to Fulgur's release..._

 _Once one was freed..._

 _The others would soon take notice..._

 _And Ventus was the first to call..._

 _And what happened after, led to one hell of an introduction for the Crimson Dagger_

* * *

 **[Zagan Castle/ Anti-Satan forward operating base/ military campaign:** _ **Territory of Thorns**_ **/ Crimson Dagger operations log: 01]**

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 _ **So...You're the one that freed Fulgur huh?**_

 _ **...Impressive**_

Ryden stood in place, rooted briskly in his position within the massive command room of the Zagan castle; the voice of none other than _Infernum Ventus_ ringing out in the back of his mind as the feeling of a gentle and stable breeze filled the room entirely. The voice was cold, calculated and distant, like a gentle breeze that carried with it an underline of arrogance that spoke greatly of the weapons vast power and knowledge. Ryden couldn't exactly put a finger on it, but the voice itself sounded weaker then _Fulgur's,_ its properties seemingly wavy and whispered; yet powerful all the same. He had to give the weapon credit though—while _Fulgur_ was in his grasp, _Ventus_ was several thousand miles away, yet he could still manage a connection.

Ryden was impressed...

 _So you're Ventus huh? I'm surprised you managed to connect with me..._

 _ **Were it so easy...**_

Ryden smirked at Ventus' lamination, his lips curling just slightly into a lopsided grin when he recognized the iconic phrase.

 _Indeed, Fulgur herself can attest to my mental barrier's..._

 _ **Tsk—figures that woman would struggle with such an easy task, but I guess I could understand— given her abrasive nature, I can see why she struggled to focus... tell me, how did you manage to coax her into formal communication?**_

 _I mentioned Infernum Aqua..._

 _ **Oh...W-well that explains it—brave man you are...**_

 _ **~Veeeentuuuus~ Ryden is bullying me! Scold him!**_

Ryden's brow suddenly flinched at _Fulgur's_ sudden return, and for some reason the blasted sword was making him out to be some sort of villain...

 _Oi!_

While he did yell out mentally towards the two faced – and for some reason SMUG – sword spirit, _Ventus_ had thankfully elected to ignore the woman's attempt to defame him. He had to applauded the bow spirits professional _'thot defense'_ skills, and quite honestly—Ryden was beginning to really like the spirit.

 _ **Anyway... while it is nice to hear your voice again Fulgur—I would much rather it be sparse comments then your usual abrasive behavior, my time is short and I have no interest in your constant vulgar remarks**_

 _ **Aww! No fun! And here I was thinking we could catch up. It's been so long since I've had company...**_

 _ **Later date woman!**_

 _ **~Ok~ love you!**_

Ryden couldn't honestly believe what he was hearing; the interaction between _Ventus_ and _Fulgur_ seemed so normal, so... _human;_ that it honestly unnerved him in a small way. Bad enough _Fulgur_ possessed an unruly habit in making the lightest of moments into a porno, but now that he had gotten a taste of what the woman might be like with company it was beginning to terrify him...

They sounded like bickering siblings...

 _ **R-Right! Now that the woman is dealt with, I can finally explain to you – Ryden Vale – why I have reached out to you...**_

Ryden sighed at the spirits return to the more glaring subject, his gaze lazily locking with Rivia's form as she studied the room sharply.

 _Let me guess... intruders?_

It was a statement delivered in a calm manner. Ryden and the others knew the issue going on over in Lilith and the Old-Satan's sudden interest in acquiring the weapons of hell was easily apparent with the reports revealed by Harbinger.

For the weapon spirit to go out of its way to contact him spoke a clear confirmation on enemy troop movements, so it was very easy for Ryden to see the clear picture before him.

 _ **I see you are aware of my 'Predicament'— there are several hundred devils closing in on my imprisonment**_

 _Do you happen to know of their intentions?_

 _ **It's fairly simple to know what they desire—most of these fools believe they have what it takes to unseal me, yet they have no idea the danger in front of them**_

Ryden nodded visibly at the information presented by _Ventus_ , and audible hum of acknowledgement escaping his lips as he downloaded the spirits words; an action finally noticed by those in the room. Rivia was the first to take notice of Ryden's vacant expression – a clear sign of mental focus – and immediately stepped around the OPSAT station to check on the man's condition.

Like a domino effect, Rivia's sudden worry for Ryden's mellowed condition was easily noticed by everyone else. Nyx and Abigail seemed oddly unnerved by the hollow look in Ryden's usual vibrant blue eyes, while Rosalina calmly waved her hand in front of Ryden's field of view; only to receive no visible reaction from the abrasive man, which slightly drew multiple reactions of worry from the rest of those in the room.

"What's wrong with him Rivia?" questioned Sirzechs as the aforementioned woman stopped directly in front of Ryden, eyes pensive.

Wordlessly, Rivia studied the unresponsive man for a brief period only to become confused by a lack of evidence towards any form of mental fatigue – as impossible as it was – while at the same time Rivia could feel a slight increase in wind pressure around Ryden's form; as if something was... Rivia's eyes suddenly widened in shock, her throat almost growing hoarse upon realizing what was happening.

"It can't be..." she muttered out in disbelief

Sirzechs and Ajuka felt a slight chill after hearing Rivia's words. They didn't know a single personal capable enough to get a rise out of Rivia Abaddon so profound; to see the woman seem so far out of her depth easily caused the two Generals to grow unease.

"What seems to be the issue?" piped in Serafall as she studied Ryden from where she sat, not completely seeing the main issue.

Rivia ignored the question from Serafall for the moment, not fully convinced by the happenings going on with Ryden and merely delved into studying the man's eyes further; perhaps there would be a clearer hint to Ryden's condition of she noticed any abnormalities. The usual vibrant blue orbs that Ryden once possessed had simmered down to an unfocused and clouded grey hue. Even though it looked like Ryden was staring right at her; she couldn't tell if he was actually looking at her or _through_ her.

Silently, the blonde devil closely studied Ryden – ignoring all others present – and closed in on Ryden's personal space in order to study the man deeper in order get out any answers as to why Ryden had suddenly become unresponsive. However, just as she got into _kissing_ territory the man suddenly smirked playfully at her.

"This is a little aggressive—even for you Rivia" Ryden muttered out teasingly, lips curled into a lopsided grin

The calm voice – sudden in its appearance – actually managed to force out a very well controlled yelp of surprise from Rivia and Rosalina – the latter having crept in close to study Ryden as well. Both woman quickly hopped back into a comfortable distance, surprising the occupants in the room both by Ryden's sudden return to reality, and by Rivia's and Rosalina's uncharacteristic retreat and stifled yelp of surprise—the both of them having been completely caught off guard by the man's words

Ryden chuckled bemusedly when he regarded Rivia's concealed blush of embarrassment and Rosalina's indigent glare... though the blush on her cheeks dwindled the severity of the woman's murder gaze quite significantly.

Pleased as he was with the tease, Ryden quickly locked eyes with Rivia; however due to his connection with _Ventus_ , his gaze held no sort of light within them. "It would seem you are correct in your theory Rivia—Old-Satan forces are looking to unseal _Ventus_ right as we speak" he revealed with absolute confidence, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

The shocked expressions of those within the room weren't that of realization. Most of the devils present – if not all of them – knew perfectly well the Old-Satan forces were working to unseal the weapons themselves—that much was obvious even for a young blood. There was nothing of true strategic value within the mountainous ranges of Lilith other then the Infernum Armis imprisoned there. So ignorance had no part in their surprise; however the true culprit of the shock was the fact Ryden's tone possessed such a degree of authority that none could refute it.

But there in lied the sudden arrival of confusion within the three generals—and Rivia. The fact was irrefutable by all, yet for some reason Ryden spoke of its validation anyway... why?

Ajuka's brow furrowed at the obvious statement, yet he had to ask the man why he had said it anyway. If Ajuka had anything to comment on Ryden's words, it was clearly baited with something – or at the very least related to Ryden's condition.

So he asked away...

"The reports of enemy troop movements within the Territory of Lilith's mountainous region obviously show the Old-Satan's interest with the _Infernum Armis_ Ryden; this is a fact as clear as water—why do you state the obvious?" he pressed questioningly, intriguing the interest of everyone in the room.

The man smirked at Ajuka's condescending question before he shrugged. "I said it because a certain someone wanted to add to the gravity of the situation—and that 'someone' is _Ventus_ himself..." Ryden replied with a smirk.

Rivia was the first to truly digest Ryden's reply, a degree of confusion evident on her face just before it was completely swept away when Ryden's eyes – very briefly – shimmered with a _Green light_... at that moment; _she knew what he meant_.

"Your speaking with him..." she muttered in realization, surprise dawning on her face as Ryden calmly nodded at her words; shocking the woman even further as well as those present.

"You're kidding..." muttered Nyx, his gaze appearing to be disbelieving at the prospect presented. However, much to the man's grip of the situation; Nyx was slowly beginning to believe it... he was talking about Ryden after all.

He honestly wouldn't be that surprised... hence is calm demeanor

"Sorry to burst your bubble Nyx but I am not kidding you— _Ventus_ is rolling around in me noggin; though I do have to comment on the wispy nature of his little visit" at his last statement, Ryden lightly gripped his head in slight annoyance. "—I feel like I'm experiencing minor brain freeze right now... do you mind warming up there bud?" has asked distantly, confusing those present by his question, yet after a moment they all realized the target of his question.

 _ **I'm sorry to cause you discomfort Ryden Vale—but my connection with you is only possible through the wind I had sent to you... you may feel this 'brain freeze' of yours until I decide to leave...**_

 _Tsk... How courteous of you..._

 _ **I try to be...**_

Ryden lightly rolled his eyes at the spirits slight teasing tone before he regarded the devils in front of him with a slightly annoyed gaze; mostly due to the cold inside his skull if anything... twas beginning to annoy him.

 _ **Quit whining...**_

Ryden growled at the added scolding in indignation before he was quickly jolted back to reality by a serious Ajuka.

"Ryden, if you are truly conversing with the spirit of _Ventus—_ then can you ask it of its status? With this development we may actually have a slight boon—if it can give us information of course"

 _ **What's with the formality? Does this devil think I'm some kind of dragon? I may have my pride but I'm not without thick skin and patience—unlike those glorified lizards I DON'T explode into an immature tangent the second I'm asked a simple question...**_

Ryden's brow rose significantly at _Ventus'_ slight tangent – confusing Ajuka at his response, to which Ryden merely gestured to his skull in order to defuse the Devils confusion. "Sorry, my mind gets clouded whenever Ventus speaks at length..." he commented with a sigh of annoyance before he returned to main subject. " _Ventus_ however had already told me of his situation"

"And?" pressed Sirzechs.

"He said he's under siege by a couple hundred Old-Satan's—their intention being to unseal the weapon itself for obvious use against me" Ryden answered honestly.

"A few hundred..." Abigail muttered with a ghostly expression; obviously effected by the number of enemy forces. "I'm starting to think the Old-Satan's are pulling all the stops to accomplish this task" she added after a sigh.

Rosalina followed the red heads example and sighed deeply. "It's only natural for them to do so—they most likely have direct orders from either Hallen Foras or Katerea leviathan herself, as well as full reinforcement support in case _Ventus_ becomes difficult to acquire" reasoned the blonde Phenex.

"I have my bet on Foras being the main culprit—he is the one most obsessed with the _Infernum Armis_ after all; so I wouldn't be surprised if he sent in a priority request to the Lilith capital city" added Rivia before she clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Now that I think of it, Creuserey Asmodeus has a thing for the supposed true leviathan; he would jump at any given chance if it meant impressing the woman"

Ryden glance around the room in confusion before he sighed loudly. "Am I the only one not fully informed on who controls what region?" he asked aloud, having not actually been informed of the full military hierarchy of the Old-Satan forces. He expected that information to be given once he'd part taken in the crucible gauntlet and had officially been inducted into the Anti-Satan ranks; but considering the events around that time... well he never really did get informed on who the true descendants were and what region they occupied; all he knew at the moment was Rizevim had been in Lucifaad, and Katerea had once been in charge of the _Territory of Thorns_ until her sudden departure to Satan knows where.

Sirzechs – upon hearing Ryden's laminated confusion – lightly chuckled at the man's ignorance. "I forgot—your induction into our ranks wasn't as smooth as I had hope" he jest halfheartedly.

Ryden snickered at that, yet a sarcastic glint appeared in his eye. "No shit" he growled out in annoyance at the obvious statement, amusing Sirzechs by his reply.

However, instead of being the one to inform the disguised human on the true descendants and their roles; Serafall quickly butted in without a care in the world—having finally spotted a chance to converse with Ryden.

"I can tell you that!" she all but squealed excitedly, starkly contrasting her professional image with an excitable teenage girl... due to her petite nature and build, Ryden couldn't honestly get the image out of his head.

Sirzechs sighed at the woman's sudden action – star eyed as she currently was – and simply fell silent when he knew full well the futility in controlling the conversation whenever Serafall piped up excitedly. Mildly, Sirzechs amused himself by regarding the shell shocked expressions on Nyx, Abigail and Rosalina; the three not having truly seen Serafall with her 'hair down' as some may call it.

It was all business when in public for the petite woman, yet when it came to her allies in small companies – and most recently, Ryden of all people – Serafall couldn't care less how her previous image of 'the-midget-general-so-serious-it-looked-as-if-she-was-the-physical-embodiment-of-ice' was actually a perfectly crafted facade for appearances sake.

It was one of Serafall's endearing habits, but neither he, nor Ajuka – or even Falbium – would have it any other way... it was a lot better than dealing with the 'embodiment of ice' all the time—that was for sure...

"Ok then" Ryden muttered to the suddenly excitable general.

With a warm smile, Serafall hummed in agreement – more as a form of victory then to Ryden's surrender (if she could call it that) – and quickly went down to business. "As you know, the Old-Satan's highest ranking official is the true descendant's" Serafall frowned at the mention of them – obviously sporting a degree of bad blood – before she quickly recollected herself and continued. "The supposed leader of these individuals is Rizevim Livan Lucifer—the oldest of them all. He is – or _was_ – in charge of dealings in _Lucifaad_ , but considering what happened to that city..." she muttered out knowingly, forcing a few looks of amusement from those within the room. "...he no longer has any kind of official position that we know of—for all we know he could be in complete hiding after that event"

"Here's hoping" Ryden muttered with a momentary smirk

Serafall, Ajuka and Sirzechs lightly nodded at his words but it was obvious to him that there was more of a loose end in that topic then Ryden could fully grasp. If he was being totally honest with himself, Ryden felt slightly stupid for letting such a target escape his grasp; from the looks on the generals, Rizevim seemed like the devils version of Osama Bin Laden.

Even from a cave or a simple house, the man would still pose a threat in some way; and it was men like them that could rally large forces with a few sugar coated words...

All it took _was the will of a single man_ after all...

Ryden shook his head, disarming himself of his worries before he eyed Serafall with a collected gaze. "So who's this Katerea chick?" he asked nonchalantly, much to Nyx and Abigail's amusement.

In response to Ryden's question; both Ajuka and Sirzechs cringed endearingly, while Serafall tried her best to not freeze the OPSAT station at the mention of her most hated enemy. "Oh... right... _that_ woman..." she trailed off with a distant glare.

"She is the commanding general in charge of resource gathering, mining operations and all around military operations within the _Territory of Thorns_ " Rivia started after seeing Serafall's unresponsive expression; after giving Ryden enough time to digest the information, she continued. "Two days ago, we managed to intercept communications with the Old-Satan high command—apparently she wasn't all too pleased with the events the day before, and retook official command from Hallen Foras" Rivia reported seriously before a small smirk played itself on her lips. "It would seem our efforts managed to dethrone one lunatic from power"

Ryden nodded along with Rivia's words, his own smirk rising along his lips. "So I take it the obsessed loony was executed?" he questioned off handily, mildly relieved his actions had inadvertently caused the death of a mad man.

Rivia merely shook her head however, dousing Ryden's smirk of relief all together. "No... while he may no longer possess superior authority or any form of military power; he was given enough resources to forward his efforts in acquiring the _Infernum Armis'_ —it's why I believe the number of armed forces converging on _Ventus_ to be his doing... with authorization of course" she corrected with an equal look of disappointment.

"It figures the Old-Satan's would keep him alive" Rosalina piped up with an understanding glint in her eye, before she casually gestured to Rivia with a wave of her hand "Considering lady Abaddon is the only one with knowledge on the weapons, they'd need any form of Intel they could get" she reasoned

Ryden lightly shivered when he heard Rivia growled lowly at Rosalina's words, obviously feeling a personal involvement with Hallen Foras' survival by the mere fact that she'd been the one to teach the devil for a time. Casually, Ryden rested his hand on the woman's shoulder and squeezed gently; mildly growing amused when Rivia almost melted at his touch; her growl subsided into a calm hum, and her eyes soothed into a gentle glimmer.

They didn't meet eye, but he could tell Rivia appreciated his comforting hand immensely. He honestly never expected to get such a reaction from the woman; she looked pissed just a second ago, yet his mere touch relieved her... color him flattered.

Dropping his hand from Rivia's person, Ryden quickly shifted the topic aside; yet he never missed Rivia's brief expression of disappointment when his hand dropped from her shoulder. "So who is this Creuserey fellow?" he asked with a concealed smirk.

Seeing the opportunity to retake the reigns of the conversation, Serafall hastily replied... a stark contrast from her previous dark expression.

 _That bipolar habit again..._

"Creuserey Asmodeus... he's the second youngest of the five descendants, yet he's more cunning then the rest of them – ignoring his personal desire to impress Katerea Leviathan—Creuserey is in charge of Propaganda; he's the one that handles the noble populace and the civilian populace—making sure their less then morale actions go completely unnoticed by both... yet the nobles strong armed into supporting the Old-Satan's are given a more special treatment"

Ryden's eyes shimmered emerald – evidently showcasing _Ventus'_ interest in the conversation to all in the room – his gaze however possessing a serious expression of anger. "The treatment?"

"Nothing too extreme Ryden" eased Sirzechs with a casual wave of his hand. "The Old-Satan's may be versed in the disgraceful, but they're not stupid enough to harshly treat blackmailed noble families—if they did, then nothing would stop the noble family from revealing everything they know of the Old-Satan's actions outside of the _Lilith capital_ —regardless of the punishment" Sirzechs explained calmly, though Ryden could see a level of frustration in his usual calm eyes.

"Forced marriages with willing noble families and personal involvement in war crimes... the usual blackmail and manipulation—whether the forced nobles want to or not, any chance of them freeing themselves is completely null and void. If they were to stand against the Old-Satan cause, their family would face extreme financial taxing and criminal charges that would destabilize the family completely... to put it simply, their locked in a vice grip without a way to escape" Ajuka explained further with his own glare of frustration.

The room slowly dropped in mood, a cold chill filling everyone's guts when the full weight of the nobles strong armed into supporting the Old-Satan's fully rested itself on those within the room; yet Ryden already had a possible way to save those families.

"What if we were to expose the Old-Satan's actions?"

Serafall shook her head. "We planned on it, but we feared the Old-Satan's may react violently to the exposure—if we expose them, they may just execute those families before we could rescue them" she replied with a saddened glint in her eye. "For now, we will simply bide our time until such an opportunity presents itself"

"But we can still clear their names right? Prove their involvement was beyond their control" pressed Ryden with an urgency; taking many of those present off guard by his selflessness. Ryden couldn't care less of the looks from them, he honestly couldn't stand by and let entire families fight and sacrifice their loved ones for a cause they did not believe in... It sounded like a torture worse than his.

He was never forced to do anything but watch... they didn't have that luxury.

"Ryden..." Serafall muttered in surprise – completely taken off guard by his selfless nature. Briefly, Serafall swallowed her very brief rise of emotion before Sirzechs quickly stepped in.

"What do you propose Ryden?" he asked with an eager edge to his eyes.

Ryden merely sighed at the question, calming himself before he eyed Sirzechs. "What if we were to find detailed files in regards to the blackmail? Any form of proof available that could lead to proving direct involvement with the family's choices, and that could potentially clear their names"

Ajuka blinked at the offered idea, yet his eyes slowly rose when he realized where Ryden was going; however before the Jade devil could express his realization, Serafall spoke up. "And how do you propose we find this information?—it's not like they'd have it on record, that'd be stupid of them" she reasoned.

"It'd be stupid of them if they _didn't_ possess some form of documented order from on high. Only fools would slap blackmail on someone then completely forget about it" Ryden countered with a serious gaze. "If I was blackmailed to fight for a cause I didn't believe, then I'd fight tooth and nail to try and weasel my way out of it; now if we're considering the Old-Satan's know this fact, then that means they'd constantly be ordering officers and officials around in order to make sure these windows of opportunity aren't open for very long for those families, so There's always a chance someone wrote something down"

" _Or_ we can tap into the monoliths within the _Territory of Lilith_ and record any kind of chatter we can find in relation to the four families" Ajuka jumped in, surprising many in the room at his proposition; Ryden merely smirked at the jade devil.

"Or we can do that—" Ryden muttered in reply, a devious smile lining his lips. "Instead of wasting time trying to find the needle in the hay stack, we can call the needle to us" summarized Ryden with a growing smirk... things were falling into place. However before Ryden could solidify the motive, Rosalina piped up with a possible future issue.

"What if the situation on the ground is already dealt with? What if the four families have already been nailed down and all efforts have moved elsewhere? How would we call this 'needle' to us?" Rosalina rattled off questioningly, a pensive expression written on her features.

"Simple—create a false report of rebellion and message it directly to Creuserey, any form of reply would be documented as proof of conspiracy; all we need is simple confirmation of blackmail and the families should be given mercy from the Dantalion courts" Ajuka calmly defused.

"But we also need to factor in the possibility of the four families being placed in danger with this plan; if we create a false report then we may inadvertently trigger an execution order" Abigail reasoned with a mild look of worry in her eyes.

At the Rangers words, Rivia waved off the issue entirely before she folded her arms under her bust confidently; yet her eyes remained neutral as always. "If we are able to create a false report, then we can create a false position within the Old-Satan faction; what's stopping us from taking the role as an Adjudicator?"

Sirzechs piped up at the prospect, his eyes lighting up with an idea. "Solid idea—" agreed the crimson devil with a blink of acknowledgement. "—if this works then you can call a full meeting with all of the families in one fell swoop without actual danger of losing any of them... this could work perfectly"

Many could see the light in Sirzechs eyes – even Ryden could see the _joy_ within them – yet he knew something was missing from their plan and it caused Ryden to frown, there was still a major issue for this plans fruition.

 _The same plan never works twice..._

"Hate to be the bearer of negativity, but this may not work as fluidly as we think—" began Ryden with a critical eye directed to all those present. "We can't assume the Old-Satan's haven't come up with contingencies for future hacks—that would be arrogance on our part. If we want this to work then we'll need an outside source"

Ryden's worry was answered by Ajuka almost instantly, the devil himself smirking his own devious grin while he Taped a single button on the central control panel on the OPSAT station; immediately afterwards and a T shaped item that Ryden instantly recognized as an Omni-key, suddenly appeared in the middle of the OPSAT stations holographic map—contained in a isolated glass casing. The key was just as he'd seen before; shaped like a capital T and caked in a odd energy flow that destabilized all ambient magic surrounding it, creating an eerie mirage around its form while a faint green glow pulse rhythmically along its main shaft.

Ryden lightly coughed into his hand before he glanced over to Nyx and Abigail. "I take it this was your objective during the invasion as well?" he asked, yet he knew the second Nyx shot him a coy smirk that he'd hit the nail on the head with that question.

Figures

Ryden sighed—taking in their silent reply in stride—before he returned his attention back onto the situation; still possessing a degree of criticism however. "While possessing an Omni-key is great and all, it still leaves us with the false report that we'd need to send out; and I would argue a verbal report would best help us acquire proof the fastest way"

Serafall cringed at the idea. "That's the most dangerous Ryden, they may catch on to your bluffs just as easily as we would catch onto their involvement with the blackmail... proof isn't useful if the families are killed"

Before Ryden could reply to Serafall's reasoning, Nyx stepped forward with a mildly hesitant expression on his features; Abigail standing not too far behind him with a slight knowing smirk. Ryden paused in his reply, his gaze falling on Nyx while the others did so as well.

"You have something to say Nyx Oriax?" Sirzechs questioned, a spark of interest rising in his posture when the aforementioned devil stepped forward.

Nyx lightly scratched the back of his head – clearly embarrassed by something unknown – before his gaze shifted to the floor. "A-ah... kinda... it's a delicate subject, and it... might surprise many of you" he eased out with a slowly rising embarrassment while his demonic energy condensed around his form.

Ajuka, Serafall and Sirzechs raised a single brow at the devils hesitant words while Rivia, Rosalina and Ryden eyed Nyx closely in intrigue; leaving Abigail standing by with a slowly growing smirk.

Ajuka waved Nyx off with a disgruntled glance to Ryden. "As if we'd be surprised by anything—especially after all that's happened in the past couple of days" Ajuka disputed calmly.

Nyx nodded in surrender at that. "Well at least that means I won't be attacked instantly" he muttered out in relief; confusing most of those in the room besides Abigail who snickered silently in her spot behind the raven haired devil. After a moment to solidify his resolve and pride... _Nyx transformed_

Unlike before, Nyx's transformation was almost instant rather than his previously slow and methodical transformation back in the Old-Satan's mining outpost. At the time, he needed to keep his demonic energy unnoticed; so in order to do that he had to transform slowly in order to remain hidden. However, now that he didn't need to do such things, his reveal was much flashier then before.

Suddenly – right as Nyx activated his family trait– a grayish light exploded out from Nyx's form before it instantly subsided to reveal the change below; and not a second after, the previously grayish energy was suddenly changed to a golden glow—pale and malevolent.

It was fast and sudden, yet the outcome had a more lasting effect on all those in the room not privy to the Oriax devils secret. Rivia, Rosalina, Serafall, Sirzechs and Ajuka were shocked at who stood in the room with them when the golden glow subsided completely to reveal a tanned beauty outfitted in a scantily clad – yet obviously noble – attire that helped accentuate and capitalize on key features on the woman's body.

While the others stood by in silence – ranging from complete shell shock to mild surprise – Ryden however stood by in moderate confusion as he eyed the mysterious woman from where he was in the room. He couldn't exactly explain why Serafall looked ghostly pale, but he had to bet it was who Nyx had transformed into, but he couldn't exactly place his finger on it.

So he just stood there – rubbing his eyes in confusion – and contemplated reality as he tried and failed to digest the sudden change in Nyx Oriax. Shape shifting wasn't something he'd seen that often – if not ever – and the actual sight of such an event was mind boggling... and oddly painful to look at if he was being honest.

Whoever Nyx was, the image didn't really leave much to the imagination...

A moment of silence took over the room before the mysterious woman casually raised her arms as if to showcase her form just slightly – an added twirl soon following – before she spoke up in a very sultry – yet casual – tone... Ryden guessed the woman had been born a natural vixen.

 _No surprise to him considering the outfit..._

"Well?" questioned the woman as she eyed the three generals with a calm – and slightly embarrassed – gaze. "Does this appearance ring any bells?" the woman pressed with a more enthused tone, yet Ryden could tell the _woman_ was embarrassed.

The first person to climb out from their shock was Rivia, the blonde elder devil calmly swallowing her surprise before she eyed the tanned woman with a critical gaze. "How did you manage to acquire such a form lord Nyx? I find it hard to believe that you had managed to... well... gain such a form without death soon following" she queried with disbelief in her voice.

The woman lightly sighed at the question before she went to cross her arms; however just as she did this, she accidentally nudged her large breasts roughly. "E-eh—" mumbled the woman in embarrassment when her rather voluptuous chest jiggled upon contact; an event that forced heat to several individuals in the room. Being clearly embarrassed at the event, the woman robotically dropped her arms to her side in order to not cause such a thing again before she replied to Rivia with clear heat in her cheeks. "Y-You'd be surprised lady Abaddon, at what one can achieve during a drunken night in the cities—but to be honest, I'm just as disbelieving as you—I never expected to gain something like this" she conceded while glaring at the clothing on her form.

At the devils reveal, Sirzechs shook his head quickly in order to defuse his own blush and to divert the topic back on tract before it got weirder then it had gotten. "While it is surprising—"

" _Very deeply_ surprising" Ajuka interjected with a troubled shake of his head.

"—that you managed to acquire _Katerea Leviathan's_ form, I do believe you've helped alleviate Ryden's nerves somewhat—now this plan can work even better than before" Sirzechs reasoned while Ryden eyed the tanned woman with a look of surprise; immediately recognizing the name.

"So that's Katerea Leviathan" he muttered in realization as _Katerea_ glanced at him. Upon meeting eyes, Ryden suddenly light up in even deeper realization. "Oh shit that's Katerea leviathan!" he wailed comically before he eyed the now blushing woman – that which he definitely knew to be Nyx – with a critical eye.

"What are you doing Ryden?" asked Nyx/Katerea in a slightly troubled tone; mostly having to do with the very disturbing light in Ryden's eyes.

Ryden hummed dismissively – his hand cupping his mouth in consideration – before he clicked his tongue when several ideas sprang to mind. "Nothing special—just formulating several plans to try and discredit this woman's image as badly as possible... don't worry; the plans I have pooling around in my head won't be as weird as you think—well... _kinda_ " Ryden eased with a very odd glint in his eye; a glint at slightly terrified Nyx/Katerea

"Why do I feel like I'm gonna regret this?" _she_ asked with a deeper blush.

Ryden frowned. "Are those blushes automatic or are you actually playing the coy card?" he asked with an invasive eye.

"Eh...auto I think... can't really control it when all I'm wearing is this flimsy outfit" Nyx/Katerea replied while glaring at the clothing that barely covered the important bits.

Ryden shrugged. "Well at least you'll be doing away with it entirely for one of my ideas" he answered truthfully, shocking the shape-shifter to his/her core by how casual Ryden had spoken. The effect of Ryden's words didn't just terrify the shape-shifting devil; as the reactions from the rest of those present varied in multiple different directions, yet the main emotion in all of their gazes was just flat out disturbed.

"Ryden?" questioned a blushing Rosalina with a deeply disturbed light in her eye; a light that several other individuals closely mimicked; including the three generals.

Ryden glanced away from the frozen form of Nyx/Katerea, before his eyes regarded the room with a confused and mildly annoyed glare. "What?" he asked.

"Are you ok?" inquired Rosalina "you're staring at Nyx rather deeply and it's rather unsightly of you"

Ryden raised an eyebrow at her concern and question, though he was slightly more put off by the weird looks he was receiving from many of those in the room; So He frowned in mild annoyance. "What's with all the looks guys? I'm making the big plans here and y'all are thinking about is my sexuality" he whined mockingly before he waved them off with a shrug. "...perverts" he accused sharply before he went back to formulating more plans.

Ajuka coughed into his hands, a mix of confusion and mild amusement over taking his expression before he merely rolled his eyes at the situation. " _Perverts_ he calls us..." drawled the jade General while Sirzechs rubbed his face exasperatedly; taking completely back by his adopted brother's antics and possible insanity

"And he's the one looking at Katerea like she's some kind of snack" he drawled out after taking a minute to fully download the moment; yet even doing so, the dumbfounded cloud over his head still didn't relent. "I'm thoroughly confused" muttered the red headed general towards an equally confused Ajuka before he glanced over to a snickering Serafall.

Sirzechs frowned instantly.

"Sera? What's so funny?" he asked in even more confusion when the petite General at his side of the table was seen holding her sides in sheer amusement; her gaze being locked on the ever squirming image of an embarrassed and meek Katerea Leviathan. The image of the teary eyed woman – fully known for her hatred and disdain for Katerea leviathan – was something so off putting for Sirzechs that his attention slowly rotated onto the laughing ravenette... as did the others once they noticed.

Ryden paused in his staring and formulating and calmly glanced over to see Serafall Sitri laughing hysterically in her seat, her hand gripping her mouth in a vice-like grip in order to make sure her form didn't completely collapse into the giggles. The woman's laugh looked no different than a calm snicker, yet the build up of tears in her eyes and the sheer focus she had in maintaining her image was a clear sign that there was much more to be seen...

And a perfect example to be shown off...

Ryden cleared his throat calmly—his plan already formulated—before he calmly walked towards _Katerea_...

 _..._ and slapped her _ass_ with a meaty whack

The effect?

" _Kyaaaaa!"_

"PFFFFFFF—HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAHAHA!"

A loud and terrified shriek of embarrassment and horror erupted from the lips of Katerea Leviathan; followed by the most visible, hysterical, tear filled laugh Ryden had ever seen in a woman...

 _Serafall Sitri literally held nothing back..._

It was instant—the moment his had connected with _Katerea's_ – arguably _**C**_ – ass, the avalanche had already started, and Serafall's control of her image toppled like a haphazardly built stack of cards. What followed afterwards was easily predicted on Ryden's part. With the culmination of his already established embarrassment, Nyx/Katerea simply went rigid stiff directly after Ryden's mild assault on _her_ person—the sheer level of embarrassment within the woman's eyes and face simply reached an all time high... hence her current rigid solid state.

 _She wouldn't be moving for a moment..._

On the other hand—Serafall was seen clutching her sides in extreme pain, her laughing having collapsed down into gurgled giggles, wheezed howls before leading to an entire encore of the whole thing multiple times over for several minutes. As the woman went through the motions of extreme humor, the rest of the room stood by stock still – their gazes locked onto the single individual that had caused the event.

Ryden took it all in without much issue and merely shrugged. "You all just witnessed one of your worst enemies squeal like a mull after getting her ass clapped... do you think those loyal to that woman would think the same of her after seeing that? Especially with the reaction..." he asked with a critical eye.

It didn't take long for many of those present to understand Ryden's aim; as evident by Rivia's muffled giggle of humor and the stifled coughs of awkwardness from the rest in the room.

"You could have just said so Ryden" Sirzechs whined as he massaged his temples. "The sight of that woman alone gives me a headache—I didn't need to hear her squeal" he added after a moment of massaging before he relocked his gaze onto the confidently smirking Ryden. "However I do understand your aim... destroying the woman's image would create distrust within the noble ranks"

"And that could lead to a few of them losing interest with their cause" added Ajuka. "If they were to see one of their supposed descendants conduct themselves like young bloods, then many of the more politically focused noble families – untouched and ignorant of the atrocities committed by the Old-Satan military – would simply switch sides instantly if the controversy is extreme enough, perhaps a sex scandal or something" Ajuka theorized without much thought.

"Eh?!" yelped _Katerea,_ her form quickly morphing into a terrified and defensive pose; her hands covering her bust and groin.

Serafall laughed harder at the image, Ryden chuckled humorously and Abigail finally cracked—incidentally joining Serafall in her giggle fit when her personal control finally snapped. However Ryden quickly shook his head, defusing the notion completely with a wave of his hands. "We don't need to do anything so extreme—" he eased, relieving _Katerea_ immensely by his words. "—my idea involves streaking through the capital city _Lilith_ with nothing but some lube and a gag"

"Eh?" came Katerea's betrayed yelp of confusion, obviously not expecting the offered subject.

"I see... why the lube though?" pressed Ajuka as his eyes became analytical.

Ryden raised two three fingers in response to the question. "Couple reasons... first reason; it's easier to see a naked woman when she's glistening in the sun light then it is to see a bone dry one. Second reason; it's a crowd repellent—considering I want this to occur during some kind of mass parade or traders market, I want to make sure no one suddenly grabs hold of him for less than decent purposes, cause you can never really trust a crowd completely."

"Agreed"

"the third reason would be to solidify the experience, the lube would not only be used to repel perverted passerby's, but to also leave behind a 'substance' that most would consider to be something entirely different then what it actually is... it'll give many witnesses the idea that Katerea—one of their promised descendants—had been doing some extremely indecent and then decided to run—for whatever reason—through the entire capital city whilst completely naked... the event would be so traumatizing to the most loyal and so confusing to the lower civilian populous, that no one would forget about it... and the stories would run wild"

Once Ryden was finished explaining his magnum opus of degeneracy, Sirzechs and Rosalina were the only ones present shaking their heads in dismay—their hands gripping their incredulous faces tightly; while the rest of the group – besides the terrified Katerea – look on at the man like he had just come up with the greatest senior prank in existence... considering the situation and context however... it wasn't too far off the mark.

Ryden digressed...

"So before we delve deeper into this subject—and embarrass Nyx even further—why don't you guys fill me in on the fourth and fifth descendants" Ryden proposed while directing a very apologetic glance towards a slowly calming Nyx; however he had one last thing to comment on. "And how about you go back to normal—I'm actually surprised you stayed in that form for as long as you did and I gotta say... I'm starting to think you like it" he teased with a narrowed and accusing glance towards the tanned woman in question.

"As if! It's just I couldn't focus because of the damn situation" replied the woman harshly, a glare slowly being directed towards Ryden. "And your damn plan can go stick itself right up your ass lord Ryden, like hell I'd do something like that!"

Ryden slowly raised his hands in surrender, mock embarrassment rising to his face. "How about you morph back into your regular form before you start arguing with me, I feel like we're in some kind of 'top and bottom' relationship..." he joked halfheartedly before shrugging. "I mean it isn't a completely bad idea, but it does have that extremely awkward vibe to it... I mean—ya know—the whole 'I'm actually a guy' kinda kills the mood" added the younger Gremory with a _'what-can-you-do'_ look, followed by another confused shrug.

Nyx's brow twitched momentarily at Ryden's half hearted embarrassment and mockery; creating a very odd image of Katerea Leviathan glaring embarrassingly at a goofy looking Ryden Vale Gremory as he continued to smirk his ever growing infamous grin. However, after a brief and silent pause, Nyx quickly retracted his Katerea form and glared daggers at Ryden who for the most part took the death glare in stride before he clicked his tongue.

"By the way..." Ryden sprang up with a small frown of confusion; his eyes locking with the roof aimlessly. "...Does it smell of embarrassment and jealousy in here?" he asked suddenly while shifting his eyes down to scope out the room. "Or is it just me?" Ryden's eyes shifted around, locking with everyone's eyes momentarily before he finally eyed Rosalina who didn't react immediately upon locking gazes, yet after a mild pause in his study; the meaning of his question and quickly rolled her eyes.

For Ryden however, his message had been delivered, but instead of focusing the subject on Rosalina – embarrassing the poor girl – he instead rolled his eyes around the room divertingly before frowning in confusion again; his attention suddenly dropping to his collar. "Hmm?" he hummed before lifting the rim of his collar and sniffed. "Nope, false alarm... it's me..." he called out after a moment of sniffing. "Weird... I didn't know I wore this fragrance" he added with a look of genuine confusion while his eyes slowly glanced up to see a smirking Rivia Abaddon; her hand lightly waving at him knowingly—unbeknownst to all others in the room...

Like a text book virgin... Ryden just stood there—frozen momentarily—while holding his collar to his nose; all the while a small knowing frown grew upon his covered lips

 _ **She put it on you...**_

 _No shit..._

 _ **There is also I high chance she bathed you as well...**_

 _Ayup..._

 _ **The slight glances below your waist line helped establish that idea...**_

Ryden just stood by awkwardly for a moment after hearing Ventus' humored comments—the odd snickering in the spirits voice was a dead giveaway.

While the woman spoke and acted every bit the noble she was, there was still a very obvious characteristic about Rivia that suggested there was a deeper depth to her as a woman as well.

The thought of some like that – a woman no stranger to the odd sexual innuendo and tease from time to time – being so close to him during his _defenseless days_ , honestly made even himself bright red with embarrassment. With all the awareness he had of Rivia's interest with him – and her extremely deep loyalty to him as well – along with Fulgur's assurance of the matter; there was a very small chance she'd let anyone else but herself deal with caring for him... even with hygiene.

 _Oh god_

Now to be fair on Ryden's part, he had been surrounded by woman most of his time in hell, and all of them posed extremely well toned figures and very well developed 'assets'. He was – on the other hand – only human, and the only one he'd seen in his life that was a literal 10 out of 10 was his sister... odd, but true. But now that he'd witnessed – and _slept with_ – woman close to 50 out of 10 – if not 100 – it had become extremely difficult to keep his previously tamed and controlled thoughts strictly professional and serious...

That was there features alone; their _actions_ however – mostly refereeing to Rivia herself and Venelana – had pushed his train of thought completely off the rails. But while he could keep himself tamed during the day, the night was another story all together... and considering his cognitive senses had increased beyond human comprehension, his dreams had been very... very... _very..._ _very_...vivid as of late.

Not a good combo of situations... especially for him

Now even though Ryden spoke a good game, and possessed a fair enough measure of charisma to create a sort of 'charm' to his image. That still didn't take away from his raging imagination and general human nature; leaving all of his pent up thoughts to roam free when asleep... which again—is not a good combo for him.

Side note though: they were good dreams... kinky... informative... and eye opening on multiple levels.

On another side note though; Ryden had to make sure the older devil didn't take a trip down lustful lane when his 'little lieutenant' gave the order to go _'full mast'_ when his dreams got a little bit interesting.

Thinking on this singular mindset before destroying it entirely with a resolute mental flush, Ryden shook his head and blinked away his possible theories and paranoia – a small craving for heavy alcohol crossing his mind fleetingly as he did so – before he eyed the generals with a unmoved and unregistered expression—a professional way to bottling up terror by remaining neutral to the matter.

"Anyways—aside from my sudden interest in personal fragrances—whose gonna tell me about the other two schmuck's?"

At his question and odd phrasing, the three generals – minus Serafall of course (the woman was now giggly) – momentary glanced at each other in confusion before they both sighed in exhaustion and carried on with business all within a second—clearly done with everything around them.

Ajuka cleared his throat while Sirzechs eyed Ryden with a tired glint in his eye; obviously shocked at his ability to change the mood of a room.

"The second last descendant is named Shalba Beelzebub; his role within the Old-Satan faction is reinforcement's deployment and training of new recruits—even supplying the infamous _**death knight's**_ with possible candidates. However when he's not issuing new orders to his commanders and reissuing new training regiments, he's the head of security—the one responsible in stamping out resistance groups all throughout the regions of hell" summarized the emerald devil while Ryden lightly blinked at the information.

"Well then, he might be an issue later down the road—any chance you may have his location at the moment?" Ryden asked with a hopeful gaze.

Sirzechs shook his head. "He doesn't possess a base of operations like the others—more or less, he's constantly on the move; shifting his attentions to multiple corners of the map at rapid succession"

Rosalina lightly teetered on that response, the blonde Phenex finally coming back to reality once the subject had gotten back to normal. "Do we have information on any resistances? We could pinpoint his possible location by finding a resistance group" offered the woman informatively, sparking a few nods of approval.

Rivia nodded first, her interest in Rosalina's offered plan paving a much deeper scheme. "That's an idea, but finding him shouldn't be our top priority—but rather we should help strengthen a resistance group in order flush out Shalba, or at least one of his lieutenants" Rivia lightly nodded at Rosalina's words after she had spoken hers, partially surprising Rosalina at her compliment and nod.

Sirzechs hummed at the offered plan before he glanced over to a hastily working Ajuka – Serafall doing the same after calming herself down – and patiently waited for the devil to finish his task.

"I may have something of the sort..." Ajuka sprang up after a brief period of silence. "A few hours ago, I managed to detect a few abnormalities in the northern region. The location of these abnormalities placed themselves close to _Ashfeld_ ; or more specifically a couple thousand miles east of it and several thousand miles from the capital city of _Lilith—_ almost in between"

"Any idea if it's a resistance group?" Ryden asked while watching the holographic map on the OPSAT station. Ajuka must have activated some kind of algorithm because a second after he'd spoken, several hundred blips appeared directly at the upper most portion of the map, their locations being directly center of the border—almost kissing the familiar forest and slightly nudging the border zone to Lucifer's old territory... yet even so, the blips remained within the _Territory of Lilith._

Ajuka simply nodded his head. "We have our theories..."

Ryden blinked, and action followed by Nyx and Abigail. "Theories? What do you mean by theories? It's either a resistance group or a pack of familiars... are you saying this may be something else entirely then?" pressed the Gremory devil with confusion in his voice.

Ajuka sighed at the push, surrendering to the reveal calmly whilst crossing his arms behind his back. "Standing theories speculate the timing and location of these abnormalities correspond with our sources regarding the migration of the dragon species" Ajuka revealed—dropping a massive bomb that caused everyone besides the generals to blink in surprise. "We believe these recent abnormalities could be systematic clashes with Old-Satan forces; the reason we believe this to be the case is because we haven't detected this much draconic energy every since they first appeared in hell"

At Ajuka's final words, Ryden sighed deeply before resting his arms on his hips—eyes locked with the floor while a clear show of Skepticism wrote itself clear on his face. "And you believe this massive pack of flying predators—renowned for their brutality and strength—to be a _resistance_ group and not a literal force of nature" Ryden argued after glancing up to look Ajuka in the eye. "That seems I bit... odd"

"For once I agree with him on this one" Nyx added with a look of surprise, his form shifting from one leg to another. "I mean it's kinda difficult to believe the literal migration of _thee_ dragon species to be branded a mere resistance group—if anything, we should steer clear away from this. It's bad enough we got one dragon on our hands, so I think it would be smart to keep _the rest of them_ from joining"

Ajuka rolled his eyes at the two before he clarified his findings and his reasoning by cycling the dates of the signatures on the OPSAT stations map. "We believed before—speculated even—but we now know this to be perfect fact. Old-Satan records—downloaded from _harbingers_ personal data files—revealed to us that our theory of these abnormalities being the dragons was true. However that is beside my point, the reason I believe this to be a resistance is mainly because their numbers are decreasing every week. About a dozen signatures drop off the map biweekly, with at least a few bonus's from time to time... the only thing that could be registered as a force of nature is the one alpha leading them" as Ajuka spoke, the obvious blips on the holographic map distinctly lessened by the day, going from a massive force of over a thousand signatures to nearly half of that within a period of several months. Ajuka had to appreciate harbingers access to old-Satan records; because of its files, Ajuka had been able to distinctly measure the signatures movement patterns and decrease in numbers with proficient accuracy.

"And who is it?" asked Rosalina inquisitively while Rivia mulled over the information provided.

Sirzechs was the one to cut in this time, having become bored with his own silence. "We have made moves to deduce the possible candidates; categorized the many dragons we've encountered in the centuries and ruled out pretty much every relevant dragon in history besides the dragon kings" Sirzechs explained before Ajuka tapped his OPSAT stations control panel again.

"We know the leader of this group to be a dragon king, but we don't have a definitive answer on who exactly It is—" Ajuka added before he began typing. "—all we have so far, is this recording—courtesy of _harbinger"_

 _*Tap*_

 **[Playback recording** **subject file: "Dragon king encounter"]**

" **RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWW! *BOOOOOM!* Get down you idi—*BOOOOM!*** _ **PATHETIC CRETINS! YOU ATTACK MY KIND AND RUN?! DISGRACEFUL MAGGOTS!**_ ***BOOOOOOM!*** _ **FOR YOUR ARROGANCE, DEATH WILL BE YOUR SENTENCE AND ASHES WILL BE YOUR GRAVE! *BOOOM!* ANY WHO THREATEN MY KIND WILL BURN! RRRRRRAAAAAAAWWWWWW!"**_

 **[End of recording: estimated casualty rate...100%, all Old-Satan forces—eliminated]**

Ajuka sighed to himself once the recording finally ended, his gaze casually regarding the members of the Crimson Dagger with a tired expression. "Does anyone have any questions?" asked the emerald devil.

Ryden lightly coughed into his hand, a small bit of trepidation enlightened in his thoughts... yet...

"Well... he seems... _approachable_ —definitely the type to hold a conversation; but mostly with _fire_ more than words actually... he should be a real treat" he said sarcastically, a small pained and nervous smile etching itself on his lips.

Ajuka nodded with a sudden mischievous grin, seeing the sarcasm. "Quite—you two would make a lovely couple. Considering your actions with Tiamat – and your apparent knack for intriguing danger itself – I assume you should be able to 'butter him up' better than the rest of us... assuming he doesn't try to roast you first" Ajuka teased, both amusing Rivia and Abigail and disturbing Nyx and Rosalina at the possibility of a hostile dragon king.

Ryden chuckled before a metaphorical light bulb lit up above his head. "You really are the comforting sort... but you may have an idea there"

"Oh?"

Ryden cleared his throat before elaborating. "Before, you mentioned the leader to be a dragon king... is there a chance we may be able to speak with him if I tell him I've forged a contract with Tiamat? It may allow me enough time to speak, but I guess that depends on whether or not this dragon king is weaker then Tiamat" Ajuka and Sirzechs – even Serafall – simply mulled on the idea for a literal nano-second before they both looked him dead in the eye, however Rivia was the one to reply in their stead.

"Tiamat was rumored to have been mated with Ddraig... one of the two heavenly dragons" revealed the blonde devil with an acknowledging light in her eyes, obviously seeing a possible plan in the making; Ryden on the other hand took a moment to process the information, leaving Rivia to continue. "With this knowledge Ryden, that idea may just work well enough to give us an audience with this dragon king. Whoever he is, it doesn't matter in the least when it comes to Tiamat; out of all the dragon kings, Tiamat is the only one of them to be in a relationship with a heavenly dragon... well, _used_ to be that is"

Ryden nodded numbly at the information, having been slightly jarred by the knowledge that Tiamat had known – or more specifically – had been with Ddraig. Back in his little adventures in Halphes, Grayfia had actually spoken of the Great War after he'd spoke his confusion on the whole situation. At that time, for several weeks, he'd been abused without actual injury for some time whilst in complete confusion; and for some miracle of a reason, Grayfia had actually delved into a small history lesson for him when she realized his ignorance.

After that, the woman carried on with poking and prodding while explaining to him the history of the world and the highlights of the Great War... it was little awkward, considering he'd been naked for the occasion, but she did well in revealing to him all that he knew without giving a shit. Ryden had his doubts though on that subject; Grayfia had taken a mighty interest in being at his flank most of the lesson and the occasional poke and prod at his back came across as oddly satisfying then what had been intended.

After the lesson and his quizzing to see if he'd remembered anything - passing with flying colors - Ryden then proceeded to ask her if she was satisfied with what she saw... one of the first teases Grayfia would have to experience before the real shit began.

Obviously the uptight wench took it as a sexual comment immediately and proceeded to kick him in the nuts... much to the dismay of her shin...

Good times...

Ryden shook his head...

Thanks to that woman; he knew who Ddraig was, and now that he knew Tiamat had been the dragons mate for a time, it created a clear picture of a hierarchy among the dragons. Ryden blinked at the realization and possible theory before he eyed the generals intently. "Is there a chance the dragon kings possess an honor system? Do they possess a natural hierarchy?" he asked clearly

"They do" Serafall nodded in response, a small knowing smile gracing her lips. "Tiamat is the top alpha amongst the dragon kings, making her a Queen so to speak—a monarch amongst their kind. Power is also a definitive factor in establishing their positions; however challenges are not entirely forgotten amongst them... just because Tiamat is seen as the alpha, it doesn't stop rival dragons from challenging her for that title" Serafall explained diligently, causing Nyx to sigh in frustration.

"That explains the solitude... she may be trying to distance herself from constant conflict" Rosalina deduced with a keen eye.

"And that may come raging on towards us in her stead" Nyx blurted out with a nervous sneer. "If we tell whoever it is that Ryden established a contract with Tiamat, then he may just challenge him to combat in order to prove if he's even worthy" Nyx added while glancing at Ryden.

Ryden merely shrugged at Nyx's troubled gaze. "We may also get lucky—whoever the dragon king is, he may try to avoid killing one of Tiamat's few interests" Ryden argued with a shrug.

Nyx mulled it over before he sighed in surrender. "By the Satan's I hope that's the case"

Ryden chuckled at Nyx's nervousness before Sirzechs calmly cleared his throat. "So I take it you all have a plan to confront the dragon?" he pressed while crossing his arms.

Ryden slowly nodded along with the rest—only one being so reluctant—before Ryden answered with a reassuring tone. "We should be able to establish a finer detailed plan once we're in the field"

"Good" Sirzechs nodded to the human in disguise before sighing again. "Normally I'd add in the last descendant; however _he_ possesses no pressing danger to the cause. The last sighting of _Razevan Lucifer_ – according to the records on Old-Satan troop movements – he had been in _Lucifaad_ along with Rizevim before its destruction—for all we know, he could have perished in the detonation but we don't have complete proof on this matter... the only facts that should be known about Razevan Lucifer is his compulsive interest in the spotlight"

"I take it the guy is some kind of propaganda puppet?" Ryden questioned with an inquisitive raise to his eye brow.

Serafall nodded. "Of a sorts—though 'puppet' does describe him quite accurately. Razevan is the one that stands as the public face of the Old-Satan ideal, when one hears of the Old-Satan's—Razevan is the face most people think of, kinda like _Zech's_ mother and father with our forces but with a more sinister back ground"

Ryden glanced over to Sirzechs with a bored expression on his face, almost expectant of something. "And what flavor of shit does this insect spew?" he asked with a sneer, much to the amusement of those in his team.

Sirzechs merely shook his head in amusement before replying with his own level of disgust. "Razevan is the one in charge of slave trafficking—normally to the mines near Ashfeld, and usually transports any available low-class muscle to either of these sites near the city. On rare occasions however, he often accompanies 'premium' transports to _Lucifaad_ " Sirzechs frowned deeply at the last inch of his words, memories of a few dozen broadcasted executions invading his mind.

Ryden sighed. "Issue to the cause my ass—if we catch a slight whiff of this guys scent, we'll be sure to follow it all the way up to the head of the snake"

Serafall glanced at Ryden with a darkened set of eyes, clearly reliving some of executions as well. "And cut it off?" she hopefully questioned.

Ryden merely grin darkly before he shrugged in confusion. "Well we could do that, but I'm afraid there wouldn't be much enjoyment in skinning someone when their dead... just seems like a waste of time" came his immediately accepted answer, as evident by Serafall's own sadistic grin.

Before Ryden could delve into the matter pertaining to the last descendant, his connection with Ventus suddenly swelled, forcing him to direct his complete attention to the distant spirit, which for some reason sounded much more urgent then before.

 _ **While it is nice that you all have formulated your plan of action, I would suggest you get moving as soon as possible**_

Ryden frowned at _Ventus'_ sudden intrusion, yet his attention quickly took notice of the spirits slight annoyance

 _Trouble?_

 _ **Correct... these pests are somehow bypassing my defenses much easier than before—I don't know how, but they're gaining ground much more quickly than before**_

Ryden's frown deepened at Ventus' words, his nerves going cold at the haste within the spirits tone. Thinking deeper on the matter, Ryden suddenly felt his blood run cold in realization when only one explanation reached the forefront of his mind.

 _Their using Omni-keys!_

 _ **Omni-what?**_

 _A key that destabilizes magical bonds, they may be using multiple keys in order to bypass your defenses_

 _ **That is...inconvenient... I will need to increase my defenses if I'm to keep them at bay**_

 _You'll need to focus in order to do that..._

 _ **Indeed... it was a pleasure speaking with you Ryden vale**_

 _Likewise Ventus; we'll be seeing you soon..._

Within an instant, Ryden's fragile connection with Ventus suddenly dropped with a flurry of wind, the element itself retreating back out the open windows before they suddenly slammed shut; signifying Ventus' exit. Ryden sighed – his eyes returning to their regular hue – and immediately locked eyes with Sirzechs, the others quickly falling in after collecting themselves.

"What did you do?" Sirzechs questioned with a confused frown

Ryden shook his head dismissively. "Nothing, _Ventus_ had just informed me of the situation on his end... apparently the Old-Satan's have begun to gain ground faster than he can handle, so he withdrew his connection in order to focus" he answered truthfully

"Their gaining ground? How?" Serafall questioned with a troubled look

Sirzechs merely developed a grim expression at the news, his expression being perfectly mimicked by Ajuka. "They're using Omni-key's..." muttered the crimson devil. "It's the only possible way for them to have managed it..."

"Indeed..." Ajuka replied in agreement before he pursed his lips. "That means time isn't on our side anymore—" Ajuka realized before he locked eyes with Ryden and the others. "you five will need to deploy into the _territory of Lilith_ via Aerial insertion within the next few minutes, it's the only way we'll be able to avoid detection and get you all in there as fast as possible" Ajuka declared in a hard tone. "Gather your equipment—all of it—and meet back in the court yard within the hour" urged Ajuka.

"Get moving Dagger's, grab your essentials and leave the rest to your hand maidens—they'll handle the transport of your materials once you make landfall" ordered Sirzechs

Ryden nodded along with the others, the mood in the room suddenly becoming urgent as the newly forged team of devils quickly filed out of the massive command room, leaving behind the three generals in a hastened pace.

* * *

Ryden held his pace with the others as they filed out of the command room and into the praetorian guarded hallway, their expressions slowly taking on the usual noble light before they all moved as unit down towards the main stair way at the end of the hall.

"So what's the first plan once we get there" Nyx questioned out of the blue as they collapsed down the stairs in a controlled rush.

"Right now I just want to make sure we get there before we make any form of plan—without time on our side, the jump to _Lilith_ is gonna be a bumpy one, so we may not have the luxury of following through with a plan once we get there" Ryden replied as he pushed open the castles main door and lead the team down the front stairs. "Once we have boots on the ground, then we'll formulate a plan; but my main desire is getting to the mountains as fast as possible—we may need to hoof it for the first couple hours depending on our landing" Ryden added.

Rosalina shook her head. "General Astaroth said we'll be Aerial inserting, we should be able to keep together and focus our landing near the mountains" Rosalina pointed out before Rivia added to her words.

"Preferably as close to them as possible... we don't know how fast Hallen's forces are moving, and I'd hate to learn the hard way" Rivia urged with a hard set of eyes.

Ryden and Nyx sighed at the woman's words, quickly realizing the implications. "So this'll be a hot drop then? Immediate contact with enemy hostiles directly after falling several thousand miles per second..." Nyx laminated before sighing a second time. "...oh joy"

Ryden chuckled to himself, gaining Nyx's attention as they paused in the middle of the dirt road at the center of Zagan castle. "What's so funny?" Nyx questioned with a minor defensive look.

Ryden shook his head dismissively, defusing the devils defensive pose with a wave of his hand. "Nothing, I just thought of what one of my friends said after we jumped an inquisition convoy a few centuries ago... kinda correlates with the situation" Rivia and Rosalina lightly reeled back at Ryden's casual shout out to his past, usually seeing such a thing as a rare occurrence, while Nyx and Abigail eyed the aforementioned man with keen interest.

"What did he say?" Abigail questioned with an interest smirk.

Ryden scratched his nose briefly before he shifted his weight from one leg to another. "It was several days after we had this massive fight with a few dozen inquisitors near a small ravine—couple of my friends bit the dust that day but—we managed to hold off the inquisitors. However, after we buried our dead, he looked at me and said _'This is hell'_ with a slight realization to his eyes; well I just looked at him in confusion and said _'war is hell'..._ he took my words to heart that day. Fast forward a couple days and suddenly me and the same guy are jumping feet first off of a cliff down towards a moving convoy... the attack was a major success due in part to our shock and awe tactics—the Old-Satan schmuck's practically shat their pants when I leveled one of their troop convoys upon initial landing" Ryden paused for a breath, momentarily amused by the enthralled expressions on his teammates before he continued.

"Well after that little bout, my friend walks up to me laughing his ass off—sporting a new set of armor he'd taken from a dead inquisitor and said _'we just jumped feet first into hell'_ with this massive grin on his face..." Ryden paused again, a reminiscent smirk rising to his lips. "Now fast forward a couple hundred years and what am I doing again?" he questioned while looking both Abigail and Nyx in the eye.

"Jumping into hell..." Nyx muttered

Ryden smirked. "Exactly... we called ourselves _'Hell-jumpers'_ because we jumped _feet first into hell_... it was a motto we used to go by for some time before it all went to shit"

Nyx stood by with Abigail for a second before Abigail smirked. " _Hell-jumpers_... I like it, has a nice ring to it" Abigail complimented

Ryden nodded in agreement before he felt a presence behind him, looming over him even. A quick glance over his shoulder and Ryden realized it was Rivia; the woman looking at him with an alluring smile that slightly unnerved Ryden.

"Are we Hell-jumpers?" she asked with a fake tone of jealousy.

Ryden shook his head with an amused grin on his face, his gaze glancing from Nyx and Abigail to Rosalina and Rivia within a second. "Not yet you're not... jump feet first into hell and I'll be sure to give you the honor" he replied to the older devil before looking to Rosalina. "Same goes for you miss silence..." he teased.

At his comment, Rosalina merely shook her head in exacerbation, yet a small grin was seen on her lips none the less. "Honor me with that glory once we have the _Infernum Armis_ lord Ryden—until then I suggest we get this done before we start treating this like a vacation" Rosalina argued with a clear show of energy in her tone.

Suddenly, a wide grin etched itself on Ryden's lips at Rosalina's words; his own energy rising to the woman's own. "Oh hell ya, that's the kind of attitude I like to hear" Ryden barked out; surprising Nyx, Abigail and Rosalina while at the same time Rivia merely smirked in amusement at Ryden's hotheaded attitude.

Rosalina on the other hand, collected herself with a shake of her head before she peeled off from the group without another word; clearly intent on gearing herself up before the drop. With her actions, Nyx and Abigail also chose to peel off from the group after giving Ryden one last grin of amusement; leaving him alone with a quietly smirking Rivia Abaddon.

"What?" he asked after a moment of staring

Rivia giggled at his unease before she gestured for him to follow. "Nothing to worry about Ryden... now follow me—I require assistance with my armor"

Ryden remained in place for a second, both because of Rivia's words _and_ because she had just walked into _his_ families tent with any sign of being unaware of her actions; she had even glanced back at him – recognized his confusion – and simply smirked bemusedly at his frozen state with a sort of alluring light in her gaze.

If it was any time to recognize a hint—Ryden was terrified if this was one of those moments...

' _Help her with her armor'... that can't be a sex invitation can it?_

 _ **Obviously it is... she most likely sees this as the last chance she'll ever get alone with you—judging by how she practically moaned at your touch from before; I'm guessing she wants a quickie before you both go down cock-block Avenue**_

Ryden immediately went beat red at _Fulgur's_ unceremonious return and subsequent words; his heart rate accelerating to unseen levels when his thoughts began to put speculative messages together _._ Every comment, smirk, glance and underline message immediately began to bog down his mind while _Fulgur_ continued blissfully

 _ **Considering you guys are on a time limit, I can only assume she wants it ~Roooughhh and faaaasssst~... guess you can say she's my kind of girl—nothing better than a rough thrashing before a bloodbath... ~oh I'm sooo ready for this~**_

 _Well I'm not Fulgur! I can't just—_

 _ **Oh come on master! You honestly can't tell I'm just fucking with you!?**_

.

.

.

Within the middle of the dirt road of Zagan castle, Ryden was seen staring emotionlessly at the ground; his mind practically screeching to high hell for falling for one of the classic blunders before he calmly breathed in a long and drawn out sigh of exasperation.

 _I miss Ventus... I really like him_

 _ **Well for one—Ow, that hurts; and two... you should probably get moving before she comes back out and retrieves you... I believe it would be a better situation to handle if she does try to wax your swordspear, rather than explaining to her why you're blushing in the middle of the street**_

.

.

.

After a small moment of contemplation, Ryden quickly kicked it into high gear and hastily followed after Rivia before _F_ _ulgur's_ short horror story came true. It was one thing to turn down spontaneous sex, but it was another thing entirely when it came to explaining ones reasoning for blushing.

Yeah... he'd take an awkward blowjob over that kind of scenario any time of the day.

* * *

Nothing had happened...

It was a false alarm...

Coitus had not been achieved...

To say Ryden was experiencing a small brief period of disappointment would be a serious understatement. With the combined nature of his inexperience with actual sexual intercourse and his lack of a true sexual relationship; Ryden's ability to distinguish innocent requests and carnal invitations was incredibly blurred.

To also add insult to injury, _Fulgur's_ sexually charged voice hadn't been the best form of comfort with his slowly rising sexual frustration. This was due in part with her compulsive nature in always assuming some kind of sexual perspective with everything within Ryden's life so far. Finding some kind of mental clarity wasn't easy when one possessed a woman in their head, but it was impossible to do it when it was both extremely horny and it sounded like Laura bailey doing her best low feminine voice.

With that combo... shit was always going to make focusing difficult.

To make matters even worse for him, Fulgur had been giggling to herself for the past several minutes while he was forced with helping Rivia place on her newly graphed armor. This had truly been Rivia's request all along—simple assistance in placing on her much larger selection of armor; as it turned out, Rivia had been innocent the whole time, it had just be his inexperience that had lead him to prepare for the illogical.

Ryden wanted to sigh to himself but merely refrained from it In order to keep away from any unnecessary conversations. So alas, Ryden simply took in the woman's new features while waiting for any more assistance queues; his intention being to clear his mind with a trivial subject.

The new armor Rivia had received from her family forge – apparently having delivered a request for new armor sometime during his _'defenseless days'_ – was similar in color scheme as her outfit that Tiamat had created for her, except with a few silver additions added to it.

The end result of the armor so far had been a trade between extravagant details for a more elegant and sleek design with only a few select hints of demonic decal's for small locations. From the obvious show of care towards practicality rather than aesthetic, Ryden could tell Rivia wasn't the kind to strut her armor, but more accurately wore it for militaristic reasons.

He could appreciate it, the only armor he possessed was his currently on his legs and he knew they were a bit gaudy for his tastes, yet he still wore them strictly because Venelana had created the design herself.

He didn't want to insult the poor woman's deed...

So far the armor that they'd managed to get on in the short time frame that they had was her armored boots and gauntlets. Her leg wear was standard female design; high heel footwear with a hard focus to ankle support, and a connected section to completely covering the lower leg all the way up to her knees with a set of almost form fitted armor plating with an addition of fur lining within for comfort. The next section had been a set of layered plated armor that protected her outer thigh with a similarly designed fur lining aesthetic, however instead of being all one piece like her metal greaves, her thigh armor came in three separate parts or 'plates' that overlapped the other in order to maximize maneuverability and defense. The plates themselves were outfitted with a thin layer of metal shards in the pattern of dragon scales... the practically of it was unknown, but it matched well with her form fitted spaulders, vambraces and gauntlets; as they also possessed the same overlapping style along with a fur coated insulation for comfortability.

With her new additions to her attire and with the path of action ahead of them; Rivia had modified her previous outfit to accommodate a more breathable appearance to allow for easier movements and much more advanced forms of maneuverability within the forested regions that they'll be travel through. With this in mind, Rivia had forgone her massive skirt and had opted to change it into a waist cape in order to free up her legs. Going up to her torso – or more specifically, her arms – Rivia had changed out her long detached sleeves for a set of regular black ones that covered her forearms, leaving her biceps marginally exposed underneath her overlapping spaulders. Her gauntlets were also the same design and sat comfortably over her detached sleeves; while her hands wore simple fingerless gloves.

With her outer extremities covered – by her own hands mind you – Rivia then proceeded to slip on her most impractical piece of armor in her armory; by definition of Ryden.

The torso armor itself covered the entire central mass of Rivia's body; ribs, abdomen, back, shoulders, traps, and a small part of her neck were the main targets on the list. Ryden's first impression of the armor however, reminded him eerily of a heavy Kevlar vest—except instead of being bogged down by a bandoleer and heavy fabric, the armor instead possessed two massive protrusions at the upper most portion of the chest...

For her massive breasts obviously... who knew

"Help me tighten the straps on my back—and don't be shy, I want it as tight as it'll go" Rivia requested calmly whilst she rearranged her position within the armor. Ryden shook his head in order to pry himself away from his analytical haze only to see Rivia casually positioning her breasts into the two protruding slots in her armor.

"Sure" he replied calmly, distantly even, while gripping the few straps and pulling—making damn sure Rivia didn't see his blush.

In order to clear his mind again, Ryden delved back into studying the armor; and as it turns out, just like a generic Kevlar vest, the few seams within it were located at the ribs, but once Ryden pulled on the tightening strap all the way until the armor met, a faint glow shined in between the seam before the seam itself ceased to existed.

Ryden frowned at the sight. "Well that's nifty" he said while running his hand down where the seam had been. "It's like it wasn't even there" Rivia lightly snickered at the awe in his tone.

"I take it the Agares family is an unknown to you?" questioned the older woman only for Ryden to shake his head at her.

"So it's time manipulation then... pretty advanced if you ask me—is it a sigil that powers it? Or something else?" Rivia smirked at Ryden's question but merely shrugged unknowingly.

"That's the unfortunate beauty of the Agares family's secret to armor and tailor-ship—though if it does help, the armor is called 'broken weave'"

Ryden nodded with a raised eyebrow. "Interesting..." he muttered with a brief glint of interest before he locked eyes with a calmly smiling Rivia. "Is this all you needed my help with?" he asked calmly with a light scratch to his cheek.

Rivia chuckled again at Ryden's words – finding a humor to them that the aforementioned man didn't fully notice – and calmly sighed to herself before standing from her seat. "It is indeed all I needed help with—but now it is _I_ that will help you"

Ryden lightly paused in confusion, his eyes locking with Rivia's slightly nervous orbs. "Excuse me?" came his confused question.

In response to his confusion; Rivia lightly waved her hand in front of her, the action itself summed a simple – yet heavily decorated – chest plate to drop from a casually summoned hole in space. Ryden blinked at the event, yet his confusion grew deeper when Rivia stepped towards him... again, it was odd... for some reason Rivia looked nervous as she approached him, the armor held tightly in her hands before she calmly placed it on the table to his right.

Ryden was confused by many things—Rivia's nervousness was one of them—yet he couldn't help but tear his gaze away from the subject in order to fully download the armor that had been place at his side. The craftsmanship that had gone into the armor was beyond human capability – almost breaching fantasy level – as the armor itself – mostly black in color – seemed to have been crafted from a mix of terranite metal and obsidian ore to resemble a set of futuristic ballistic armor seen on the likes of _Batman_.

The chest armor itself didn't cover much, but rather protected the key areas on the front of the body while leaving the rest completely open—mostly to favor freedom of movement then anything. The chest area itself was the largest section and protruded outward just enough to resemble a set of pectoral muscles; as a matter of fact, the whole armor design looked as if it was meant to defend each major muscle group on the torso via plating of metal directly over that area. The main focus of the armor was the chest itself, the abs, the oblique's, the back entirely and even the spine; everything else that wasn't protected, was covering by a thick – yet light – gel layer that faintly glowed in between the gaps of armor.

It was finely crafted, highly advanced for its time, and moderately _squared_ now that he looked at it for a moment longer; and as an added bonus, it fit perfectly well with his black, red and gold aesthetic. At first it looked like roman armor – highly advanced roman armor mind you – but now that he downloaded it completely he honestly couldn't see he resemblance; if it had been roman armor, then that shit would've been alien looking as fuck.

Only a Spartan could look natural in something like this... a _UNSC Spartan_ that is

"It's something I had order while you were a sleep—I even gave them your measurements so it would fit perfectly" Rivia piped up after a moment of silence. Ryden frowned at the woman's reveal, mildly taken off guard by the woman's courteous gift, yet he made sure he didn't project his frown towards her for too long; her nervous demeanor was still persisting.

"You created this for me" he muttered after a moment before he looked back at her again. "Why?" Ryden had to ask why the woman would go out of her way to forge something for him, especially when she knew of his impervious nature... they must be a deeper meaning to it.

And deeper meaning there was...

Rivia – in a rare moment of embarrassment – blushed moderately at the question, having obviously known of the needlessness of the notion from the very beginning; yet her persistence within the matter itself had been far more 'personal' then what Ryden perceived.

To Rivia, it was the least she could do for someone that had begun to mean more to her then a simple devil...

"I had asked myself that question as well... why I should have armor made for someone that doesn't need it in the first place. Yet whenever I thought about it, I felt... _content_ with the idea" Rivia lightly smiled at Ryden after replying, a natural glint of what looked like _innocence_ itself shining directly through the veteran devil. "Whenever I thought of you wearing something protective, I felt more secure... more... at ease with myself—like I could fight on without worry of your defenses failing; because even if something breached your defenses, there would still be something there to shield you if it did"

Ryden couldn't quite handle what he'd just heard. The truthfulness within Rivia and the softness within her tone caused his cheeks to dust over pink significantly, yet when the full meaning of Rivia's actions finally made itself present to him, his face felt hotter than the sun and his heart felt almost lighter than air. It was one thing to have a protective mother – hounding you constantly in order to keep their loved ones safe – But it was another thing entirely to have a woman actively searching for a way to keep you out of harm's way. Even if the armor would be nothing but a badass addition to his outfit, the reason behind its making would not deter in the slightest.

Sometimes someone's futility—or desire to protect the unkillable—can carry the same level of beauty as the notion to protect any other...

Ryden was speechless; void of any form of vocal response to Rivia's clear show of care towards him and his well being. The armor that she'd crafted for him was sturdy, and rich with more material alloy platting then even her own; this meant the armor wasn't cheap—most likely ranging somewhere in the _billions_ by both the material compounds within it, and the craftsmanship that had went into it as well.

Rivia had gone all out in making this gift for him...

Upon realizing this, Ryden still couldn't quite find the words to reply to the woman in front of him. Rivia knew he didn't need the armor, yet out of either selfishness or selflessness, the Abaddon devil still created it out of a futile desire to keep her ward – her arbiter – alive or safe... needlessness be damned.

He was speechless...

 _...Yet not immobile_

Without replying to her words of honesty, Ryden calmly grasped the armor and lifted it up from its resting spot on the table. Surprise was the first thing to grace his features, as the armor itself was lighter then he'd thought it would be—rumors had stated obsidian ore was a heavy mineral, yet for some reason the suit itself didn't possess the weight he expected it to have. Shaking his head of this minor addition, Ryden gently skimmed over the detail on the armor platting, momentarily noting the slight shimmer of red energy that pulsed within the black metal upon slight contact—he even noted the suit had grown heavy as well.

Was that...?

Ryden frowned at the suit for a split second – oddly intrigued by the sudden change – before he raised the armor over his hand and gently slid into it. Comfortable didn't quite cover it once the suit had fallen into place, however he could only equate that feeling to his flock coat being the main culprit, yet even still—the armor itself felt as if he hadn't even place a set of armor on in the first place, only the weight of it gave it away.

 _ **Zzzzzzuuuuuu**_

A faint moan echoed out from the armor, the sound mimicking the same sound a computer makes when it boots up. Right after the mechanical moan, the metal plating and gel layer suddenly tightened briefly; sealing the gaps that had allowed him easy access to placing the armor on before the suit released the built up pressure.

Ryden was stupefied – no, scratch that – _shell shocked_ fit his description better. For a moment, the suit had possessed a weight – though it was minor – but directly after the suit had automatically accustomed itself to his form, the weight itself had _vanished_ completely... from the way he saw it, the armor felt as if it had dissolved into dust but a quick glance downward immediately corrected him of that assumption.

Ryden sighed while staring at the armor—evidently watching the rise and falling of his chest like he wasn't wearing anything at all.

Jesus... it even allows complete freedom of movement!

Ryden rotated his back, feeling his joints pop while at the same time watching the armor plating move with his body accordingly. He felt like a damn Spartan with it on, but before he could begin giggling to himself upon that realization—Rivia suddenly slammed an open palm strike directly to his stomach; surprising him both by the sudden assault, _and_ the response that followed directly afterwards.

There wasn't much of a sound that rang out from the impact other then Rivia's palm impacting against his armor, but the armors response to the strike wasn't something he expected.

The weight returned, this time remaining for a small period as pulse of red energy rippled outward from where Rivia's palm had impacted. He didn't feel anything from the strike—he didn't even flinch actually, but he knew Rivia had intended to truly hit him because the air dispersion from her attack had ruffled his air briefly.

The absolute mad woman actually hit him... for real

"I can see the kinetic absorption operates just fine... good" Ryden eyed Rivia like she was a mad woman, his face drooping into a worried and confused glint as her words reached him.

"So you waited for me to put the armor on before testing it..." Ryden stated with a slightly hurt gaze.

Rivia chuckled softly while returning to a more passive state, her arms casually crossing underneath her armored bust. "Of course... where else can I find a sturdy test subject capable of taking what I can dish out?"

 _ **Play along with her banter... you'll thank me later**_

Ryden blinked at Fulgur's sudden intrusion into the conversation, but he took the advice and ran with it. His lips curled into a moderate grin shortly afterwards, while his eyes regarded Rivia playfully. "Well if you put it that way—I guess I can dismiss the abuse"

Rivia suddenly reeled back at the man's words, a genuine blink of surprise adoring her gaze before a mischievous glimmer replaced it. "~well... how courteous of you~" she muttered out while slowly stepping towards him, closing their distance at a leisured pace. "~but say I do it again... what would you do~?"

At that point, Rivia was directly in front of him; her armor pressing against his own slightly while her lips parted just enough to show off her pearly whites; a glint of mischievousness dwelling deep within her golden eyes. Ryden on the other hand remained as calm as he could in order to keep playing along; however the proximity breach had made it exceptionally difficult to do.

Ryden tilted his head slightly while keeping his eyes on Rivia's own, his own mischievous smirk rising as he held his ground. "~well that depends... how hard will you hit me~?" Ryden whispered in response.

Rivia smirked at his response, a soft chuckle escaping her lips as her head slowly pressed forward; an advance that surprised Ryden and thrilled _Fulgur_ deeply.

If there was another layer of any form of tension between them, then they'd have already reached it by this point. Ryden could almost feel Rivia's breath upon his skin; and he could even feel how close he was to sealing the deal with her right then and there...

Too bad it didn't come to that...

 _[Rivia Abaddon and Ryden vale Gremory—please report to the court yard immediately]_

And just like that, the mood was killed by the reality around them...

 _Time's up..._

Ryden could see disappointment flash across Rivia's eyes before her gaze tore itself away, her form twisting around in retreat to the tent entrance before she paused briefly in one fell motion. Rivia eyes returned to look upon his newly acquired armor before a smile spread across her lips; her gaze soon rising to regard him with a thankful gesture.

"I'm glad you accepted my gift Ryden, now I can fight fully with the knowledge that I have taken some measure to ensure your safety... you can rest assured now; I will no longer fret over your health like I did before" Rivia stated resolutely before a smirk – devious and mildly sadistic – stretched across her lips. "I guess that means you are free from my worries"

Ryden had to take a minute to cool himself off with how close he was to reaching second base with Rivia; or at least he assumed he had... with Rivia's teasing it was hard to tell whether or not she would actually followed through with the deed, yet even still, his heart was beating faster than it had ever before. However after a moment to collect himself, Ryden eyed Rivia momentarily before a chuckled rippled from his throat – his humor rising at Rivia's previous words – confusing the blonde beauty by the suddenness of it. His humor rose slowly ever more as he walked to join Rivia at the entrance, his eyes casually regarding her with a knowing edge to them. "Come now Rivia... we both know I won't be free of your worries until I put on a _helmet_ " he joked while passing the woman, leaving her to stare after his exit with a surprised gaze.

She stood there for a moment, a mix of confusion and surprise etched on her brow before she suddenly realized the meaning behind Ryden's words and subsequently broke out into a controlled and refined laugh that echoed out to the world outside, confusing many passerby's and amusing Ryden once he heard it.

Rivia was beside herself now... Why the hell didn't she forge a helmet?!

It made so much sense now!

* * *

 **[Courtyard]**

The first thing Ryden saw when he approached Zagan castles central courtyard was the sight of his team – minus Rivia – standing by a massive magic sigil that thoomed with an impressive degree of energy, it even had a pillar of green light shooting up into the sky. However, that was merely the first thing he noticed; the next was the generals, standing further away from Nyx, Abigail and Rosalina who he then noticed to be sporting their own new sets of armor—or additions to their usual attire.

Nyx was wearing his usual outfit with the addition of multiple silver metal plating's that cover his thighs, his shins, his abs, back, spine, and groin; leaving most of his joints exposed for swift movement while also providing the bare minimum protection.

The same could easily be said for Abigail; having barely changed her outfit other then the new addition of a burgundy waist cape.

Rosalina on the other hand now sported a near full set of armor eerily similar to Rivia's; however, the only difference was the aesthetic additions to Rosalina _golden_ armor and the lack of _overlapping_ metal plates on her thighs and arms. Instead, most of her armor was finely crafted to fit all in one piece and to not only protect but accentuate her physic perfectly to allow crisp movement for sword play. Normally some nerdy neck beard would say its impractical for a woman to build her armor around aesthetic and sex appeal without sacrificing practicality; but from what Ryden could see—Rosalina was _far_ from prioritizing her appearance... even though she looked hot as hell in it!

Her chest – or more accurately – her _breasts_ where encased a similarly designed chest plate to Rivia's, however her armor didn't extend downward to cover her abdomen; the woman having chosen to do that job with a finely linked shirt of chain-mail that casually peaked out from the hem of her combat dress. Rosalina's previously long and encumber-some skirt had also be changed into a twin tailed waist cape that dangled down to the knees of her finely crafted leg armor—the ornamented and golden plating shining brilliantly in contrast with her red dress.

The main topic of the build for the crimson dagger this week it seemed was the desire for speed...

 _Gotta go fast..._

After he'd taken in his team's new choice of attire, Ryden quickly noticed that they were staring at him rather intently... well... not at _him_ so to speak...

 _It was what he was wearing..._

" _*Whistle*_... nice armor you got there Ryden..." Sirzechs stated with a sudden smirk. Ryden could have sworn he'd seen a glint of shock in his adoptive brother's eyes before he'd spoken, yet he merely blamed Rosalina's golden armor to having created that possible illusion.

Ryden glanced down at his chest armor – briefly marveling at the soft pulsing of red energy within it – before he threw a teasing glance to his brother. "Jealous?" he quizzed with a slowly evolving smirk.

Sirzechs shook his head with embarrassment after a small chuckle escaped his lips; however instead of elaborating on the subject he merely gestured for him to step onto the magic circle without another word.

Ryden frowned at his brother's amusement and embarrassment, confused by the way the devil looked more surprised by the development then truly dismissive of it. Ryden's confusion quickly grew as he approached the magic circle, when all he could see in the eyes of his teammates was shock... well, Nyx and Abigail looked shocked, but Rosalina on the other hand looked more frustrated than surprised.

Ryden's brow only furrowed further at the looks everyone was giving him – even Serafall and Ajuka looked perplexed – yet he carried on towards the magic sigil without any further hesitation.

Whatever they were hiding from him, he'd figure it out sooner or later...

The magic circle that had obviously been created by Ajuka was impressively intricate; having several smaller magic circles' cycling along the outer edges of the main circle that also possessed their own detailed formula to fuel. With a calming sigh, Ryden casually stepped into the circle before he quickly grew surprised when one of the sigils close by suddenly appeared at his feet—the markings and letters or an ancient language practically freezing in place upon appearing.

Ryden was enthralled by the display of magic for a moment before he quickly noticed Rivia stepping onto the magic circle and taking her place to his left flank without a word of acknowledgement to anyone. Maybe a few nods where exchanged but Ryden couldn't truly tell due to his interest with the magic at his feet; However, Ryden didn't miss Sirzechs shake his head in exasperation upon staring after Rivia for a brief second.

Soon after that awkward moment passed, Ajuka calmly stepped forward and held out his hand in order to summon a series of highly detailed magic sigils that overlapped the other. Directly after the brief display of Ajuka's 'Dr. Strange' impression, the man calmly twisted his hand counter clockwise which summoned a series of smaller magic sigils to appear directly over each of their eyes.

"Remain calm; one of the few conditions the council had demanded of this operation was the complete documentation of everything experienced in the field" Sirzechs informed while crossing his arms. "The magic that Ajuka is infusing into you is a recording sigil that will capture everything you see and do—be sure to document everything you can; all of it... anything that is found can be used against the old-Satan's even if you don't find physical evidence-and don't worry, due to possible personal exposure, only ajuka and Harbinger will be reviewing your findings once you return" he added with all the seriousness a general would possess.

Ryden simply took in all the information provided before a culminated nod of understanding was sent to the devil directly after he finished. and for Ryden part, he was just glad ajuka was going to be the only one witnessing what they would see and say; yet never the less for the rest of them, they all understood the importance of the procedure and wordlessly excepted the intrusion; and soon enough they felt a slight presence within their eyes—a passive weight that soon dissolved completely, signifying the completion of the optical up-link.

Ajuka sighed after completing his first task before he carried on with the remainder of the preparations; a series of even more magic sigils springing to life before he calmly informed the team of devils their intended trajectory "Be advised Dagger's, the intended drop target will have you falling at 10,000 feet above the cataclysmic storm—near the targeted mountain" informed the emerald devil with a calm and neutral stare.

After that, Sirzechs calmly summoned the captured Omni-key in a flurry of magic light before he held it out to Ryden. "Keep it secure" he ordered after Ryden took it.

"Copy that" Ryden affirmed before depositing the key into his pocket dimension.

Sirzechs nodded firmly at the resolve in Ryden's tone before he calmly addressed the newly formed Crimson Dagger with a hardened – yet compassionate – set of eyes. "Good luck to you all—may the blood of your families and the gifts of your ancestors see to your return" Sirzechs nodded a second time; resolute and firm before he struck a sharp solute after voicing his farewell—Serafall and Ajuka following suit.

Ryden and the others mimicked the action of their superiors; their response towards Sirzechs' words being the sharp and pointed nod towards their general before the light of the magic circle brightened to abnormal levels.

Ryden smirked when the color of the magic circle – and the pillar of light – came to his mind; the vision of the green light reminding him of a familiar motivational call-out that he couldn't honestly let pass. As the light intensified – obscuring their view of the generals – and the loud swelling of the sigils complete activation rang out, Ryden called out...

"Daggers—we are green, and very, very _mean_!"

If any of them truly felt confused by his words, then they didn't show it because all he heard directly after was...

" _ **HOOO!"**_

A wild smirk erupted on Ryden's lips from the positive response before Nyx's own voice tore out over the loud howl of magic.

"Feet First!" he yelled out jovially

" _ **HOOO!"**_

By then the loud howl of magic completely obscured the world around them; the light of the magic reaching an all time high before it suddenly swelled into a massive detonation that created an extreme sense of vertigo for all that stood within the magic circle.

A second after... weightlessness took its place...

And then...

 _ **...Gravity**_

* * *

 **[Military report update:** _ **0200 hours**_ **/ Deployment method:** _ **jump sigil, high altitude**_ **/ target location:** _ **Lilith territory, Northeast quadrant**_ / **Crimson Dagger operations status...** _ **deployed**_ **]**

Ryden's vision swam in confusion for a moment, small tears appearing at the edge of his eyes as the powerful wisps of wind smacked into his face unrelentingly like a merciless boxer. After a moment of rubbing hastily and vehement curses that fell on deaf ears; Ryden quickly managed to collect himself in order to fully download what was happening.

It had been a rush like he wouldn't believe—one second he was on solid ground and then the next second he was 10,000 feet above ground and falling at terminal velocity towards a massive hurricane that completely encompassed a mountain range.

By the description he knew where he was...

The distance between Zagan castle to the northeast corner of hell was a massive distance to travel—mostly ranging in several days worth travel via magic circles at _maximum range_ ; yet Ajuka had created a jump sigil that closed that gap into _seconds._

Sirzechs had spoken of the man's status as his equal and now he could fully appreciate that sentiment...

But he digressed...

As Ryden plummeted downwards through the sparse clouds of Lilith's evening sky, he spotted a glimpse of what looked like Nyx and Abigail falling in perfect formation; the both of them whipping downward like two bullets from a high velocity rifle.

Immediately, Ryden mimicked their form and changed his trajectory to regroup on them which was closely followed by Rosalina and Rivia who had come in from behind him; the both of them eyeing him briefly before they gestured to his ear.

 _ **It would seem they wish for you to tune in master...**_

 _I figured..._

Ryden cursed himself briefly before he quickly activated his forgotten surgical sigil and immediately reported in. "Check..."

 _[Well it's about time Ryden!_ _]_ Nyx barked bemusedly. _[This your first jump or something!?]_

 _[Keep in mind Nyx, I was jumping off of cliffs—not falling from 10,000 feet!]_ argued Ryden with a glare which merely received a light chuckle in response.

 _[Clear comm's ladies! Let's get this landing right]_ Abigail instructed harshly. _[Follow my entry, we're about to break through the storm!]_

When it came to sky diving in formation, anyone who initiated the lead role would get it without argument, as the speed from terminal velocity would cut any distance fallen into mere minutes before the deadline... they had no time argue over who led the charge.

With that being said, no one argued when Abigail suddenly veered off to the right, but rather they all followed without hesitation. The path that Abigail had chosen was most likely meant to get them directly within the eye of the storm – where most of the winds power was the least present – and this meant they would experience less turbulence once they reached any thermal pockets close by the mountain sides.

 _Thermal pockets_ where a possible danger to helicopter pilots everywhere on earth, but Ryden couldn't exactly believe they were an issue _here_ when they had a massive hurricane in front of them. And he also had to remind himself that thermals only existed when there was an actual _sun_ present to create the thermal updraft... but you never really know when it comes to the supernatural.

Their change in trajectory was successful and smooth—the whole lot of them remaining in perfect formation towards the hurricane; however they had yet to actually reach it, and Ryden could tell it wouldn't be a friendly experience.

The hurricane that swelled violently before them all was _massive_ ; well beyond the size of a category 5 hurricane or even a superficial _category 7_. Within a matter of seconds they were practically skimming the outer edges of the hurricane, however the danger that quickly presented itself was the fact the spiral of wind was moving in the opposite direction, meaning they'd be punching directly into a oncoming wind pressure that could be well over 300 Mph... Houses were torn to shreds at 145 mph.

 _[So how are we doing this?!]_ Nyx questioned with a bit of trepidation to his voice.

 _[You got any idea's Ryden?! Now would be a really good time to pull out a trump card or we're dust]_ came Abigail's words of warning, a minimal tone of panic edged in her voice.

 _[Unsheathe Fulgur Ryden—] Rivia called out with a calm tone. [The energy from her element should give us passage] the woman informed with confidence._

 _ **She is correct master, unsheathe me and Ventus will be able to detect you**_

 _I hope your right_

 _ **I know I am...**_

Without any room to hesitate, Ryden quickly gripped the handle of _Fulgur_ and partially unsheathed the blade; allowing the tendrils of _Fulgur's_ lightning to reach out and tag each of his allies, shielding them in a bubble of arc energy.

 _ **Make your entry... he has felt you**_

Almost immediately after the arc bubbles were erected and _Fulgur's_ assurance had been voiced, the hurricane began to part just enough to allow perfect entry into the mountains, giving them full view of their targeted destination as well as a full view of over one hundred Old-Satan forces marching up a spiral path way that ran along the largest mountain Ryden had ever seen; its size reaching nearly _11,000_ feet high.

 _[Twenty seconds till deadline, dive on my mark... MARK!]_

Immediately after Abigail gave the order, Nyx, Rosalina and Rivia quickly followed Abigail into a nose dived downwards. However, they all forgot about Ryden... the one man that _didn't_ possess a pair of wings.

 _[Ryden what are you... ah shit! He doesn't have wings!]_ Nyx questioned before realization hit him like a truck.

 _[What!?]_ Came Rivia's sudden shout, having not know of Ryden's disability

Ryden ignored the worry. _[Focus on your landing! I got this!]_

Rosalina and Rivia cursed angrily at the news and realization before they had no choice but to pull out their wings in order to control their landing; their speed slowing down significant to see Ryden's form zoom over their heads and slam harshly into the ground several hundred yards from their position; an eruption of crimson lightning exploding outward directly after.

 _ **BVVVVVVVVP-BOOOOOOM!**_

The explosion was fierce and violent, sending out debris in all directions while a shock wave ripped several trees directly out of the ground; a dome of crimson energy rippling along the earth below like a tsunami of rubble.

Within the destroyed patch of earth, Ryden breathed a deep sigh of exhilaration, his senses spiraling like crazy at the sudden halt to his fall and his heart pounded like a war drum from the sheer adrenaline pumping in his veins; yet after a moment – and a slight shake of his head – his awareness cleared perfectly to reveal his current position.

He was within a crater several feet deep and several feet wide in diameter, the ground itself having been charred to glass by the sheer heat that had emanated from his fall and _Fulgur's_ assisted performance. Directly outside of the crater was unknown, but Ryden could hear the distinct cries of shock and terror from several dozen inquisitors and he could also see the main entrance to the mountains pathway.

He'd landed directly where he needed to be...

Heh... SUPERHERO LANDING... it really wasn't hard on his knees...

He dusted himself down, shrugging off several shards of molten shrapnel before he casually strolled out of the crater, an action that terrified the inquisitors guarding the main entrance to Ventus' resting placing.

"D-D-Demon!" one yelled out in fear as Ryden paused several yards from them, near the edge of the crater that he had previously resided in.

"How did he survive that? Better yet, where did he come from?" another speculated with a disturbed expression worn under his helm.

Ryden ignored the small contingent of inquisitors and calmly glancing around to see the storm that raged around them had mostly focused to the upper most portion of the mountain and the outer reaches of the mountain range itself. After some time, angry wisps of wind where eventually seen smacking the mountain side sporadically, obviously a sign of Ventus' defensive efforts to quelling the Old-Satan's main advance.

Ryden whistle at the sight, his mind quickly filing the sight to memory before he tuned in to the continued conversation behind him.

"There's no way someone could survive a fall like that!" another yelled in a still ever present cloud of shock. Ryden frowned at the devils continued confusion before he simply shook his head.

"Honestly..." he piped in with a sigh. "Do you really think questioning it repeatedly will provide you an answer? I'm here and alive, so why are you not attacking me by now?" right after Ryden's knowing statement, many inquisitors bore hesitation; clearly not confident in facing a man that survived a free-fall. However there was one that took that challenge head on.

"Stand aside maggots!" came a loud and graveled voice as a knight wearing brilliant and pristine armor pushed passed the large entourage of smaller devils. "You cowards are the reason you're providing guard duty rather than joining the main force!" he spat while unsheathing his long sword. "It's a testament to the worthlessness you all possess... I shall deal with this anomaly myself; cower as you will mongrels"

Ryden had to raise a brow at the sheer vehemence in the knight's tone; the extreme resentment he possessed towards his underlings was honestly astonishing. Even further down the line, Ryden was honestly losing much faith in finding a true worthy opponent to give him a challenge, or some kind of test to grind against; yet the arrogance and hatred in most of these inquisitors was a clear show of weakness that he could easily overcome with but a few barbs and insults.

For example...

"Talking a lot of shit for a guy running guard duty" Ryden pointed out with a generic grin of mockery. "I'd say it smells of hypocrisy but I'd be lying... it actually smells like worthlessness" the knight suddenly fumed at his words, the meaning behind them pushing the knight predictably over the edge.

See when it comes to conflict of any kind, the presence of arrogance and ego doesn't create a sense of intimidation towards those that have a moderate amount of brain matter. To a skilled warrior or competitive athlete or even a guy that plays enough Xbox; the presence of arrogance and ego only presents a clear and exploitable weakness that can easily disrupt the focus of an opponent by turning that arrogance into anger and frustration.

It gets their head outta the game... so to speak...

And what do you know... it worked

"You dare mock me boy!?" howled the knight whose britches where far too tight to be comfortable. "For your information, insect, I am—"

"Don't finish that sentence! I don't give a shit" Ryden yelled out with a disappointed sigh, his form lightly slouching forward in mock despair. "...what's a man do when all he faces is arrogance?" he asked himself before he shook his head and regarded the knight with a casual glance. "I guess I only have one thing to ask you... how's the health plan?"

The nameless knight seethed in clear righteous anger at Ryden's casual dismissal, his eyes igniting over in a blaze of rage. "You little worm..." growled the devil knight before he threw caution to the wind and charged directly at him, an action that forced a bemused smirk to develop on his face.

"Heh...well apparently it's great!" Ryden proclaimed with a bright and savage smirk before he whipped out _Cerberus_ and gripped it in a typical old western hip stance.

 _ **BANG! BANG!**_

Within a span of two seconds, the arrogant devil received a gunshot to the chest and another directly between the eyes, the shots themselves completely destroying the man's chest cavity and cranium as if he were a watermelon being shot by a Barrett .50 cal. Ryden calmly sidestepped away from the devils graceless tumble; elegantly avoiding the blood and brain splatter before he twisted around into a combat ready stance—his firearm primed at the other inquisitors while his other hand coursed with arc energy.

"Who's next?" he asked with a charming – yet threatening – grin

!

Many inquisitors surprisingly didn't rise to challenge him, however instead the remaining knights simply dropped their swords and weapons before they all ran to the tree line to his right—their hands held above their head in a almost cartoon-ish flee.

Well that was easy...

Ryden calmly regarded the fleeing inquisitors with a confused raise of his brow, yet he merely shrugged at the turn of events just as the rest of his team broke out of the tree line behind him; their expressions of worry quickly dropping to relief once they spotted Ryden holstering _Cerberus_ with a bored expression laden on his face.

"Ryden?" Rosalina called out with a hint of worry in her voice, Rivia doing the same with her gaze alone while Abigail and Nyx quietly took in Ryden's landing site; their eyes wide at the impact zone.

"Uh Rosa... I think he's alright" Abigail muttered after stepping passed the crater, her words forcing Rosalina to reluctantly drop her question of worry.

"Y-yeah... If anything I think we should ask the _ground_ if it's ok" Nyx added with a look of shock before he calmly swallowed his nervous and glanced at Ryden. "Just what the hell are you made of?" he asked.

Ryden shrugged before he suddenly pulled out a piece of rubble from his coat and casually tossed it to the ground before regarding the devil with a hotheaded smirk. "All kinds of things Nyx—but most of it is just sheer badass" he answered before smirking at the devil. However, afterwards, Ryden quickly dropped his carefree expression and drew in serious. "Aside from that, the Old-Satan's have already begun their trek up to Ventus' position so we'll need to haul ass if we want to stop whatever their doing" he informed seriously before Abigail nodded along with Rosalina; a savage smirk rising to Nyx's lips.

"alright, but we're gonna make for time—then I suggest we prioritize carving a path directly through the main force without fully engaging the enemy; from what I saw, the old-Satan's are marching as a massive unit up the mountain so that should be our targeted aim" Rosalina offered without any arguments.

"I'll take point— _Fulgur's_ been itching to cut loose for a while now" at his words, Ryden drew _Fulgur_ from his back; the glass blade arcing with chaotic energy that writhed with extreme excitement.

None argued the man's offer, which Ryden took as his queue to start the rush up the mountain...

...Time for a little _**shock and awe**_

-X-

 _ **A/N: well hello there my dear readers, I'm BACK!**_

 _ ***sigh***_

 _ **This one took some time to make I'm not gonna lie... before I had initially planned to upload this before my vacation to Vancouver island – sorry for the flex – but if had then it would have been more of the same as the last chapter... just straight up dialogue without any form of action.**_

 _ **So I had to reconstruct entire paragraphs in order to not only extend this chapter but to also steer the story towards the true meat of it all... that took some time to do, especially when I had to deal with a gnarly sunburn to boot... still hurts to this day... mentally I mean... I swear I can get sunburn from fireworks.**_

 _ **Anyway; while this one didn't possess the action that I had intended and it does end rather prematurely (story of my life) it still possesses more humor than the original AND it also has a special hint of Ryden x Rivia...**_

 _ **A lot of you are wondering who Ryden's 'main' will be... and while I was gonna jokingly say 'tracer' but she's already taken... but seriously, it's now very obvious who it'll be... hip-hip hurrah!**_

 _ **Well... for anyone wondering what Ryden's new chest armor is I simply leave most of any description's to be up to what most of you want to see; the only thing I'll drive home completely is character designs and weapon designs... hell I may even leave links to the actual pictures of some weapons for ya'll to Google but most descriptions should be quite easy to picture... I hope**_

 _ **Well that's it for this dirty boi, be sure to smack that favorite and follow icon like it owes you money and leave a review if you want to be a cheeky bastard and make me feel warm and fuzzy inside...**_

 _ **Oh and before I forget; I would like to ask you guys what you think will be the last two Infernum Armis'... kinda guess what I got planned in store or hell; you guys might just give me a better idea then what I already have.**_

 _ **PEACE!**_


	21. Shoot To Thrill

**-Shoot to thrill-**

 _When it came to aerial drops, nothing truly prepared you for the mad rush of adrenaline and wind that would hit you like a freight train upon immediate activation..._

 _One second you're on solid ground; and the next second you're falling from well over 10,000 feet in the air— wild shit..._

 _And take it from the guy who professionalized in the art of 'crazy'... that shit really is a wild ride, but it works more often than you think; I mean, how often do our enemies prepare for something like that?_

 _Easy answer... they don't..._

 _Why?_

 _Because they usually don't live long enough to talk about it... simple_

 _Aside from our 'spicy' entrance into the territory of Lilith, the situation on the ground was unknown to most of us as we couldn't distinguish whether or not the Old-Satan's could truly hijack Ventus for their own means, yet the look in Rivia's eyes suggested the danger was clearly present enough to warrant haste..._

 _So now after falling 10,000 feet to the ground, we now had to leg it up a mountain that was 11,000 feet high..._

 _That was a lot easier than it should have been..._

* * *

 **[Military report update:** _ **Aerial insertion—**_ _ **successful**_ **/ current objective:** _ **retrieve Infernum Armis designation**_ **:** _ **Ventus**_ _ **, priority alpha**_ **/ Crimson Dagger operations log: 02]**

* * *

Ryden breathed hard as he hustled up the mountains main pathway, his legs and lungs burning at the constant sprint up the slope yet his adrenaline kept him from feeling the true measure of his fatigue; yet even if he did, he couldn't stop now because they had zero time to lollygag. The situation was unknown to all of them; none of them truly knew whether or not the Old-Satan's could even release the _Infernum Armis_ at the peak of the mountain, yet even so, Rivia had voiced her concerns on the matter of the possibility—leading them to move full tilt up the mountain without any breaks.

Ryden knew he wasn't the only one feeling the burn as Abigail and Nyx were practically sucking wind along with Rosalina and Rivia, yet they all kept pace none the less; none of them wanting to be the first to take a break.

Ryden could tell they were making head way by now though – if the fact they'd been running for little over 30 mins straight was any indication – but a minor glance to his right revealed to him the sheer drop down towards the peak of the clouds **.** He had a guesstimate upon seeing that, now that they were well above the clouds they were probably near the 8,000 foot mark at least; or at least he hoped so...

Well if anything... the sight of marching inquisitors was a very welcoming sight... both because _Fulgur_ had been itching to cut loose _and_ because that meant they had caught up to the main force of inquisitors within record time... that was... _fast..._ how fast were they going?

 _ **Please master, you're saying you didn't notice my little bonus?**_

Ryden had to sigh to himself upon hearing _Fulgur's_ chastising tone before he glanced at his hands and sure enough, his form – along with the forms of his college's behind him – were covered in a thin layer of red energy; soft swaths of arc bolts dancing along their forms like tiny tendrils of death, yet in this case, _Fulgur_ had actually amplified their movement speeds greatly in order to gain enough ground.

He had been wandering how fast they were moving—and now he knew...

 _I should have noticed that little tid bit... thanks Fulgur..._

 _ **Don't mention it master—I just wanted to speed things up a bit, But before you think it's because I want to slaughter me some maggots – that's inherent – but my true desire is to make sure these scoundrels don't touch the captain—otherwise he won't shut up about it... long story short master; he hates being touched—by about anyone in hell for that matter... except you of course, I'm sure he'll let you manhandle him as much as you want!**_

 _Awkward statement aside, that's mighty motivating..._

 _ **Indeed... now, are you gonna start swinging or am I gonna do all the work for you master?**_

Without a word of reply, Ryden's grip on _Fulgur_ tightened before he swung to the right just as he entered into melee range with the inquisitors. The attack and presence of Ryden and co was a deathly shock to the Marching devil—more so for those in the flank—but their surprise and shock was only short lived before the majority of them was sent flying directly off the mountain, the small number of those still alive – numbed by the violent arc energy – could only cry out in terror as they disappeared below the clouds—doomed to die without the use of their wings.

Without pause, Rivia and Rosalina leapt passed Ryden and engaged the second platoon of inquisitors; their powers flaring to life as they advanced. Rosalina released her power over the flames first, igniting the now ready inquisitors in a swath of super heated flames that practically melted the black metal they wore.

Cries of pain echoed out as the inquisitors lashed about in desperation, their weapons clattering to the floor as they looked for the nearest source of relief, yet the only thing available was the distinct release of death... Rivia obliged them.

Rivia's eyes shone white briefly, her right hand outstretching towards the collection of howling devils while her power of annihilation sprung to life for only an instant. From her right arm, a pulse of white energy shot down her shoulder all the way down to her finger tips before her true inherited powers shot out in a wave of white energy.

Like a tidal wave, Rivia's power flung forward like a bullet before it completely erased the crying inquisitors from existence; silencing their screams without an echo to be heard and only leaving ash in their wake.

Rivia smirked at the gap in enemy forces; her eyes soon locking within one of the lead inquisitors in the next platoon before she casually title her head, her eyes lazily acknowledging the sudden loss of over 70 inquisitors with a mere look of lazy contentment. Safe to say, her lack of acknowledgement towards the sheer body count she and her colleges had amounted within a small time frame clearly revealing how the remaining few inquisitors of the flanking legion just how fucked they all were...

That thought – with great despair – was the final thought that crossed the Adeptus Astarte's mind before an unstable red arrow embedded itself in his head. Rivia and Rosalina casually glanced back at Abigail only to see her notch a second arrow right after her first one exploded into righteous azure flames, bathing the inquisitors behind the now dead devil in a cold flame that bit at their exposed skin like termites.

Both woman shook their head at Abigail's emotionless consideration towards her enemies and merely kept pushing forward directly after Abigail's second arrow was released. The new arrow was white in color, and possessed the passive ability to instantly frozen the blue flames once it passed over them; its passing effect subsequently freezing those afflicted in place with a soft distortion field around the arrow. Without acknowledgement towards the now frozen and falling apart inquisitors, Rivia and Rosalina continued their advance.

Ryden was astonished by Abigail's versatility, but he guessed that was mostly inherent for a devil within the ranks of _ultimate-class_. While most devils excelled using brute force, demonic magic, physical strength and inherited powers; Abigail merely forged her own skills and uses all on her own, focusing her brute strength in the arrows that she could create a will.

Safe to say though, the sheer incomprehensible limits of Abigail's true potential was a staggering factor that Ryden couldn't help but appreciate to the fullest extent. For centuries, humanity always favored long range support over major brute strength—the simple fact of that matter being it was more easily found then a living legend... you can't always find a Heracles around the corner, but you sure as shit can find someone that can fire an arrow accurately.

In humans, artillery, air support, and mortars was a determining factor of power that was bar none the most critical form of strength in any military.

For devils, Abigail was that determining factor... simple as that—the woman _was_ everything a military forced desired.

Just as Ryden smirked at the mental summery, Abigail released a series of rapid arrows that arced over their heads, the multitude of them possessing varies colors that instantly detonated upon contact with the ground; even go so far as detonating in a fiery set of explosions that seemed to feed of the other as they consumed a full platoon of devils; either freezing, melting, or outright incinerating those within the blast.

Ryden and Nyx could only whistle at the attack, both of the males standing lazily at the flanks of the three women that had unintentionally taken charge.

Abigail's head whipped around, her steeled eyes igniting with annoyance once she spotted the two males calmly standing behind her. "Oi! Get up there you two, Rivia and Rosalina need your help!" she hollered as she fired off another arrow that broke off into dozens of smaller arrows that easily decimated an entire squad of inquisitors without much effort.

Ryden developed a doubtful pout at the sight before he locked eyes with Nyx; the man having also developed a similar pout. "You really think they need our help?" Ryden asked casually as Rivia erased several devils with a wave of her hand.

Nyx casually watched as Rivia and Rosalina continued to operate with brutal synergy, their enemies at this point having chosen to just run away rather than fight. Nyx went pale white at the effectiveness the two possessed, his mind completely agreeing with Ryden's question. "Nah..." he practically drawled out with a wave of his hand.

Ryden nodded while his lips curly downward. "Yeah..." he muttered while he watched Rosalina cut down several inquisitors with a brutal level of grace that would make Doomguy cream himself. "...I think we'll be splitting our efforts after this—this shit is ridiculous"

"Agreed..." Nyx muttered in return before he suddenly went stiff

Ryden quickly followed once he felt a serious degree of danger looming over his shoulder. Calmly, and with great hesitation, both males slowly glanced behind them to see a seething and extremely annoyed Abigail glowering at them with several ticks on her neck and forehead.

[Eh?] The two mumbled in surprise before Abigail's eyes flared for the final time.

"GET MOVING MAGGOTS!" she howled before kicking Nyx in the ass.

Upon contact, Nyx yelped and hauled ass outta there while Ryden hesitantly regarded Abigail with a bargaining gesture. "I'll only go if you promise to fire only one arrow at a time" he said with a finalization; though a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead when Abigail didn't even move to answer.

Her eyebrow just twitched in response...

Ryden got the fuck outta there after that...

At the front of the assault, Rivia and Rosalina were tearing up the majority of the inquisitors that remained of the fourth platoon within the flanking legion. However, once they finished mopping up the fourth platoon, Nyx and Ryden came from their flanks; the both of them sporting terror in their eyes before they both hurled themselves over the two women and landed directly into the fifth platoon's ranks.

Rosalina sweat dropped at the fear in their eyes while Rivia watched with amusement before they both turned to see a contently smirking Abigail, a small sneer of sadistic glee swimming in her eyes as she casually strolled over to the two of them. Both Rivia and Rosalina could tell Abigail was responsible for the sudden gusto in the two males but they didn't ask how she'd managed it.

Rosalina was mildly thankful for the break however, but even still, the woman had been silently enjoying her cooperation with the Abaddon Lordess; as their effective chemistry had managed to score them a great deal of kills within a singular time frame. While Rosalina had found herself seething whenever Rivia teased her or gave her a challenging glance—her instincts for some reason spiking into a competitive state whenever the woman made to show her up... especially now when it came to what Ryden was wearing.

To receive such an expensive gift from a woman that by all rights should be hardly known to Ryden was something of a grave eye opener for her, as it was clear Rivia was furthering her status with Ryden with an _**Engagement present**_.

The gull of the woman and her aggressive approach to Ryden was shocking to her; a shocking reveal that she herself felt jealously and anger for having not done the same...

Wait... why did she think that?

Rosalina quickly shook her head before she started to compartmentalize her thoughts. Sure it was true she had found herself interested with Ryden, as the man had proven himself powerful and even enjoyable to be considered good company; but the idea of giving him an engagement present so early would be a little too fast for her own taste.

Just the thought of doing something like that just to keep up with the Abaddon devil would only prove her status in being below the woman; a state that which she just couldn't let happen, no matter how much she liked Rivia as a devil in her own right.

Rosalina could only curse internally at the reminder of her current predicament, both mysteriously aggravated by Rivia's brazen advance on Ryden and her own hesitance on the matter at hand. Whether or not she wanted to admit it to herself or openly, but every time she thought on the matter of Ryden—she just couldn't find herself content with leaving things as they were, as it just felt like she'd be left behind—caught in the dust of Rivia's wake as she took Ryden's attention by storm.

Rosalina couldn't actually comprehend it, but without her even knowing, she'd fallen into a competitive race with the elder devil; a woman that could by all rights be considered her mother of all things.

Yet what confused her on the matter was strictly because of the woman. Rosalina wasn't blindly prideful of her image, she knew what her flaws were when it came to expressing herself openly; yet no matter how much she wanted to express her personal desires, she still couldn't see herself throwing her image away just to get into Ryden's 'field of range' so to speak.

Unlike Rivia – whose image surpassed heroism and corruption, thus allowing her the freedom to act upon her desires – Rosalina on the other hand, was still a minor inclusion when it came to the eye of nobility and lacked the freedom of personal desire. Sure the Phenex family was rumored to be the most fertile of the pillars; it still didn't mean they had a responsibility to throw themselves into the masses like prostitutes. The Phenex family was one of the wealthiest of pillars around, and because of that wealth, their image had to remain without flaw or scandal.

But even with all that said... Rosalina found herself yearning...

It was obvious for anyone on the outside looking in. Rosalina Phenex was a woman who disassociated herself with company that proved unbeneficial or just downright depraved in their manners—often times her disassociation would be because of a minor issue. Yet even now, Rosalina was still within the presence of Ryden Vale Gremory; which stood as a prime example of her interest within him.

Or at least _acceptance_ as some may inquire, bet that was a very loose observation...

She'd initiated conversation... something that was rare

She'd approached him on her own volition... again, a rarity for a woman like her

She'd even acknowledge demands... an even bigger rarity

And she'd grown accustomed to his brief bouts of vulgarity; something that she'd normally walk away from, but instead she found herself amused within the context of it all...

If that didn't tip you off, then the blushes would... Rosalina Phenex _never_ blushed.

It went without saying; Ryden vale Gremory had done the impossible – again – by gaining the interest of a woman that usually never found interest in anyone... and he didn't gain that interest by pulling the woman from a metaphorical fire, or save her from a danger she couldn't handle herself; he gained her interest by just being himself.

No fancy shit... no poetic plot reasoning... no nothing... well... maybe the whole Brinyalf situation could've been a factor but Rosalina doubted it...

No... It was just straight triple 'A' grade charisma and a 'can-do' attitude... that was all

However, even with Rosalina's acknowledgment to her interest; she still had to acknowledge her image, an image that she refused to tear down.

Well... she liked to think that way at least...

* * *

Ryden twisted around in a flurry of movement, _Fulgur_ arcing around him into a perfect bat swing that cleaved several devils in two by the force behind it. As the bodies dropped to the floor, Nyx pole-vaulted over Ryden and delivered an agonizing slash down the torso of large devil—splitting the man in half— before the ravenette twirled his spear around in a flurry of lethal twists and arcs; dicing several more devils in every direction before he pulling his spear back into a combat ready stance—a sigh escaping him as he breathed coolly.

Ryden glanced at Nyx with a slight look of keen interest. "You have got to teach me that" he said as if he were a child.

Nyx quickly whirled around, his eyes regarding Ryden as if the man had just professed something he never expected... well technically he did.

"What?" the man asked in a cloud of disbelief. "I could've sworn I heard you asked me to teach you something" Nyx added before he noticed Ryden's puppy eyes.

"Please? That shits to badass!" he proclaimed excitably before he fired a shot at a slew of devils advancing on them—the suicidal idiots. Three reported shots and the devils were dead, leaving Ryden to stare at Nyx like he was an idol.

"By the Satan's—could you not look at me like that! Fine I'll teach you! Just stop looking at me like that!" Nyx relented after having seen Ryden stare at him like he was a hero.

Ryden fist pumped at Nyx's surrender. "Hell yeah! I knew my infamous puppy eyes would work!" he exclaimed while Rivia, Rosalina and Abigail approached.

Ryden hadn't noticed, but most of the inquisitors that had been a part of the flanking legions had broken off and fled up the mountain, most likely seeking to warn the remaining inquisitors of the impending danger coming in behind them.

Heh... he didn't know how long they'd been fighting, but it felt as if it had been a couple minutes

He scratched his cheek in confusion before he glanced over to see the bodies littering the floor behind them – or at least the bodies that had survived Rosalina and Rivia's onslaught – yet all he saw was dismembered bodies, burnt husks, frozen cadavers and melted down puddles of blood and mush... eugh!

Calmly, Ryden regarded Rivia herself with a mildly distraught expression once he'd noticed her glance at him. "Doesn't it feel like we're all just walking forms of overkill?" he asked before a body feel from above and landed amongst the corpses; just adding to the point.

Abigail shrugged. "Naw... if anything I'd say were about average" she argued sarcastically while Nyx started to rotate his shoulder.

"That was hard" he added with feign discomfort; a small smirk rising to his lips as Rivia casually panted out of fake exhaustion.

"That did take a lot out of me" she laminated with a bored set of eyes while Rosalina started to shake her hands out of a fake sense of nervousness.

"Not to mention scary" she stated...

Ryden glanced at the lot of them; his eyes drooping in an unimpressed glower. "Ya'll a bunch of smart-asses" Ryden declared before a savage smirk rose to his lips right afterwards. "And I like it!"

Nyx, Abigail and Rivia shook their heads at Ryden's words; a small flurry of giggles rippling from their lips while Rosalina sighed a breath of content. Humor aside though, Rosalina glanced upward and spotted the rest of the marching inquisitors almost near the top of the mountain. By then, her very limited smirk was washed away.

"I see them... their almost at the peak" she piped up while pointing to the peak of the mountain.

Ryden and co quickly followed her hand and also spotted what remained of the inquisitors rounding the last leg of the mountains outer pathway. Yet the thing that stood out the most to them, was not the inquisitors themselves, but the sleek black monolith like structure that protruded out from the mountains peek, a distinct green energy dwelling within that thoomed and generated the clouds and wind that bathed the majority of the mountain itself and the mountain range entirely.

Ryden knew then it was where _Ventus_ was sitting, the black and sleek surface of the prison that held the _Infernum Armis'_ being all too familiar with him. _Fulgur_ had been the same thing, yet her prison had been the monolith itself, while Ventus seemed to have been both imprisoned in the black monolithic structure _and_ a mountain as well.

Whether that denoted to the weapons power was a mystery, yet even still, it gave off a series of ominous questions to run through Ryden's mind.

What in the hell imprisoned them?

Why were they Imprisoned?

And just what the hell were they fighting?

These questions – now that he'd been informed of the vague back story regarding the _Infernum Armis'_ –created a very ominous sense of fear within Ryden. They needed the weapons to end the war swiftly, to destroy the tyranny of the Old-Satan regime and finally bring peace to the depths of hell, but to what end? And is it even _**a promised victory**_? Or was it a doorway to something worse?

 _You're not imprisoned unless you went against something... or someone..._

Ryden licked his lips after having watched the sky itself churn like a thick soup, his nervousness flaring for only a moment before he quickly steeled his nerves. His questions were but a mere glimpse into the unknown, a small form of hesitation and doubt that lined his thoughts with the mystery behind the four weapons of hell.

The sight of the monolithic sheen of rock poking out from the tip of the mountain spoke of an ancient history so old it spanned beyond the time of demons and devils, like it was a long forgotten story scattered among the ashes of time itself.

He couldn't fully understand it, but the feeling just came to him...

It felt as if they were playing with things far beyond their full control, bastardizing a history none knew of—not even Rivia could know—while chasing after a form of power that might not have been forged for the purpose presented.

 _Fulgur_ , _Ventus_ and the other two may just be far more important than mere weapons to collect... their demonic radiance being far too critical for anyone unworthy of them; like a child playing at something far beyond its comprehension.

 _ **If that is what you believe—then why are you hesitating? Why do you stand idle as these 'unworthy' insects attempt to steal what you yourself believe to be well out of their reach?**_

Ryden swallowed again, his skin mildly crawling at the tone within _Fulgur's_ voice. It didn't possess the usual hint of perversion, nor did it whisper in his ear like a distant voice of temptation; no, the voice of _Fulgur_ was that of wisdom and encouragement, a voice that held unspoken decades of knowledge and experience that it dwarfed all that resided within hell, while its voice of encouragement yielded its knowledge to anyone's potential... even his.

 _ **Why do you limit yourself?**_

The distance from where he was and the peak of the mountain was far, ranging from several hundred feet in length directly upwards and even more so if he considered the path along the mountain side. but even as he acknowledge this, his senses where screaming at him – crying out in frustration – desperately clawing at his hesitance like it was a cancer that needed to be expelled from him...

 _ **Surely you don't mean to tell me this little obstacle deters you...**_

Obstacle? Ryden knew of obstacles but for some reason this wasn't one of them. Hesitantly, his eyes wandered along the edge of the mountains side, to the path way that circle along the mountain and the inquisitors that marched along it—to the path that which he resided on; the distance from here to the peak being far too long for him to scale in record time. Finally, his eyes found his colleges; their expressions being one of desperation, yet even so, their movements where disgustingly slow for it to be considered as such.

And then he noticed it...

Ryden blinked in wonderment, confused as to why Nyx and the others were moving in slow motion. Why were they moving so slowly at a time like this? Smartasses they may be he knew they weren't that detached to the severity of the situation. Ryden continued to glance between them for a moment until his confusion pressed on when he took in the looks of haste and seriousness within their eyes. Nyx looked as if he was saying a curse word while his left leg rose from the ground at an agonizing speed; his desire to start sprinting up the mount being just as apparent as Rosalina and Abigail's—their own movements being just as agonizing to watch.

What was happening?

Ryden frowned – movements undeterred by anything – before he found himself staring directly into the eyes of Rivia Abaddon. His skin crawled again but not because of the lack of speed in Rivia's movements – no – the woman was motionless and content with where she stood, but rather the look in the woman's eyes was what caused the subtle chill to crawl up his spine.

He froze into position, gaze locking with a knowing and reverent set of eyes that yielded enough of an answer for him to understand. The woman's stare was bemused, free of worry of the situation at hand, while ever so slowly; a smirk began to rise upon her lips, dimples forming distinctly at the corners of her mouth at an agonizing pace—yet Ryden could see it.

 _She knew what was happening—what he was subconsciously doing..._

 _There was no longer a need to worry_

Ryden was briefly confused by her stare before a slight trickle of energy danced along his finger tips. His gaze soon tore away from Rivia only for a moment upon feeling the mysterious sensation, but his attention was quickly solidified onto his hands once he noticed the crimson energy along his finger tips; dancing and arcing along his limb freely before he continued to notice the remainder of his body...

 _ **With a simple desire, one can achieve many things when given incentive— yet you are different. Desire is a mere concept to the masses, a word used to describe a strong yearning for something that only they can achieve if given the resources—yet for you... desire is a path to power. You know it, yet you limit yourself; you feel it, yet you refuse to indulge... your desires are not simple imaginations or fleeting wishes, they are much more then that... so I ask again... if this isn't an obstacle—**_

— _ **Then why are you hesitating?**_

Like a trigger, Ryden's mind suddenly cleared of all the clutter; leaving him the sounds of sweet nothingness. He knew _Fulgur_ was right – somehow at least – as he slowly began to acknowledge a portion of his weakness was mostly in relation to his human limits; his own belief of self weakness having been the very thing that kept him from utilizing a greater portion of his mysterious powers. Perhaps it may be hesitance, or even a humble disposition—as if he subconsciously believed he didn't deserve the powers bestowed upon him, thus leading to his unconscious limitations that barred him from using all that was in front of him.

Reaching the mountain's peak from where he stood was child's play – he knew it, Fulgur knew it, and even Rivia knew it – and it was that thought alone, that brief second of acknowledgement, which led him to this moment...

 _ **The way you speak of me and the others suggests that you believe your are not truly worthy of us; like your some form of pawn—a perverted plaything that found itself lucky the day you ran up my prison... don't insult me, as if luck itself could breach my defenses—no, on that day... master... my true wielder found me...**_

without a word of response, Ryden's legs flexed hard, his knees bending—the tension in his muscle's causing the ground beneath him to displace and crack, loose pebbles slowly rising into the air—displaced by the sheer energy rippling off of Ryden's form as the crimson energy along his body quickly began to glow brighter; the whips of arc energy coiling around his form suddenly growing violent as small whips of blue light began swelling within the vermilion storm.

 _ **I only just recently noticed... your lack of acknowledgement to what you really have truly kept you from some of my more advanced abilities—but now it seems you've finally started to take some steps forward... so then, why don't you give it a try?**_

His energy spiked briefly—energy converging to his legs—before he forced it outward into explosive propulsion.

 **THOOOOOM!**

It was instant, the moment he forced out the energy building up along his legs Ryden jumped hard; yet instead of a simple lateral leap, his form was sent careening into the sky like a bullet, crimson arcs trailing after him while feint blue flames dotted his form in a small glow. And soon enough, Ryden found himself staring directly into the terrified eyes of the inquisitors near the peak of the mountain.

 _Sword primed to strike..._

Directly below him, Nyx, Abigail and Rosalina quickly jumped at Ryden's sudden disappearance, the ground that he had occupied having been cracked and burnt to cinders within mere seconds, evidently affected by a powerful burst of power that they didn't at all see.

Rosalina glanced from the cracked and burnt patch of earth before her eyes looked over to Rivia; the woman calmly staring up into the sky to watch a vermilion and azure light quickly closing the distance with the peak of the mountain. She went to ask her what it was, but the moment the orb made contact with the peak of the mountain... crimson lightning violently cried out along the clouds and winds above; echoes of terror falling down along the mountain side while bodies – dismembered and deceased – followed after the sounds of despair.

Within that second, she knew who it was, and so did the others.

"Let's move" Rivia commanded while stepping passed the silent trio of devils. "I'd rather not keep him waiting too long"

* * *

He didn't know what to really think right now, his body practically moving upon instinct as he cut, slashed and cleaved his way through an innumerable clump of inquisitors. His eyes seemed almost distant as he danced among the terrified dozens, his mind working so well over the limit of true comprehension that emotion had been all but forget in order to maximize his lethality and speed.

The same effect was taking place as before—the lack of true movement in any of his opponents was a key point in perceiving that very fact. Ryden knew his subconscious tapping into the well of _Fulgur's_ potential had most likely been the cause of his terrible increase in speed; he couldn't have known his potential with all of his limitations he had placed on himself, his natural humble attitude keeping him from truly gazing upon what he possessed.

Ryden didn't even duck under a swing from a defensive inquisitor, but merely stepped to the side casually before delivering a lazy stab to the devils gut. Without even pulling it out, Ryden swung the blade to the right—brutally tossing the devil of his blade before he collected his swing and redirected it into a powerful slam.

Faint sounds of an electrical explosion thoomed out upon contact with the surface of the pathway, however Ryden's senses easily downplayed the distracting noise in order to keep him focused. He watched as dozens of inquisitors were sent flying in every direction; some even exploding into bloody globs – the amperage being far too strong for their bodies to withhold – while several others were sent careening off the edge of the mountain.

Their descent was agonizing in Ryden's perspective; one second they moved on equal speeds as had, but once the tendrils of crimson lightning released them their bodies returned to their slowed state. Ryden didn't acknowledge the issue at that moment however, his intended goal being several yards in front of him; barred by a wall of cannon fodder that held no threat to him.

Ryden knew his speed had been amplified to the point that time itself seemed to have been altered, yet even with the knowledge—Ryden didn't waste time in closing the distance with his intended destination. A couple steps was all it took for Ryden to find himself standing directly in front of the inquisitors barring his path, and all it took to remove them was a casual swipe of his sword.

Several bright flashes erupted from his contact with the first devil – evidently creating an electrical explosion due to his metallic armor – before the arc energy conducted along the formation of motionless devils, creating dozens of similar explosions that sent every inquisitor affected flying—most of them going directly off the edge of the cliff, or even directly upward into the harsh winds above him.

Ryden watched the devils flying away like rag-dolls before he calmly sighed to himself. Honestly, if all he needed to do was _believe_ then he really did possess a broken ass power.

With a shake of his head, Ryden calmly pressed onward passed the disentangle bodies of the defeated; his goal being the naturally formed stair way that led directly up to the very peak of the mountain.

He hadn't acknowledge it, but ever since he'd reached the peak of the mountains point, the winds that had once torn at the mountains side with reckless abandon had now lessened to a distant Maelstrom that seemed to completely encompass _Satan's point_ in a shroud of violent wind. _Ventus'_ range had collapsed in on itself it seemed; the spirits defensive focus now being directly centered on the mountain itself... and his resting place.

Ryden's eyes narrowed as he ascended the naturally formed stairway – a collection of rubble and rock – only to see a duo of devils standing before a pillar of green wind with a green orb sitting directly in one of their hands.

Ryden raised his hand and snapped his finger, the action itself dispelling his time alteration, before he casually cleared his throat—gaining the attention of the two leader-class devils easily by both his narrowed glared and the seething blade in his right hand.

The first devil to notice him was a younger man, clearly near the human age of 30. He possessed a mullet of dark black hair that gave off a bluish hue that matched eerily close to his dark blue eyes. The man wore a set of fashionable, yet practical armor plates that covered the majority of his vital organs whilst a noble suit was worn directly underneath it—as evident of the purple tie and white undershirt poking out from his armored collar.

Ryden knew then the man wasn't a typical field expert, as evident by the man's choice in wearing a suit and tie underneath a full set of armor. The practicality of wearing all that wasn't something military personnel would gladly choose to wear into battle—so it was clear to him the man was an accessory to the second man standing closer to _Ventus'_ resting place.

This man possessed similar dark hair to the first man, but his style was tied into a comfortable ponytail that casually dangled over his left shoulder. Odd choice in hairstyle aside, the man wore simple noble clothing; purple overcoat worn open to reveal a black vest that was tightly buttoned up. With a casual glance, one may miss the slight grooves lined into the fabric of his vestments, yet Ryden knew all too well the meaning behind them. The man was armored, which suggested this one was much more tactical in his choice of military garb.

He was much more a threat by default then the first one...

Ryden blinked, his form situating itself several yards from the two devils before he glowered down at them with a disappointed and reprehending glare. The two took his expression in with mixed confusion, obviously not seeing him as something worth reacting to.

Ryden blinked again and calmly glanced down to his waist attire and promptly sighed out of annoyance when he realized the Gremory insignia flag that dangled along the front of his waist was obscured behind his flock jackets long coat tail. He sighed again while casually pulling it out for the two to see; which predictably caused a ruckus...

"Gremory? How in the Satan's!?" gasped the aesthetically challenged devil with an expression of disbelief.

Ryden nodded to the devils reaction. "That's more like it—twas kinda awkward there for a moment" he stated before glancing to the second devil. This one being the same sort of confusion – mostly towards his appearance in a territory _far_ from allied lines – yet this one remained silent... and Ryden knew exactly why the second he took in the devils second expression.

He'd seen _recognition_ before, and this devil had it written all over his face... he knew who he was

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you're not wanted here gentlemen—may I politely recommend your departure?" Ryden questioned with a hauntingly kind tone before his crimson sword was raised into a threatening point. "Or do I have to escort you out? between you and me—I sure as shit hope you pick the escort option" Ryden's threat went off perfectly, as the man that seemed to have recognized him immediately tensed upon seeing _Fulgur_ ; the blade itself going so far as to writhed violently at the expression written on the man's face, intent on furthering the devils fear.

He really hoped they'd be smart and take the offer—his desire to fighting a pair of _weaponless_ devils being as prominent as his 'love' for _Grayfia_...Ugh—yet even if the second devil recognized him... the first one didn't.

"Brother don't!" yelled the second devil in warning as his now acknowledged brother slammed his hands into the monolith's surface; having grown frustrated by the lack of action.

"Be silent! You can cower away with your fears all you want brother, but I refuse to shrivel away like an imp... I'll handle this!" the first devil roared back as an amethyst magic circle rose several feet from him.

The second devil cursed before joining his brother; leading to the creation of a second magic circle of the same color and origin; a Gothic styled 'M' located within an amethyst sigil...

Ryden recognized it... the _Marax_ family...

From within the two summoned magic circles, came two rock-like skeletal beings that which were held together by purple arc energy and runes at each joint area. The heads of these creatures were like that of a regular skull carved from rock itself and fashioned with a set of blue crystals for eyes.

Ryden was confused, but he had his answer as to why the devils before him were unarmed. The Marax family was obviously proficient with alchemy or some form of synthetic familiar creation; _golem_ magic if the definition itself allowed it.

They weren't tall enough to be considered giants, but they did match the same size as Sirzechs and Ajuka – around seven feet tall if his guesses were right – and possessed a 'bulky' build with mild additions of small debris around the area, the small arcs of purple energy along the granite limbs passively picking up the loose rock at their feet in order to incorporate it into their physical build—thus making them more 'lean' with every passing second.

It was an impressive show to behold, yet Ryden was still doubtful of their effectiveness. Considering his swords pointed sharpness and his natural augmentation to any weapon he held created a serious boundary for these two to cross with a pair of – what he assumed to be – basic familiar's, so Ryden was doubtful; yet he didn't wish to show his arrogance in action, therefore he'd fight with the obsessive intent to win... which was, why he was here anyway.

"Cleaver trick you two... but are you sure it's enough?" he questioned while casually tossing a glance towards the pillar of green light.

Faintly, Ryden could see the distinct image of a bow floating several inches off a stone slab, but other than that it was a vague guess as to the true appearance of _Ventus'_ bow. He'd get to him eventually however, but right now he had to deal with a set of spooky scary skeletons and Beavis n' butthead first.

Speaking of which...

"It should be more than enough to handle you Gremory! Prepare yourself!" shouted the first devil.

Ryden shook his head. "Could you guys at least introduce yourselves? I mean I already got in shit from one of you lot before and I'd hate to have to deal with that shit again" Ryden whined out pleadingly, a lazy droop in his eyes.

The second devil locked eyes with him, a clear expression of disbelief written on his face before Ryden's request was met. "My name is Yorlan Marax, first son of the fifth generation of the Marax line—" _Yorlan_ then gestured to the man beside him. "—and he is Brolan Marax, the heir under me"

Ryden nodded thankfully while Brolan glared at his older brother out annoyance. "Why must you reveal us to the enemy brother? Now he knows our family name! He may even target father!" Brolan seethed with a glare; however Yorlan merely shook his head.

"You are still too young to understand the rules of honor—perhaps you may learn today... if we can survive that is..." Yorlan stated with a still present expression of anxiety.

Ryden smirked at the Oldies state of mind—probably being the first devil to actually see the danger he posed. Normally it's all insults, vulgarity and classic cartoonish villainy that stood opposite of Ryden, yet in a rare moment, he found a devil within the Old-Satan forces actually trading words with him that didn't involve sexual intercourse with his mother or colleges.

Truly a rare moment...

Ryden lightly bowed to the devils words – brisk and brief – before he took a combat ready stance; sword leveled on his left elbow, blade aimed forward. "I acknowledge your valor and confidence; however I do not possess the desire for mercy—yet if you wish to back down, then now's the time to do it, because if you don't... I will kill you both" Ryden proclaimed, still dangling the card for mercy; however he knew that if they persisted then he'd have no choice.

The central reason for his desire to spare the two was strictly based on his ignorance of whether the two in front of him where truly involved with military actions within the Old-Satan military. Before the formation of a Crimson Dagger, Ryden had assumed most of the Old-Satan noble families were all heartless wretches that deserved the full treatment of prejudice, yet now he knew only a bare number of the 18 noble families linked to the Old-Satan's were even aware of the shit done behind closed doors, they all just liked what Rizevim preached and simply funneled all the funds they could to fuel his pointless civil war. From family funded troops, food, resources, money and even low-class personnel; and that was all the none-combatant families did—stroke Rizevim's ego.

 _But none of them were aware of the monster they followed..._

For all Ryden knew, the Marax brothers could be one of those families that just so happened to be tasked with stealing something that belonged to him... a 'wrong place at the wrong time scenario' if you will. And if that was the case, then word of their deaths at his hands would only paint a negative light over his head – and by extension – his team's heads. The reason of which was obvious; if the Old-Satan's made a military orientated family public, then most of that families dealings and conduct would be placed directly in the open, and questions would be asked soon after—questions the old-Satan's couldn't afford to answer.

But political families were different—murder one and they'll document that shit from now till the rapture in order to paint him and his crew in as much bad light as possible—leading to them having to operate on their own, and if that happened then it would severally limit their freedom of operation within the _territory of Lilith._

Yorlan kept his gaze on him before he slowly shook his head. "I never took a Gremory to be a hypocrite, but to answer your question anyway—no, we will not back down, nor will we turn tail and run from Anti-Satan filth... it's your allegiance to that cowardice cause that fueled this conflict in the first place, had we all stood united then we—"

"—would be facing off against two species' vastly older then our own" Ryden interjected with a disappointed shake of his head. "We devils possess no familial connection to the angels or fallen angels; yet they do, what makes you think they wouldn't just stomp us all out the moment we try to rise again? The archangels know the leaders of the fallen angels personally from a long begotten age... their history runs deep, yet we are only inherent children to our predecessors... long story short, we mean nothing to them—just a memory of a lost son, a memory they would all enjoy erasing" Ryden stated with a grim frown.

He was wrong; the Marax family was military... which left him with no choice

Brolan growled deeply at Ryden's words while Yorlan stared at him with a distant expression; leaving Ryden to drive his point even further.

"It's miracle they haven't decided this already—I mean what better way to create a bridge for peace then over the corpses of a species created out of spite? It's a perfect opportunity don't you think? Destroying our kind would be child's play due to this pointless conflict of ours... a chance opportunity to wipe us out during our greatest period of divide" he added before he loosened his stance with a sigh. "All we desire is for us to collect ourselves—lick out wounds and regroup in case this theory ever happens, but it's your leader that refuses to calm down; a man hell bent on charging into the bowels of extinction all because he is too stupid to see otherwise" Ryden spat out before he returned to his combat stance.

Yorlan ground his teeth in frustration. "Better to die then to live a long cowardice life"

Ryden smirked. "Then come at me Yorlan Marax—let's test whether or not that reckless nature can survive an encounter with me—otherwise your 'valiant' words of 'wisdom' will only be nothing but the sputtering delusions of a short sighted man" at Ryden's words, _Fulgur_ calmly began coiling with dangerous Arc energy, the glass blade slowly shining brighter by the second—its effect raising the alarm bells in every devil present; yet the maddened beliefs of fools retreated not.

Yorlan clenched his hands—his previous character now almost entirely forgotten—while Brolan merely mimicked his older brother's actions; a maddened and frustrated scowl slowly developing along both of their creased brows.

"Kill him" they both commanded in perfect unison.

With the simple command, the two rock-like skeletons advanced with poised aggression; their hands soon summoning a set of duel blades as they closed in on Ryden's position. Surprisingly, the skeletons had actually opted for a 'gank' style of attack, focusing on leaving no openings by attacking nearly at the same time in two or three different directions.

Ryden quickly backpedaled from a series of slashes and jabs before he sent a casual upward slash at one of the golems clear openings. Thankfully the creature's midsection was parted from the pelvis to the skull, yet even so its advance persisted. Ryden cursed at the obvious mistake—having forgotten that his opponent's lacked internal organs to make easy killing blows—before he ducked under a horizontal slash and drove a quick straight kick to one of the golems ankles, crushing the joint area and cutting off the connection with the golems granite foot.

The first golem stumbled briefly, however it soon regained its balance within a fraction of a second and continued the assault without signs of any further damage. However, due to its now off set balance, the golem was now a couple seconds the second golem—leaving Ryden some breathing room to perfectly operate.

With marginal effort, Ryden parried a swing from a golems molten rock blade, expecting it to either shatter or part like butter; yet to his surprise, they blade actually held firm—leaving him wide open for a jab across the face...

"Got him!" Brolan proclaimed excitedly as his golems second blade scratched along Ryden's cheek; but to their surprise, _sparks_ were the only thing that indicated the hit... no blood spattered the floor upon contact. "What!?" Brolan soon howled in frustration while Yorlan eyed the event with a keen eye; filing away his discovery for later use.

Ryden glared at the golem for a brief second after recovering from the glancing blow before he harshly slammed the back of his fist into its skull, crumpling it like sheet metal before it went flying off to the side; its back slamming into a rock spire to which it laid their motionless.

Ryden's eyes set into a dangerous glower as the second golem advanced into a hasty frontal jab, yet it was easy for Ryden to anticipate it. With the hobbled stature of the golems lack of balance—any form of attack had a good enough potential to leave the synthetic familiar completely off balance, which was shown the moment the golem chose to stab forward with both of its blades.

Ryden pivoted to the right all the while redirecting the jab with his blade pointed to the ground, and once his position was perfectly parallel with the golem; his blade quickly flowed within his grasp into a downward swing in one fell motion.

 _~SHING!_

Surprisingly, the golem parted like butter from the upper most portion of its torso, yet Ryden had half expected the golem would possess the same level of protection as its blade, yet as it stood only the blade itself was immune to his cutting edge.

Curious...

Ryden's attention quickly returned to the fight as two more familiars rose from a new sigil—this one being Yorlan's alone, while Brolan looked as if he was struggling to regain connection with the still motionless familiar. He narrowed his eyes at the sight, taking in the image of Brolan glaring daggers at the assumed deceased familiar with a couple beads of sweat dripping from his temple.

 _Seems these golems are controlled with a neural connection... damage to the head seems to be the best way to dislocate the user from the familiar..._

 _ **I thought 'going for the head' was a universal target... was it really that hard to notice?**_

 _I split one of them from belly to brain with no response Fulgur, save your smart-ass remarks for Ventus; I'm sure he'll enjoy them more than I do._

 _ **You have a point there—so what are you gonna do about these parlor tricks?**_

 _This..._

Wordlessly, Ryden quickly tossed _Fulgur_ towards the motionless one—the blade easily sailing through the air like a bullet before it embedded itself inside the skull of the familiar, pinning it in place. Brolan growled at the sudden attack but still persisted in regaining his connection... that was until the blade suddenly released a massive jolt of arc energy.

Ryden has his theories on the matter of the familiar's creation. Before, the familiar barely reacted to receiving a nasty gash directly to the face, yet the moment Ryden gave it a good knuckle sandwich its connection slowly began to dissipate. This meant the familiar still possessed a regular 'brain' yet its size and location inside the rock skull was much more delicate then any normal being.

So the best way to find it was to obviously destroy the head entirely... seemed simple enough, but that was only the minimum effort... Ryden liked going over the time.

"AHHHHHHH!" Brolan cried out as _Fulgur_ slowly amp up the energy inside the familiar's skull, the effect itself overloaded the arc energy charging the small crystalline rune within the central most portion of the skull.

"Brolan! Cease your connection! Let go!" Yorlan yelled over the pained screams of his younger brother, yet it was to no avail. The neural connection between the master and the familiar was the deeply fatal error in the creation of these beings, leaving the master at a possible life threatening situation if the familiar suffered serious connection interference at some point; yet in the reality of the moment, Brolan was actually experiencing an overloaded connection with the familiar itself... in summery; Brolan _was_ the familiar and yet at the same time, he wasn't.

Imagine experiencing a massive migraine due to an over accumulation of demonic energy – a demonic _clot_ if you will, located within the center of the brain – while also feeling the phantom wounds of someone else... and said wounds were lethal.

There was only ever one description for this feeling—an unreachable one if modern science had anything to say about. With the rapid messages within Brolan's brain, he was being told that he was both dead, yet alive—that his wounds existed, but yet they didn't... _Quantum uncertainty_

Ryden's eyes widened in horror as Brolan collapsed to his knees, blood pooling out of his ears and eyes. In a maddened haste, Yorlan was at his side—leaving his two new familiars to charge Ryden in a mad dash to try and cut the connection he had with his sword. The adopted Gremory cursed at his unintentional act of cruelty and quickly recalled _Fulgur_ from the twitching familiar, yet even with _Fulgur_ gone; the energy within the now twitching familiar persisted.

Ryden cursed again when he realized Brolan was still connected with his creature, yet before he could try and permanently destroy it – free him from his mental prison – the two golems created from Yorlan rushed him with reckless abandon.

Their openings where wide and Ryden quickly capitalized on them by pulling out _Cerberus_. Holding it at his hip in a fan fire fashion, Ryden he pulled the trigger twice...

 _ **BANG! BANG!**_

With a double tap shot that would make any American proud, the duo familiars collapsed to the floor; headless.

Immediately after destroying the familiars, Ryden whipped around and shot the head of the twitching familiar with a simple demonic bullet.

 _ **BANG!**_

The head of the golem exploded violently immediately upon contact, releasing a maelstrom of crimson Lightning in all directions that surprisingly left all of them completely unharmed.

Ryden watched the golem crumble to small pebbles, the discharged arc energy keeping the humanoid form together having completely vacated the area before he slowly looked over to see Yorlan holding his motionless brother. A small pit arose inside his stomach as he watched the older devil slowly lowered Brolan to the ground, the body itself showing no signs of unconsciousness... only vacancy of life.

The pit in Ryden's stomach grew as Yorlan slowly closed the eyes of his brother with a gentle caress of his hand and then dipped his head briefly in moderate mourning. By then Ryden felt a terrible gut wrenching feeling develop within him, a small patch of hesitation growing before it all worsened when Yorlan's murderous glare turned towards him.

Many times Ryden had heard of veterans expressing their regrets and small moments of guilt at what they had done during their time in service, the horrors they saw and the horrors they brought on others. War was hell not just in what happens, but hell because it brings out the worst of all people...

In the end, everyone's a villain... and Ryden damn well felt like one.

Yorlan didn't say anything a typical movie would depict; he didn't scream out his damnation, nor did he state the obvious _"you killed him"_ line that usually followed something like this—that was just a Hollywood effect used to further push the guilt onto whoever felt it.

No, that was a movie trope...

In reality Yorlan said nothing because this was what he had expected... he knew what Ryden possessed, the danger he held and the threat that loomed over the Gremory Heir like a blanketing cloud. Yorlan knew one of them was going to die—but a small part of him now desired it to have been him.

The anger wasn't towards the man that had killed his brother; it was culmination of grief and regret that drove him to the brink of rage that threatened everyone in sight... it was a brink he crossed willingly.

"Better to die... then to live as a coward" he muttered while pulling out the Omni-key given to him by the smug bastard Euclid, his bitterness towards the man's orders growing before he tossed the cursed thing to the floor—his desire to fulfill the man's wishes disappearing along with his brother's life.

It was just a milk run he said, it'll be easy he said... shove it up your ass prick!

With a bitter glower, Yorlan summoned a set of molten forged blades—same as the ones used by his familiar—and held them at the ready.

Ryden watched the man closely, his interest having arisen when he'd disposed his Omni-key before all his attention focused on the clearly volatile devil preparing to charge him. He knew what the man was planning but he didn't dare say anything in regards to it; Ryden knew only humans possessed the will to lower their arms in the face of impending death, but devils didn't possess that mindset. The life of a devil was breed into conflict, death was a constant companion that loomed shoulder to shoulder with every man, woman and child.

Such a life breeds fearlessness and strength—in that life, _death_ was the only reward at the end of the line.

Ryden rose _Fulgur_ into a casual yet ready stance, his face held in stone while Yorlan merely smirked forlornly; accepting Ryden's gesture with the last remaining hope the man had.

They had fought... now they could rest.

Yorlan charged, his blades held at either side of him in his assault.

Ryden calmly eyed his opponents advance and briefly scowled at the sloppy approach, several openings lining up into his view that led to fatal fates. However Ryden didn't ignore them and simply stepped forward into a kendo styled slash—his blade practically displacing the air itself upon his swing, yet even so, Yorlan dodge it and prepared his own jab to Ryden's midsection... it didn't land.

Ryden pivoted to the right – form moving far faster than any devil Yorlan had seen – and executed the same manor of redirection he'd done before. With his form off balance and blade's practically miles away from Ryden, Yorlan received his final blow.

 _~SHING!_

It was a cold sensation Yorlan thought, the feeling of his spine being severed created a cold feeling within him that slowly enveloped the rest of his body. He collapsed to his knees, form partially slouching and thankfully all intact.

Yorlan calmly glanced around the area, watching the swirling vortex of the damned _Infernum_ _Armis_ they had been ordered to obtain before the voice of Ryden Vale echoed out behind him.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry... I didn't desire to kill your brother in that manor" Ryden commented as he stood behind the paralyzed devil.

A smirk spread across Yorlan's lips after hearing the man's regretful words, a small shrill of humor erupting from his lips in the sound of a bitter chuckle. "You Gremory's and your sentimental habits—even in victory you find something to cry about—" he clicked his tongue humorously, his gaze slowly turning to regard Ryden with an almost dismissive smirk. "Cry me a river... _bastard_ "

Yorlan collapsed completely after his final words.

Ryden stared down at the deceased devil with a small expression of regret. From the very beginning, most of his enemies wore helmets that obscured their faces—thus the notion created a boundary between him and those who wore them, disassociating him from the emotions they most definitely felt. He couldn't see the little emotions, the fear and despair within them as he torn into their ranks like an overpowered protagonist, or the hatred they most likely felt towards him after he killed someone close to them.

The situation could be a lot like Nazi Germany if anything; sure most people with a working brain enjoys the slaughter of a Nazi in a movie or video game—Ryden definitely included, yet history itself told different stories to that contrary. Nazi's were inherently 'evil' by definition from the masses, yet not every Nazi solider could fit that definition... _Oskar Schindler_ was one of those glowing examples.

Ryden couldn't know which inquisitor stood for what, or what values they may possess or even if they possessed a loving family waiting for them at home. He knew this—but yet he didn't possess the luxury to fret over these matters as his enemies wouldn't do it for him either.

The formal training Ryden had received from Sirzechs had helped him greatly, but the devil hadn't driven it into his head the rules of war—or the lack of luxury during one. Sirzechs never told him to forget about his enemies feelings—he never drilled it into him like a formal military training regiment and this had left Ryden in a state of ignorance... or so to speak.

Ryden knew there was no room for emotion on the battlefield inherently, no time to judge his enemies or to assume who stood for what. No, he knew this was war—everyone standing on the edge of conflict had signed themselves on that dotted line the moment they picked up a sword and developed a voice; neither side had the luxury to feel regret—regret kills most of the time.

In the end, even if Ryden hadn't received the physiological preparation for war—having mostly been fueled by the desire to hurt a single person; he had now felt what he needed to feel... he now felt the full weight of his actions, the sheer weight his blade possessed and the freedom he had to carry out whatever task his side desired... responsibility was now something he understood

Regret was only saved for those that made it to the end of the line... and that line was far from coming

Ryden sighed away his guilt and stored it away completely all the while _Fulgur_ shone softly in his right hand.

 _ **I can't remember if I've told you this but—you are far wiser then I had first believed, I had expected you to start crying... ~and here I was preparing to consul you~**_

Ryden chuckled at the swords teasing voice before he glanced over to the slowly dwindling pillar of green light.

 _Perhaps you may be able to do that to your poor captain..._

 _ **Ooohh now we're talking—it seems you and I are starting to think alike... hmmm...**_

 _...i severally doubt our thoughts are correlating—I mean I just have this gut feeling you're thinking of something far less appropriate_

 _ **Hmmmhehehe... I knew you were my chosen wielder—I doubt anyone else could get me as turned on as you... well perhaps that Abaddon woman could—just the thought of seeing that woman crying out—**_

 _Ok Fulgur, easy does it_

 _ **Why? It's so blatantly obvious she wants you—**_

 _I know that, it's just—_

— _ **I mean she did give you an engagement present after all, what's a little daydreaming gonna hurt?**_

Ryden froze in place, his eyes going wide while a cold sensation slowly rolled up his spine. Ryden wanted to believe what _Fulgur_ had just said was a mere mental delusion bore from one of his deepest desires...

 _ **Oh?! So you do daydream! Attaboy!**_

...but no, Ryden knew what _Fulgur_ had said to have been true, it all made more sense than his previous belief that Rivia had been simply embarrassed by some innocuous gesture; but the idea of her taking the leap forward with their... what the hell kind of relationship did they have other then Arbiter/guardian?

Friends? Most likely

Girlfriend? There is literally nothing between them that would give that idea away

but Husband and wife? Yeah, that's a _Tad_ bit aggressive there speed racer—why don't we slow down there...

 _ **Pfffff—as if devils followed along the lines of human tradition... in hell, I've seen total strangers go from being nothing, to howling each-others names within a couple hours—oh! And before I forget this dastardly little tid bit, you should be warned—among devils, there is no such thing as 'wedding ceremonies'—doing the deed seals the deal, nothing else. I hope you don't hesitate when the time cum's, cause I know for damn sure Abaddon won't hesitate when the opportunity presents itself—it is best to be on top then on the bottom after all...**_

Ryden was speechless, void of any input or thought—while his left hand slowly traced itself along the luxurious chest armor given to him by Rivia, and slowly, the weight that it had once possessed returned with the vengeance.

 _ **~Aww, such a sweet little conversation—I would let you two continue but~... WOULD YOU PLEASE HURRY UP AND GET ME OUTTA HERE, YOU IDIOTS!—YOU CAN DISCUSS HIS SEX LIFE AFTER YOU FREE ME!**_

Ryden was ripped from his exclusive conversation with _Fulgur_ the moment _Ventus'_ voice tore into his mind like a wild hurricane, violent and without remorse. And it was at that moment when Ryden immediately gripped onto Ventus' impatient words like a life line—eagerly desiring to flee from the previous discussion as fast as possible.

"R-Right" Ryden mutter aloud with a stutter before he tore his entire attention towards the now completely bare rock pedestal holding _Infernum Ventus_.

The moment his eyes locked with _Ventus'_ bow, Ryden immediately felt a connection searing into his body, similarly located with the small sigil he'd gotten from _Fulgur_ before. With a casual few steps Ryden found himself standing just before the weapon—the bow seemingly floating in mid air just within arm's reach.

The design of the bow struck an _Elven_ type design; its entire structure possessed intricately woven metal that flowed gracefully, yet still possessing a minor jagged appearance. The limbs of the bow where thicker then the fabric wrapped handle, but seemed to grow thinner near the point where the bow string should have been.

The entire bow was golden in color and also seemed to possess detailed grooves within the limbs themselves that flowed in an Elven inspired pattern—smooth and graceful... just like wind itself.

 **[Bow design:** _ **Auriel's bow—Skyrim**_ **]**

Taking the bow from its floating resting place, Ryden calmly marveled at the lack of weight coming from it before his attention quickly returned to the lack of a bowstring. He smirked suddenly before he shifted the weapon to this left hand and made to pull back an imaginary arrow—and sure enough, his theory played out perfectly in the form of a wispy green bowstring quickly appearing within his fingers.

Soon after, the intricate grooves long the limbs – starting close to the handle – began to fill with a green light that slowly ran up the limbs of the bow, ending directly at the tip. Once the entire bow was completely 'powered up' a green light slowly began flowing along the bowstring before ending with his fingers.

Within seconds after the two lights collided, a bright green – wispy arrow – appeared in between his fingers—softly writhing with a powerful force known only to the sky above.

 _Within his hands... a storm bore its gentle fangs_

 _ **Haaa... it's good to be free...**_

Ryden lightly smirked at the relief within _Ventus'_ voice, the spirit having easily situated itself within the recesses of his mind just as _Fulgur_ had before him. He could even tell the difference in _Ventus'_ voice from before.

Where the spirits tone came across as a whisper before, _Ventus_ now sounded like a regular person and not like a friendly ghost residing in his mind, which sat perfectly well with Ryden after he thought on it; honestly, if each spirit possessed a different 'effect' with each of their voices, then he knew for a damn fact insanity would be his next achievement... how that could be an achievement was anyone's guess.

 _I'm glad you see it that way—though I have a feeling that attitude won't last as long_

Ryden mirthlessly smirked after hearing the spirits questioning hum, to which immediately afterwards a groan of realization drawled itself from the spirits metaphysical lips.

 _ **On second thought... I may have over stretched my words...**_

 _ **~Veeeentuuuus—why are you so mean?~**_

 _ **As if my words alone could truly offend you woman! All you want is attention and you'll get none from me!**_

 _ **~But it's been eon's since we've last spoken!—don't you even feel slight interest in what I've been up to?~**_

 _ **Nope... not even slightly**_

Ryden cringed at Ventus' cold dismissal, oddly taken aback by the spirits clear dislike of _Fulgur_.

 _Wow dude—talk about being a cunt, she just wants to talk_

 _ **I don't think you understand, she's—**_

— _A horny woman who can't help but want to spread love and sexual frustration to everyone who can hear her... I know the type, I got over it long ago_

 _ **Wait what!? You mean you encountered someone like me before?**_

 _Yes... high school, 11_ _th_ _grade—she wasn't over a 7 but she wasn't hard to look at either, however her nasty side and preferred tastes were well documented to the majority of the school... even the teachers knew of her habits; yet it wasn't until a legend decided to take the bullet for the team and bed her. Safe to say, she didn't possess the same mind set afterwards—guess all it took was a 'dick down' to satisfy her 'cry for release'._

 _ **S-so... your saying... Fulgur's experiencing the same thing?**_

Ryden shrugged nonchalantly at _Ventus'_ hesitant question while he continued to familiarize himself with his new bow.

 _I don't know—the girl I just told you guys about wanted to get gang-banged by a bunch of dragons lubed up in oil—yet Fulgur seems keenly interested in simpler tastes, so it's hard to tell how far she's truly gone..._

 _ **Dragons... she wanted to... whaaaa?**_

 _Don't think too deeply about it..._

 _ **I think the better question is—'how many dragons are we talking about?'**_

 _ **Are you kidding me...**_

 _Eh_ _—'bout a few..._

 _ **Ryden, don't encourage her!**_

 _ **And by that, how many in numerical fashion?**_

 _20—give or take, she was extremely detailed in the order of things as well..._

 _ **Oh now that's my kind of woman—going big is always the right choice**_

 _ **Are we really having this conversation right now!? You just managed to pull me out of my Cradle in the nick of time and all you idiot's have to discuss is some humans unhealthy desire for dragons?—in large numbers no less!**_

Ryden chuckled humorously before he plopped himself down onto the stone cradle _Ventus_ had previously sat on; his ears picking up distant sounds of chaos and struggle coming from the entrance to the mountains peak.

 _Welcome to my mind Ventus; where the limits of one's thoughts can go without judgement, and ones sexual preferences can go unknown to the world. Your freedom to indulge in the depraved is limitless and your desires are yours to realize... go forth my dear apprentice, and voice the deepest yearnings within your soul!_

 _ **T-This...This is my life now...**_

 _ **Oh! If where doing that, I want to hear what your deepest yearning is master—pretty please?**_

Ryden shrugged again as he watched several flames ignite just over the mountain side—barely peaking into his view before he recomposed himself for the conversation.

 _Tiamat..._

 _ **Oh? Ooohohoho—Hehehe... I KNEW IT!—I knew that beast of a woman struck a chord in you...**_

 _ **Again with the dragons...**_

 _ **Tell me master—what was it that sparked your interest?**_

For the third time Ryden shrugged nonchalantly all the while developing a thoughtful expression; his mind coming back to the dragons habits from before.

 _I dunno—she seems interesting enough as a person – can hold a conversation well enough – but she also looked... lonely, now that I look back on it. Before we left, I had spotted Tiamat watching me with this distant look... kinda confusing if you ask me—and now that I know she was mated with a heavenly dragon honestly strengthens my interest further._

 _ **Ok, now we're talking!—but I gotta ask... did she suit your fancy though? Like did the image of her bathing get you slightly into it?**_

Ryden slowly processed _Fulgur's_ heated questions, a small sensation of steam orbiting the blades handle as the pressure started to mount by the passing seconds; but soon after _Fulgur_ finished... he smirked— _playfully_

 _Ventus... Fulgur... imma be perfectly honest with you—_

 _._

 _._

 _._

— _I'm horny just thinking about it..._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _ **Yo what the Fuuuuuck**_

Immediately, Ryden and _Fulgur_ exploded into fits of laughter—their control over the situation finally shattering into a million pieces once _Ventus'_ voice of disgust echoed out over the silence.

"Hehehahahaha!" Ryden laughed uproariously while _Fulgur_ followed suit

 _ **What the hell's so funny damn it!**_

Slowly, Ryden composed himself—his hand wiping away several tears from his eyes while _Fulgur_ continued to wheeze out her humor in droves of haggard breaths.

"Hoooo" Ryden breathed out

 _Man; Imma keep it real with you Ventus'—but in the effort of assisting you as an individual, but...ah... you are extremely awkward—I mean you really should have known we where fucking with you from the start right?_

 _ **F-fucking with me? How does making me feel extremely uncomfortable correlate with you two messing with me? I see no point in this scheme...**_

 _ **Oh dear—he's bashful...**_

 _Don't worry kitten we won't tell anyone—but for a spirit of the sky, you really seem to have a hard time letting things flow right over you... guess we can say you're a bit 'turbulent' right now—perhaps you may feel better if I gave your bow a nice work out, yeah?_

 _ **That... would be nice actually...**_

 _ **I wanna help!**_

"Alrighty then, now let's leave a big impression you two—" Ryden began while standing up and turning to gaze out over the horizon—the sight of a distant city barely within full view. "—let's make sure the underworld knows of your new found freedom... and let's make sure _she_ knows we're here" he added with a vicious smirk, left hand gripped _Ventus'_ tightly.

 _ **...I see—so**_ **that's** _ **your motivation... very well Ryden vale—utilize me as you see fit, my domain is now yours to command, my only wish however, is for you to hold it with pride—I have no interest with hesitation... am I clear?**_

 _Transparent Ventus..._

 _ **Heheh, then what are you waiting for? Show the underworld our might!**_

Ryden smirked at Ventus' encouraging roar before he clenched his left hand while hoisting the bow up to his line of sight; his right hand easily pulling back the invisible bowstring which quickly sprung the bow to life with the simple motion—the jade light of Ventus' fury quickly shining to life within his fingers, conducted by a powerful addition of crimson arc energy... a courtesy of _Fulgur_ herself.

His feet planted firmly in place—striking a masterful and poised stance that fought the might of the bows power—cracking the marbled floor below him with the force that slowly rose; the shine of the _Infernum_ _A_ _rmis'_ power ever growing brighter by the passing seconds—emerald and vermilion dancing a duet of power—coiling as one with the single intent from their master...

 _ **Demonstrate their reign... make way for the return...**_

 _ **Strike fear once again...**_

Ryden's aim slowly rose to the sky above—to the distant and clouded skies several hundred miles away. His target was clear yet harmless, his intention being one of mercy rather than tyranny... fear was all he intended...

...The fear of a single woman.

 _I'm here... Grayfia..._

 _ **THOOOOOO!**_

 _...Come and find me._

Ryden watched silently as the arrow of crimson and emerald parted the clouds above, creating a brief peak into the recesses of hells darkened sky before the projectile soundlessly exploded in a flash of green—clouds as back as the void seemingly following directly afterwards before a vortex of maddened clouds quickly encompassed the sky itself—blanketing the entire region in almost total darkness...

Then the sky itself... began to _cry crimson_...

Within seconds—the calm sky had suddenly twisted into that of a nightmare; distant emerald swaths of wind carried the blackened clouds to distances afar—while the blood red lightning dwindled within the sea of black, writhing like a barely contained beast—only partially exposing itself in small claps of thunder that cried out in massive roars of rage.

Wordlessly, Ryden watched with an unshakable expression—his interest unshaken even as his allies slowly entered the peak of the mountain, their haggard but ultimately unharmed expressions quickly rising to shock as they watched the demonstration of nature.

Ryden sighed before he twirled around and smiled at them. "It took you guys long enough... I was beginning to think ya'll might've needed my help after all" he teased lightning

Nyx sneered playfully at him. "Pssh! As if we needed your help—we had everything handled just fine" he grumbled before he plopped himself down onto the smooth marbled floor and released a tired sigh.

Ryden smirked before he eyed the others—his eyes briefly lingering on Rivia's own before he himself sat back down on the pedestal with a soft sigh following afterwards. "Whatever you say Nyx, but I still think otherwise" he jeered back with a mocking smirk.

Nyx waved it off. "Whatever keeps you warm at night Gremory"

Ryden snickered before he spotted Abigail staring at _Ventus_ rather intently, a set of stars beginning to develop within her eyes. He glanced down at _Ventus_ still occupying his hand and he calmly rose it to full view for Abigail's pleasure. "I see you eyeing up _Ventus_ Abigail—does the design strike your fancy?" he offered plainly.

The woman merely nodded dumbly while still keeping her gaze locked on the golden bow. "Indeed it does strike my fancy—the sleekness and overall curves on the limbs look as if it creates significant pressure and tension on the draw back—I wonder what its draw weight is?" she mused while slowly ogling the weapon.

 _Aww—you got a fan Ventus...what do you say in return?_

 _ **Tell her I'm very appreciative of her words—and there is no such draw weight associated—however the baseline power of my arrows carries the same velocity of several hundred pounds of pressure...**_

Ryden smirked down at the bow before he returned his gaze back onto Abigail. "He appreciates your words Abigail—and he also says there is no such draw weight when it comes to his bow, but each shot at base power possesses several hundred pounds of pressure" Ryden repeated, striking a glowing expression of awe from the maroon haired devil.

"Wow! So this little guy possesses the power of a heavy bow, but with the grace of a light bow?"

 _ **Little guy? The hell?**_

"Calm down _Ventus_ —twas a flirtatious comment" Ryden voiced aloud with a smirk, a smirk that grew wider when Abigail's shock eyes locked with his.

"What did he say?"

Ryden shrugged. "Oh don't worry about it, he's just bashful—the 'little guy' comment got him blushing as hard as Rosalina" at his comment, both Abigail and Ryden glanced over to see a mildly annoyed Rosalina shaking her head at his comment, a long sigh escaping her before she quickly spotted the bodies of the Marax brothers.

"Aside from that—who are they?" Rosalina questioned with a slight gesture of head to boot.

Ryden rubbed his chin as Rivia eyed the two bodies with a distant and disinterest gaze, Nyx and Abigail doing the same. He shrugged at Rosalina's question – and obvious retreat from his earlier comment – before he leaned on his knees lazily. "Yorlan and Brolan Marax—ones got a _splitting_ headache like you wouldn't believe and the other ones slightly _detached_ from the matter" Ryden commented before he spotted Rosalina's glance—a clear indication for him to further elaborate. He sighed at the gesture, not wanting to further speak of the two but arguing with Rosalina was a hassle and a half when she got serious—he didn't have much experience when it came to arguing with her but he just knew it wouldn't end well if he chose to.

"They were the ones leading the charge for the _Infernum_ _Armis'_ —and they were using a mysteriously potent Omni-key that helped them avoid the most of the defensive storm created by _Ventus_... Yorlan abandoned it after I killed his brother... it seems they weren't prepared to face me" Ryden noted while Rosalina quickly found the throbbing Omni-key laying close to the edge of the mountain peak.

Rivia nodded at Ryden's last comment. "It's only natural they didn't stand a chance—the Marax family specializes in an advanced form of synthetic familiar creation using runes, low amounts of arc energy and mineral deposits within the area... their formidable, but they possesses a glaring issue" Rivia informed calmly to which Ryden quickly nodded at her words.

"Yeah I know the flaw—I got a good look at the worst of it too... wasn't fun to watch" he commented with a set of eyes that just spoke of his disdain for the current conversation. Something Nyx immediately chose to capitalize on.

"Right... so we got the _Infernum_ _A_ _rmis'_ , deleted the army going for it and even acquired a second omni-key in the process... if that isn't a mission accomplished then I don't know what is" Nyx then smirked at Ryden. "Not bad for a team of _Helljumpers_ right?"

Ryden snickered at Nyx's words, a nod of approval slowly following. "Indeed... guess I can brand each one of you _Helljumpers_ from now on" he proposed; much to the approval of those present.

Ryden smirked at the smiles on the four—even noting Rosalina's brief look of pride—before he glanced out over the horizon and then looked down towards the base of the mountain, which – of course – was obscured by several patches of low flowing clouds.

Ryden smirked before standing up, his gaze briefly trailing back to his team; each one of them calmly eyeing him with small amounts of confusion... they could have sworn the man looked about ready to—aaaaand he jumped.

Abigail and Nyx saw it coming, the small smirk on Ryden's lips had been a dead giveaway—but the sight of Rosalina and Rivia practically jumping out of their skin honestly amused the two devils more so then the goofy looking grin on Ryden's face prior to his stunt.

"Ryden!" Rosalina and Rivia both yelled out in worry as Ryden disappeared over the edge of the mountain, the both of them quickly jumping to follow after him.

Nyx watched Abigail lightly chuckle at the sheer worry on Rosalina's face; amused by her friend's obvious worry for Ryden but too prideful to acknowledge it. "You think we should follow them?" she asked casually—already knowing the stunt was all a hoax.

Nyx shrugged. "Probably—I'm just giving the little shit a head start... wouldn't make the little race he started worth it if I just beat him outright" the man gloated with feign arrogance while rising to his feet with a small grunt of effort.

Abigail gave Nyx a brief look of doubt before a light quickly shone within her eyes—a light that led to her now present smirk of mischief. "Whatever you say _hotshot_ —but I still remember you owing Ryden a _drink_... you did _lose_ that blood race after all" she reminded teasingly.

"Gah!" Nyx recoiled as if struck

Abigail giggled at the man's reaction before she casually stepped off the edge of the mountain; leaving Nyx alone on the mountain peak.

He stood there momentarily, before a smirk played itself on his lips. "You really know how to get a rise out of me Abigail—but if I can't beat Ryden, then I sure as shit can beat you... I hope you're ready Valac!" Nyx howled before he dove off the edge like a madman in hot pursuit.

* * *

Ryden had his plan already forged the second he'd ' _fallen'_ off the cliff, however his act kept its presence even as Rivia and Rosalina hastily chased after him, their distance quickly closing within seconds. Ryden watched the two with a set of calm eyes – his back facing the ever encroaching surface of hell – while his left hand loosely handled _Ventus_.

Ryden took in the worry in Rivia's eyes, and even smirked at the clear uncharacteristic expression on Rosalina—but after a moment longer, _Ventus_ suddenly dispersed into a thick cloud of hard emerald light that quickly shifted its position to his back, forming a set of jade energy wings that exuded emerald particles like snow.

His smirk finally reached the worrying duo, but it wasn't until the appearance of his wings did they finally take it all to heart. Within the harsh whips of wind—both devil's heard the distinct chuckle of Ryden echo out all around them, his voice soon following

"Jeez you two—had I known you both worried for me this much I wouldn't have stretched my wings out in this way" he laminated in fake apology, yet his amused smirk remained.

Rosalina glared...

 _Rivia glared..._

Ryden smirked even harder...

"Hehehehe... got played like a damn fiddle" he teased before twisting around into perfect flying formation.

 _It's best you put some distance between us Ventus'—I got a feeling they want blood..._

Ryden giggled like a prankster when both blondes glowered at him with clear annoyance

 _ **Aye...they do look quite menacing... I shall give leave them in my dust Vale—but I'm curious, which one is 'Abaddon'?**_

 _ **Oh! It's the one with the bigger tits!**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **...Fulgur?**_

 _ **Yeah?**_

 _ **...I hate you**_

 _ **Hehehe... you compared them didn't you?**_

 _ **And what if I did?!**_

 _ **Attaboy!**_

 _Attaboy Ventus!_

 _Ventus_ visibly recoiled when both Ryden and _Fulgur_ howled their approval, his annoyance quickly mounting before Ryden's flight suddenly reaching maximum overdrive—his own response to the two's words.

"Yeeeeehaawwwww!" Ryden howled as Ventus carried him nearly at mach speed, the man completely ignoring the maddened glares coming from the two woman in hot pursuit—Nyx and Abigail soon following behind them in their own game of pursuit... their destination being unknown.

well... that was until Rosalina and Rivia caught Ryden...

* * *

" _The mission had been a commendable success... one of many that honestly would become simple check marks on a record... but soon enough, new faces would begin to make themselves known; old and new, ally and enemy... the ages and history of each of them defined by beings both alive and dead._

 _If someone were to ask me what my fondest memories were during the civil war I would probably punch them in the face for asking, but if I had to answer that question anyway—id say it would be my time operating within the Crimson Dagger during the first few months of its creation._

 _In short—it felt like a damn video game...hehe... childish summery I know, but... it's not alone in the category of my most cherish..._

 _Definitely up there though..._

 _...Right next to_ _ **her**_ _"_

* * *

 _ **[Crimson Dagger operations log: 03/ priority Alpha: accomplished/ Operational status: pending...]**_

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **Howdy!**_

 _ **So this chapter was a fun little jaunt—took me a moment to get some stuff organized but hazza! The chapter is completed.**_

 _ **Alright, so for Ventus – the obvious point of this chapter – I chose to use the bow from Skyrim (Auriel's bow) mainly because it seemed like a perfect fit for him than any other bow I've planned. Simple, sleek and badass looking with a hint of elvan grace...**_

 _ **And his personality... the strict but easily flustered 'captain' matched with a overly humors and perverted 'lieutenant' with a knack for annoying the shit of him whenever possible... where have I seen that before?**_

 _ **Hmm?**_

 _ **Well there really wasn't much of the others in this little chapter—perhaps a small bit of it at the beginning but sometimes there just isn't enough room for the whole cast some times. I'll most likely be makin an effort to remedy that in the future but as it stands, a few lines and a couple action scenes help to at least remind us of these characters existence.**_

 _ **This one seemed more of an Infernum Armis focused narrative—comedy 'n shit but with a small hint of seriousness mixed in that honestly seemed like an important showcase for Ryden.**_

 _ **It's easy to become numb to killing your enemies when all they wear is face concealing helmets and also act liked cartoonish villains on the regular.**_

 _ **For the villain part—the characteristics shown by the Old-Satan's are the bare minimum stereotypes I'll use—the overly evil attitudes does stagnate the weight within most villains, and it creates a level of detachment to the steaks when it's the same shit over and over again.**_

 _ **Sadly though... Rizevim's army is just like that—the military side of it that is; if you're fighting for a guy that believes his species to be inherently evil then by basic physiology—your one in the same with him, evil shit is what you live and breathe, regardless of its cartoonish nature.**_

 _ **But be advised... I have a couple villains planned (OC villains) that will smash their way into this story harder then puberty smashed into me**_

 _ **Now back to my previous point...**_

 _ **The fight with the Marax brothers was a futile fight – sorry if it disappointed you – but it does help Ryden recognize the numbness of conflict. It's easy to kill the faceless, but it's a different story when it comes to those with a face.**_

 _ **The fight was meant to wake Ryden up to the 'physiological weight' within a war—slowly ease him into the true measure of conflict then with sheer vengeance being his sole motivation.**_

 _ **Imagine if he didn't acknowledge the weight of conflict and simply followed vengeance all throughout the story...**_

 _ **I'd image you'd be bored by the next chapter... if not already**_

 _ **This fight was meant to establish a message and to also help Ryden expand his horizons within war; simple vengeance and anger can only take one so far... even if Ryden hates Grayfia with every fiber, he is still only human... and sometimes the weight on a vengeful path just gets to heavy.**_

 _ **There are no spoilers in that last paragraph...**_

 _ **Well... that's a wrap on that matter.**_

 _ **This chapter – as you most definitely have noticed – ended with another monologue from Ryden; to whom do these monologues refer to is anyone's guess... that won't be answered for a while.**_

 _ **But at the end of monologue... Ryden mentioned someone... "Her"**_

 _ **I ask because it isn't anyone we've seen... so who do you think it is?**_

 _ **Leave a review to stroke my ego and make your guess as to the mystery woman, favorite and follow to keep up to date, and as always...**_

 _ **PEACE!**_


	22. Mystery Upon The Horizons

**-Mystery Upon The Horizons-**

" _Alright... Now that Infernum Ventus was in safe hands – or the right hands – the easiest part of the operation within the Territory of Lilith was behind us..._

 _The hard part now was determining the next major play in the game; we had four families to find – the_ _ **Amon**_ _family,_ _ **Valefor**_ _family,_ _ **Vassago**_ _and the_ _ **Belial**_ _family... each one of these families is apparently vital for the Old-Satan faction, three of which possessed high rankings within the Ars Geotia government—strengthening the Old-Satan's funding and increasing their numbers by a large margin with the use of each houses private military company. The last family – The Belial family – was involved because the_ _ **worthlessness**_ _ability that they inherited from their ancestor, which is incredibly infamous to every devil in hell... my hunch, was that they would use the family to combat either me or the Generals themselves._

 _The Dantalion family was an un-bias family in the civil war—operating as the lone bank for each side to draw their funds from... the more families involved the better the funding..._

 _It still confused the shit outta me that no one from that family knew of the sick shit the Old-Satan's pulled right in front of the Anti-Satan forces; from publicly documented lies, to straight up public executions._

 _I saw some—wasn't hard to see what the bastards did the poor S.O.B before the broadcast..._

 _Skin crawls to this day..._

 _All it took for the Anti-Satan forces to discredit the Old-Satan's was to grab a potato video camera and record the freaking videos, but it isn't always that easy—especially when that shithead Euclid existed... you can imagine the issue right there._

 _Video starts... electronic devices immediately stop working... Lovely_

 _Anyway, our priority was to find the families and cut them loose—the effect being self-explanatory—and ship them up to Sirzechs in a nice bow-tie and a bottle of champagne for a bonus..._

 _Pretty sure that would impress the guy, but in order for us to even start on that task—we had to get into the system and meld ourselves into the ongoing shenanigans. Neither one of us knew of the happenings going on in the territory, so we had to find the nearest monolith system and hack in..._

 _That was task number one..."_

* * *

 _ **[Crimson Dagger operations log: 03/ current Objective: Hack into Old-Satan comm's via monolith system/ objective status: pending completion...]**_

* * *

 **[2 days later]**

Ryden lightly sighed to himself as he rose from his seated spot on a log, the small embers of a dimly dying campfire drawling out small wisps of smoke that rose up to combat the thick canopy above him.

Two days had passed since the rescue of _Ventus,_ and all that had occurred within that time frame was simple camp prep and reconnaissance of the surrounding area. In order for them to safely call in their formal outpost – that being their personal canopy tents and equipment – they had to ensure no one was around to see the flashy lights and loud howls of a magic sigil activating.

That shit was loud...

The set up of their tents was long but surprisingly simple—the effort in getting their 'base' from Zagan castle all the way to the northeast most region of hell was a major tax on the only one willing to go through the effort. This led to the lax movements in their effort to getting started with their operations; sure Nyx was a sturdy prick, but he damn well needed some beauty sleep after literally – in his own words – pumping out more demonic energy then what he had in order to optimally transport all of their gear safely.

Abigail explained it in detail further before the ravenette passed out like a ton of bricks; turns out only one person would be tasked with the transport, mainly due to the possibility of destroying their gear with the separated minds of two people... kinda like elastic bands—you can control it just fine by yourself, but shit gets real when someone jumps in and starts pulling in a different direction.

It was convoluted but it made sense after a moment to process.

Ryden shook his head—he could still hear the guy's snores even from where he was...

The first day was mostly preparation of the transport—but immediately after the coast was deemed clear; Nyx had begun the work in transporting all of their equipment—which took a near whopping _12 hours_ to complete! Then after Abigail disposed of Nyx, they all began rifling through their stuff in order to make sure every bit of gear was perfectly available and intact... apparently the transportation sigil was stretched dangerously thin with all of the load involved—leading to the possibility of losing some articles of clothing or weapons had Nyx ran into a snag in magic dispersion.

Thankfully though, nothing had gone missing, because they had _maids_ to help them along the way...

Ryden lightly blinked when he'd first met his personal hand maid—a rough but mostly modest woman that went by the simple name of _Luna,_ and was the only maid within the Gremory family that possessed exceptional hand-to-hand combat skills, and clearance to know exactly what he and his team were doing.

Turns out most of their operations were going to be kept down on lock and key—no one but the four generals, the commanders and elders knew of their operation—the only exception was the maids and butler assigned to support them. Abigail and Nyx possessed their own maid – a woman named _Gaviena_ – and Rosalina had her own butler – a gentleman who went by the name of _Bron_.

Twas a shock to most of them when they stepped out of their assigned tents, and Ryden was sure Nyx would have a field day when he'd soon learn of his added baggage; apparently transporting live individuals and an entire camp worth of equipment was considered...difficult... _really_ difficult.

Aside from the development, and after they had perfectly situated their camp inside a very small opening within a forest in the northern most section of _Lilith_ —a spot that was apparently miles from any source of civilization. Then after that, they began divvying out tasks to themselves; Abigail tasked herself with perimeter defense setup, Nyx tasked himself with establishing a world record of the loudest snores in existence and Rosalina and Rivia worked on establishing a small link with the border zone at _Leviathia._ The comm's would mostly be down until the Crimson Dagger managed to hijack a monolith system and use it to slingshot their frequency to those at the border.

From then on, Rosalina theorized that Falbium Glasya-Labolas – the general himself – would be able to give them a sit-rep on the happenings within Lilith; the list went on from troop movements to convoys and even prisoner transports.

Ryden had his doubts on the theory; Falbium may have been rumored to be the Anti-Satan's supreme tactician—and part time adviser for the three other generals, but Ryden still couldn't place his faith on someone looking inward. If they didn't know what was happening, then the general sure as shit wouldn't—though the effort in establishing comm's with the general was still a tactically sound idea. The benefits of relaying information to the higher-ups were an obvious boon for the Anti-Satan's—allowing them to formulate countermeasures and ambushes, so it was a good step in the right direction.

The Crimson Dagger was literally Special Forces – probably the first ever establish task-force in devil history if not the entire supernatural world itself... that was a stretch, but still...

They had yards of work to complete, if not miles worth of shit to get done and this was only the first region of operation—the _Ashfeld territory_ , a single and large city located in a desert biome directly east of their position—was the only remaining section of civilization in _Lucifaad._ That territory and the _Territory of Thorns_ was the last remaining sectors of action holding most of the Old-Satan forces—but that was only the bulk of it all, it still didn't count every devil apart of the Old-Satan's... Rizevim might be burying himself in a ditch right now for all they knew.

Ryden sighed again after kicking dirt onto the small campfire at his feet; his eyes – bored from a lack of action – glanced over to the main camp area only to see Luna standing right beside him—poised and ready for an order. He breathed hard in surprise, flexing briefly and recoiling rapidly at the woman's sudden appearance before he collected himself all in one fell motion.

He sighed again to calm himself while Luna merely tilted her head in confusion. "Something the matter my lord?" questioned the 'monotonous' woman.

Ryden shook his head before he eyed Luna with a bemused gleam. The maid – his very own personal hand maid – wore what appeared to be a French maid outfight—or at least it fit the bill enough to match the description. The entire outfit was black in color – a color scheme that matched her black hair and eyes – and was studded with frills and small metallic spikes. A Gothic type of appearance was what could truly describe the outfit, however a large portion of clothing was missing... the upper most portion of Luna's torso was exposed, revealing every inch of her shoulders and a good sum of her cleavage; the only thing keeping her large assets from flopping out was a pair of flimsy looking bra straps. Her legs were adored in a set of thigh highs and her choice of foot wear was a pair of mid-sized high heels.

All in all... a picture perfect maid with a massive dash of sexual appeal... the devils seemed to have an unfounded lust towards expression it seemed...

"Oh its Nothing—I was just categorizing you as our secondary stealth expert" Ryden mulled out with a fourth sigh to follow. "Just appearing out of nowhere as per usual I see"

For Luna, Ryden's response and comment warranted a very tiny – hardly noticeable – smirk. "You were deep in thought my lord—had you been even remotely aware, then my approach would have been easily detected" she corrected with her ever present tone of professionalism—blanketed right over top of her amusement.

Ryden smiled knowingly. "Riiiiiight..." he drawled out doubtfully, sufficiently pushing the maid further down the path of internal giggles. Ryden chuckled at the woman, easily finding himself amused by the rigid – but easily flustered – woman. She obviously found him fun to be around, the small permeating sense of awe she exuded towards him was small but still visible to see – this sense was due to the fact that she reportedly volunteered for the task with a massive bout of excitement, something Venelana had found incredibly amusing.

She was a fan of him apparently – having seen his matches in the crucible – and had found herself the opportunity of a life time to not only help her new found 'hero' but to also be around him as well...

It sounded creeping on paper but she had a way of things that kept from the usual creepy vibe normally seen in the more 'enthusiastic' members of his apparent fan club. She hadn't asked him to sign her chest with his _nature ink_ – yeah, that's a thing – and she hadn't invaded his personal space in order to get a whiff of her future husband.

Some devils apparently fantasized about what he smelt like... from country side meadow, forest pine or the more drool inducing... _sweat_... yeah.

Apparently his reputation was a mix of the _bad-boy trope_ – how that managed to there was beyond him – and the usual _hero trope_ that mixed so well his apparent sexual energy rivaled many already established devils on the hot guy list... apparently he outmatched Sirzechs.

This confused him more than anything—he wasn't a terribly ugly looking guy but he wasn't also completely astonishing as well... and he was definitely not in league with the likes of Ryden Reynolds, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Hugh Jackman etc.

The term _supernatural beauty_ fell onto his lap at one point during his brief moment with Luna—the woman having been tasked with sending Ryden a personal message from Venelana herself. Venelana had stated he may possess a substantial amount of it and Ryden guessed it was his _mother's_ way of getting a small jab of revenge for all the reckless shit he'd done; and she'd succeeded in doing so...

The fan club he'd created... was apparently mighty because of his otherworldly charm.

Ryden made a mental note to himself after Luna deposited the full message to him – just because he found the thought amusing – to not ever try and mimic Ricardo Milo's _"u got that"_ video.

That... that would be powerful... scratch that—that would be _too powerful_

Ryden didn't know why, but he got this distant feeling that he was standing on the precipice of become a _**harem king**_ if he did mimic that video. Rosalina was interested in him for reasons not completely privy to him and he really didn't know a way to approach that differently then what he already planned out, and Rivia... well shit he was already engaged to the woman, the bond level was already on the edge of completion—all he needed was to put a bit of ' _XP'_ into that and he'd be done...

The bench mark of a 'harem' – Ryden was loathed to classify it as due to _Fulgur's_ insistent nagging – was already standing before him, all he had to do apparently was up that ante and wham! First ever established harem king...

 _Fulgur_ had been moved to absolute tears at the idea of it all – the idea itself being all her own – while _Ventus_ and Ryden merely stood back in stone cold silence, stunned by the swords sheer reverence at the idea.

Ryden wasn't a fan of the ideas and possible candidates for said harem—especially when _Fulgur_ had mentioned _Venelana_ in the mix, which inevitably led to a tennis match of no's and yes' that filled his mind for an entire hour— _Ventus_ himself tagged in on his side when he found himself tiring out.

Afterwards, it was a stone written rule to never mention the idea of _**Harem king**_ again... ever—and any individual with the similar mindset shall be terminated accordingly if said dream ever reached the mind of a poor innocent child.

Ryden would never stand for that... but he did find the idea hilarious.

"My lord?"

Ryden blinked before he glanced over to Luna.

Briefly, Ryden acknowledge the woman with a nod before he rubbed his eyes. "Do you have anything to report Luna? Is Nyx awake or is the sleeping gronk still sawing logs?" Ryden asked with a set of tired eyes.

Luna nodded briskly. "Indeed, however I have no word on lord Nyx's status as of late—he is still as you say 'sawing logs'"

Ryden grumbled at the news before Luna pressed on.

"However I do believe lady Rivia wishes to have a word with you—lady Rosalina does as well"

"About?"

"Nothing of a personal worry my lord—they just desire your input on a few things in regards to your next few operations; I believe they expressed their interest in your choice of special military engagement"

Ryden stretched his back before he scooped up _Fulgur_ and sheathed her on his back—the crimson glass blade shining ever elegantly from a fresh cleaning that he'd just finished. He found it amusing that _Fulgur_ had gone suspiciously quiet once he'd started cleaning her edge's but he honestly didn't wish to find out why.

He shook his head and followed after Luna—the woman having chosen to silently lead him to his destination after a quick gesture from him.

* * *

The camp had been arranged in a triangular fashion—a total of four tents having been set up in perfect order. Nyx and Abigail shared their own canopy tent, Rosalina had her own and Rivia bunked with Ryden for two obvious reasons that everyone present knew of... moving on.

Three canopy tents used for barracks and one larger canopy tent was placed in between the three. This one was apparently used for several features that would soon become available to them as they dug themselves into the system of the territory's flow.

Ajuka had apparently outfitted a separate tent on his own that possessed a majority of items that honestly threw Ryden for a loop. Obviously the Emerald general had incorporated a comm's relay for them to help triangulate enemy positions – a form of reverse engineering – that descended from harbingers analytical algorithms. Once they linked up with a monolith system, the comm's relay would immediately hook in and stay there.

The next bit of awesomeness was a fabrication table; it was smaller in design then the one that forged _Cerberus_ , but the use of it was still prevalent enough to help them re-forge broken weapons, forge new weapons or damn well upgrade them accordingly—it even had a sophisticated rune data sheet already hook into the systems predetermined features—allowing them a wide range of field upgrades for them to play with.

Ryden could now add on a _silencer_ feature to _Cerberus_...

Honestly... Ajuka might just make it into his harem—he was _this close._

Jokes aside – and unyielding desire to play with the damn thing aside – Ryden had two blondes standing over a small OPSAT station to deal with before he could give the fabrication station a good test run.

Luna stood off to the side of the large canopy tent while Rosalina stood opposite Rivia—the two crossing their arms under their chests as they waited for Ryden to get his head out of his ass.

Ryden chuckled awkwardly under the gaze of the two beauties—one of them still salty over his _small_ base jump prank he'd played on them a few days ago. In all seriousness, they knew of his 'lack of wings' and seemed quite vexed that he'd play off the realization as if it didn't happen.

Rivia had confronted him of it, but all he did was jab a finger over his back towards the emerald wings sprouting from his shoulder blades and simply stated...

" _I have wings, what are you talking about?"_

Frustration – and extreme rage – was all that wrote itself on the blondes face when he'd said that, leaving the woman in a seemingly perpetual state of agitation. Ryden knew he wasn't the target of this however, the fact the woman still slept with him was a clear enough sign that he hadn't tossed himself into the dog house with his stunt.

Rivia's frustration towards her enemies and not him was a incredible relief on his end—but it was a very brief sense of relief before it suddenly turned into a yelp of surprise when Rivia practically pulled him into her chest like a possessive mother fretting over a wounded child. Odd fetish aside, the effect had slowly become a numbing sensation that he'd come to expect whenever he'd flop onto his bed.

One second—pillow

Next second—flesh pillow

It would've been a lovely feeling if it hadn't been for Rivia's obvious expression of pity written on her face whenever he glanced up to her.

Ryden blinked away those thoughts before he glanced down to the OPSAT station, a small castle outpost sitting directly in the middle of the holographic panel. He twirled a small dagger against the metallic surface of the OPSAT station in thought; eyeing the three large towers sitting in triangular formation at the outer portion of the castle perimeter before the blade stopped, his eyes rising to regard Rosalina with a nod. "The idea seems feasible, but your plan hinders on long distance communication—any idea how we could remedy that?" he asked

Rivia nodded to him. "That's why your here Ryden, you seem to have a knack for this sort of thing—all I think we should do is storm the castle from all sides and overwhelm those within, but Rosalina believes civilians may be present" the older woman added with a sardonic chuckle. "Not like that would stop us to much—it would merely hinder our flow"

Ryden nodded at the woman's opinion. "Sure, that may work—but its only feasible when those very civilians know what kind of people we really are; if we bust in there half cocked and full of enthusiasm then we'll only scare the shit out of them" the dagger began spinning again and Ryden light gestured towards Rosalina. "the best idea so far would be the silent type..."

Rosalina blinked. "wait—didn't you just say long range communication was a bad idea?"

He nodded in agreement. "Sure did, but we have no choice on the matter"

"What if they intercept us?"

"simple counter—we use military code phrasing" at his simple statement, both Rivia and Rosalina eyed him with confusion. They were aware of platoon designation, but individual designation wasn't something either of them knew of; much to the amusement of Ryden.

Here he was, 23 years old, informing a duo of devils 20x his age what military code phrasing was... honestly, he was shocked they hadn't invented it before humanity did—but he guessed that's what _tradition_ and _glory_ did to military ingenuity for devils.

"Explain..."

Ryden smirked at Rosalina's curious tone, the woman's azure eyes glued onto him like a hawk—it kinda reminded him of Serafall... too bad he didn't get a chance to converse with the petite general.

 _Shame_

Ryden shifted his legs briefly before he explained.

"Military code is used to mask ones true identity and also shroud current objectives with code phrases—for example, our military group is called _Crimson Dagger_. In order for us to remain anonymous, we'd use the term _Dagger_ as our team's short term name in order to not hint towards our possible allegiances; with the code in use, all you add after is 'Dagger-1' 'Dagger-2' etc. For every person in the squad—since we're a team of five it'll go up to Dagger-5... these will be our code names and it will give us some room to operate without completely giving away our identities" Ryden sighed before he quickly added in a few extra points. "It should also be known that any bits of 'personality' should be checked at the door almost entirely—we don't want anyone identifying us from possible verbal habits"

After his explanation Ryden plucked his newly forged dagger and slid it into his finely crafted shoulder sheath—smirked to the two as he moved. "Any questions class?"

The two just stared at him, silently in awe at the wisdom he held...

"Do I even want to ask how you came up with that?" questioned Rosalina

Ryden breathed out a moderate hum of amusement. "My friends and I learned the hard way why it's best to not say each other's name's out loud..."

The ominous tone wasn't lost on them, leaving the two to silently eye him with a very brief second of remorse. Ryden shook his head at the gesture but carried on afterwards.

"So with this newly acquired bit of awesome knowledge from yours truly" the two blinked at Ryden's words while Luna lightly chuckled. "We go in—recon the place, smash any enemy combatants in the area and politely ask anyone _**cute**_ enough what's going on around here... emphasis on the _**cute**_ part"

Rivia and Rosalina just stared at him—Luna stepped out of the canopy tent... chuckles slowly following

"Ah?" Rosalina mouthed in confusion before Ryden sighed out in feign annoyance.

"Come on guys, ' _Cute'_ is code for H.V.T – _high Value target_ for anyone asking – I mean it would sound pretty ominous on the comm's if we go in muttering about HVT's and VIP's don't you think?" Ryden argued. "I'm pretty sure if we go in muttering about _cuties_ in _Hoties_ we'll just be played off as a group of extremely emotionless perverts"

The logic in Ryden's words was sound, however the two kept their eyes leveled on him anyway. Confusion was written in Rivia's while slight disgust was linked within Rosalina's.

"Why does it have to be _cute_ for the code word?" asked the younger blonde

Ryden rolled his eyes. "Because..." he started before he felt two new arrivals enter the canopy tent behind him.

Abigail snickered into her hand as a groggy and slightly miffed Nyx followed closely behind her, his eyes – though tired – seemed to sporadically twitch with clear annoyance at something Ryden didn't quite grasp... well until he spotted a mildly amused Gaviena following behind her wards, by then he knew exactly what had the man set up in mild arms.

"Honestly lord Nyx, two days of sleep isn't enough?" the older women chastised with a slight gleam in her eye.

"Right right Gavi—I get it, stop yelling..." drawled the still tired devil in response.

The older maid – a similarly fashion devil to Luna – shook her head. "My voice has yet to reach maximum power—but I guess it seems you are too lazy to withstand me" she jested before following into line at the main entrance of the canopy tent—Luna slowly following.

Nyx ignored the fervor in his maid's words and simply crept forward on jello legs; a sight that caused Ryden to lightly whistled at the sight. "My, look what the prowler dug up—finally decide to return to the land of the living Nyx?"

Nyx glared at him before he plopped down into one of the five throne like chairs scattered around the OPSAT station, his back lethargically pressed to the red cushion—groan of pleasure following. "Stuff Ryden, unlike you I had to actually get my hands dirty for this while you tamed that storm you created"

"For some reason it sounds like my job was harder..."

"Don't make me come over there..."

Abigail snickered at the banter before she lightly pet Nyx's head like a child. "So defensive when he's tired... how adorable" she teased, a tease that forced Nyx to growl.

"Unhand me woman!" he seethed, writhing like a limp snake in his seat—trying and failing horrible to avoid the affection from the unperturbed huntress.

Abigail innocently chuckled at Nyx's glower after a moment before she turned to the two awaiting blondes. "So what's gonna be our first step in kicking things off?" she asked eagerly

Rivia gestured to the outpost castle located within the holographic chart. "You're looking at it" she mouthed simply before her gaze followed Abigail's. "Ryden's got the comm's set up; we just need an infiltration expert to analyze any possible back doors so we can go in unnoticed"

The auburn haired devil lightly nodded while studying the circular parameter with a set of analytical eyes.

Ryden followed closely behind the woman, his eyes trailing after each quadrant of the castle just as methodically as the huntress. The castle itself was well built—noble in design, and possessed a rather lax guard then what most of them expected, then again—their position on hells map put them at the top right most corner of the map itself; their distance from the front line was incredibly distant which explained the low number of guards.

Getting in would be a mild endeavor...

"Seems like a cake walk to me, without the sheer number of guards I'm sure I could recon the place and determine the shift changes of the guards—due to our distance from allied lines, we can expect most of the guards to be just as lax as those in _Lucifaad_ – if not more"

Rosalina nodded seriously at Abigail's assessment before she eyed Rivia. "We could get away with sending out Ryden and Abigail for this op, while we and sleeping beauty over their hit this installation over here"

At her words, Rosalina slide her hand along the porcelain surface of the OPSAT station, dragging a new outpost into view. "This one seems a little bit bigger, but it doesn't seem to have the same out of guards as before—this distance is far enough away for us to go loud, and it may even possess some form of information in regards to a Monolith system somewhere"

Rivia mulled over the plan before her eyes briefly locked with a calmly nodding Ryden – his gesture itself voicing his opinion on the matter. A second after and she nodded with a serious glint in her eyes. "In and out—no adventuring" she warned to which Rosalina shrugged, placating the older devils worry.

"We're not taking Ryden with us so I wouldn't worry about that"

"Hey woah! what the hell?" Ryden called out dejectedly, mock hurt written on his face. "Don't tell me you hate my natural magnetism for the excitement" he added

Rosalina smirked playfully, though with her usual disposition, the expression came across as mockingly arrogant—a type of expression that Ryden didn't at all find aggravating... odd.

"Come now lord Ryden, it's not like I don't like your magnetism for excitement—it's just I mind some peace and quiet from time to time... no hard feelings I hope"

"None that I'm aware of, but I'll be sure to keep my magnetism reigned in _just_ for you" Ryden teased back, his enthusiasm mildly flaring when Rosalina smirked at his reply.

"How courteous—I'm honored"

The smirks sent between Ryden and Rosalina came across as competitive, yet an underline message was easily seen within the tones of each speaker that they themselves didn't acknowledge. Rivia shook her head bemusedly at the exchange before she calmly followed after Rosalina's exit—Ryden doing the same in the opposite direction, leaving the two remaining devils to sit by in awkward silence, along with a slightly humored Luna and stunned silent Gaviena

.

.

.

"By the Satan's Abigail, Pinch me"

"Why?"

"I think I'm still dreaming..."

"Don't be dramatic"

"Dramatic my ass—I just witnessed the most sexually tense moment in my life!"

"It wasn't that intense..."

"For Rosa—it was... don't tell me you didn't notice the red on the woman's ears as she left, she looked like she was glowing!"

"Surely you can't be serious?"

"I _am_ serious—and don't call me _Shirley_ "

.

.

.

"Why do I get the feeling the impossible might occur before us?"

"The feelings mutual... though my money's on Rivia..."

"Of course it is..."

* * *

 **[Territory of Thorns: Red/Blue legion military joint operations/ joint summary: allied forces have converged on enemy emplacement camps located several hundred miles out from Malphes territory, contact pending...]**

* * *

Serafall studied the map with a critical eye; her usual routine coldness etched upon her facial features like a mask of ice, creating a deep sense of seriousness that permeated the room in a cold haze, threatening to shatter into a blizzard of routine orders in a matter of seconds. Serafall's eyes roamed over the holographic map – constructed by Ajuka just recently – and calmly assessed the slowly advancing forces of the Blue and red legions.

2 days of marching, 2 days of silence—2 whole days of zero enemy engagement. To say Serafall was on edge with the information would be a downright lie; the petite general of the blue legion was as sharp as a razors edge, her eyes were the very definition of hawk-like and her mind was a whirlwind of theories, contingencies and possible retaliation orders should the marching forces of their 20,000 met a resistance. But with every passing hour of silence, her attention to every detail increased tenfold. Every stone was upturned, every bush was scoured and every cave or nook was uprooted with strict and precise action.

Still... nothing came of it

Aside from her usual icy disposition, Sirzechs Gremory also possessed the same expression; however his extremely analytical eyes simply skimmed over the map for a brief moment before his gaze returned to a scroll within his hands, silently reading the contents while leaving over-watch duties to the one woman that seemed most enraptured with it.

He shook his head softly, Serafall could honestly be the most anal of them—though she was the youngest, she still seemed to outmatch even Ajuka's attention to detail.

As the two present generals sat in tense silence, Eris stood behind her general indifferently, calm and waiting for her orders while her counterpart – the largest devil in the room, _Saladin_ – stood behind his own general; both of their helmets resting snuggly under the crook of their arms.

Sirzechs breathed out a momentary breath of annoyance after having finished reading the scroll, his hands casually tossing the offending scroll towards the garbage before he leaned down on the small OPSAT station. "The council continues to push caution— Councilmen Berith, Barbatos and Sabnok have sent down requests for us to remain behind during any assaults—we'll obviously ignore but the frequency of these orders is starting to become irritable"

There was a slight sting of bitter annoyance in Sirzechs tone as he clicked his tongue.

"They have always been worrisome for us" Serafall muttered back without glancing away from the map in front of her. "Aside from them however, do you have word on General Astaroth?"

The crimson devil nodded. "Sure do, the Jade legion has already passed the threshold towards the central valley—they should be engaging the enemy by the top of the hour"

Serafall sighed before she glanced over to Eris. "Get your forces prepped for forward recon, this silence is worrying me"

"Yes General"

Sirzechs glanced over to a moderately bemused Saladin. "You heard the lady" he called out.

"Aye General"

As the two captains of the praetorian order stepped out – the both of them putting their own distinct helmets on as they left – Serafall returned her gaze back to the holographic image; trench lines were seen dug up in droves along the tree line and deeper within, yet no enemy was in sight. "They seemed to be prepared, but where are the enemy forces?" Serafall chimed, her fingers encircling a few enemy emplacements. "Caster emplacements seemed to have been placed here but their abandoned—" her finger then highlighted several more around the clutter of enemy forces before the image was scrolled deeper into the forest. "They even have artillery huts dug in deep along the rear and... wait... what is that?"

Serafall paused after noticing something, a generator by the design of it, and quickly encircled the image and expanded it for a better view.

They didn't like the sight of it...

"What is it?" Sirzechs questioned, confused by the sight.

The ravenette shook her head, matching the crimson devil's own confusion. "No idea" she muttered before glancing over to the energy readout module at the side of the OPSAT station. "But whatever it is, it's giving off tons of energy... and it's... its rising"

The confused frown on Sirzechs couldn't have become more pronounced even if he tried.

He stepped over to Serafall's side of the table and eyed the readout critically and sure enough, the energy output of the oddly designed generator was slowly rising in energy output. His instincts flared to life, moderate panic boiled over before settling into a calmed and control release of nervous breath.

A sigil activated at his ear, same with Serafall's—a grand Comm sigil.

 _[All forces cease advance!]_

From off screen, hundreds of yards from the enemy emplacement, crimson garbed and azure adored knights immediately ceased their march forward, confusion etched upon their features before it happened.

Seconds after the force of 20,000 strong ceased their advance, the energy build up coming from the mysterious object suddenly exploded into amethyst smoke that completely obscured the tree line, a miasma energy that expanded outward until solidifying into a perfect wall that completely cut off all advance into the south. Trees vaporized upon touching the wall, rocks atomized when the energy touched them during its complete formation and dirt cracked like obsidian glass when the wall of purple energy comfortably rested upon it.

Silence was all the permeated the area afterwards... no one had been prepared

The caution on their end had been well thought out in a matter of seconds, whatever the Old-Satan forces had planned, it was best to keep a safe distance until the target item could be identified; however now that the item was registered as a shield generator, Sirzechs both kicked himself and applauded himself on his haste.

Had his allies been caught in the formation of the wall then they would have been cut off from assistance—left to fight a force alone and without help. However Sirzechs kicked himself for not having doubled his troops marching pace, yet even with this thought he still found himself thankful that he didn't; for all he knew, the generator could have been a newly fashion _Ruina imperium_ and if that had been the case then he'd have ordered his men to charge head long to their deaths.

The regret he felt now didn't feel as bad as the regret he would have felt if that had happened.

"Looks like that generator blocked out our imaging—can't see anything anymore passed a few meters inland" Serafall intoned with an annoyed glower as she tried to access the OPSAT's holographic imaging.

Sirzechs shook his head before he regarded one of his advisers at his flank; the woman working on one of the few other monitors present. "Contact general Astaroth and send him the details of this event—he may encounter something similar" he ordered before bringing up the recording of the generators last sighting.

He froze the image just when the mysterious item fell into perfect viewing.

Everything about its design was normal in appearance; squared metallic alloy platting, ventilation vents, control panel where all present, however the instrument possessed a new addition to it—and ominous one

It sat in a cylindrical glass containment hooked up to a series of tubes and ventilation ducts, the energy radiating off of it shone in bright malevolent swaths of amethyst light, black murky flames – dripping like slug – rolled along its smooth yet rough surface.

The image was slightly blurry, but within the glass containment cylinder sat a pristine crystal, long and sharp, that floated gently in the center—defying gravity.

The image disturbed Sirzechs and Serafall greatly as well as anyone else gazing upon the image

Not because of its power...

Not because of its appearance...

 _ **But because it felt like it was looking right at them...**_

"Belay that order, I'm contacting Ajuka myself—something's not right with this" Sirzechs called out after a moment of staring, his form twirled around in a controlled and cordial haste before exiting the room in one fell breath, a disturbed aura radiating off of his form as he left.

Serafall warily sighed before she glanced over to one of her advisers. "Distribute orders to all standing Elders to cease the advance and retreat to fall back coordinates—orders are withstanding"

A man in his prime nodded briskly at the order. "Yes ma'am"

With the order done, Serafall turned back to glare at the angry crystal...

The feeling of a return glare was not lost on her...

* * *

 **[Territory of Lilith/ military outpost/ Crimson Dagger operations log: 04]**

* * *

"Dagger-4, you copy?" Ryden called out as he squatted comfortably against the stone faced wall of the military outpost.

 _[I hear you Dagger-1, are you clear for entry]_

"I'm on standby, waiting for your mark"

 _[Mark...]_

Ryden wordlessly nodded before he flexed his legs and bound right over the castle walls in one easy motion. Bunny hopping in rough terrain with a carriage on his back was marginally easy to do—if not a bit awkward, which meant a simple jump or bound over a 15 to 25 foot tall castle wall was simply child's play to him.

He landed softly within the main courtyard of the castle, his landing barely sounding off any alarm bells with the few scattered guards that manned the watch towers. He had to chuckle at the simplicity of it all before he scanned the area.

With his cloak engaged, Ryden casually scanned the commotion within the castles interior without threat of detection. Guards casually strolled along the outer walls, lazily stopping at some point and gazing outward towards the darkened fields and forest that surrounded the castle itself. There was a good 300 meter distance between the castle and the tree line as well as a nice cliff that pierced through the tree line like a knife.

One can only guess where Abigail had chosen to position herself... twas obvious what it was.

The interior decoration of the castle was above modern design, honestly it looked like a luxurious duplex house situated in the middle of medieval castle setting. A patio with comfortable couches and seats were perfectly position upon a nicely polished wooden deck that stretched out from the glass screen doors of the main building.

Honestly, the whole design screamed noble—if not at least modern high-class luxury.

Almost like he was back home again...

He shook his head quickly to chase away his mild nostalgia before he spotted several guards lounging about on the patio deck, their conversation ranging from simple gossip to full blown humor. The context was above him, as he didn't know what most of their jokes meant; and even when he stayed put to eavesdrop of them for any hint of possible Intel he ended up getting nothing at all.

Jokes, rumors of noble family habits, more jokes; some sexual jokes about a noble's wife – whoever said that was on thin ice – and some of it was simple whimpers and whines of being unseemly bored with everything.

Some even wanted an attack to occur...

Ryden snickered in hidden, offhandedly amused by the devils naivety

 _Be careful what you wish for..._

After some time, the conversation shifted to what Ryden felt was the elephant in the room... the storm he'd created two days ago, the one that had gone silent.

"Honestly, I was expecting something to happen after that storm suddenly hit... what the hell could even cause that?" questioned a obviously frustrated devil.

Now that Ryden looked at them, he noted their attire was different from the usual guards that pranced around the castle leisurely. While they had full plate armor – heavily detailed mind you – the devils lounging about wore black fabric attire mixed with a series of metal plates and such that sat on their shoulders, biceps, forearms, chest, thighs and shins. The majority of their outfit seemed luxurious as well; the black fabric looked as thick as leather but seemed to be as flexible as silk and the metal plates were literally gold in color, some even having a couple green jewels etched into their armor around the gauntlet and chest region.

But the thing that caught his attention... was the insignia of an _angry Bee_ embroidered on their back and chest—green emerald gems having been perfectly graphed into the eye socket of the bee, giving it an angry and coiled look.

 _Beelzebub..._

 _[Dagger-1, what's your status?]_

Ryden calmly acknowledge Abigail's voice but he didn't respond; having instead fallen in closer to hear the full conversation, any response on his end would be easily heard.

"So your saying some Treacherous mongrel managed to release not one but _two_ of these hell weapons?"

" _Infernum Armis'—_ is what Intel have designated them, ancient weapons forged long ago—well before our lord Lucifer himself descended down to hell; Hallen Foras seems to be the go-to expert on the matter while lady Leviathan seems to be pulling the strings to have them acquired as soon as the bulk of our forces manages to acquire enough bodies to try and release them... should turn the tide for us if we manage to get them" an officer informed casually.

"What about the one that stole the other two?"

"Simple, our lords well deal with him—they'll mount his skull on a pike as a message to anyone daring to steal from out ancient for-bearers"

Ryden was taken aback by the casual sneer wrought on the devil that replied before he shook his head to rid himself of the creepy sensation he had crawl up his back all the while Ventus piped up with some words to express.

 _ **It's very unlikely they'll even manage to release Ignis from his prison—aqua would be even worse for them—out of all of us, me and Fulgur would be considered the easiest to acquire... their goal is foolhardy and pointless**_

 _ **Still wouldn't mind to see them try... the little insects believe themselves worthy? Ha! They'll simply feed aqua's pets and fuel the flames of Ignis**_

 _Interesting... I might ask you two later about that_

 _ **Feel free... but for now I think it'd be wise to ease your ally's worries—she seems quite panicked**_

The connection was cut immediately afterwards, leaving Ryden to hear the continued report from Abigail; panic was the central emotion heard.

 _[Dagger-1, do you copy!?]_ She sounded poised but the speed in which she voiced her question was evident of her worries.

Ryden shook his head in annoyance, still seeing the minor hiccups with his new additions in military code protocol. He hadn't really been able to go over the complete procedures when it came to M.C.P with Abigail or Nyx due to their collective desire in wanting to at least establishing a foot hold in Lilith; a grand mistake if he had anything to say about it but Rosalina seemed eager enough to get the ball rolling and he was all too eager to get this done as well.

But the issue still remained; comm silence should only be broken by the person _inside_ the objective—not outside of it. Surgical sigils are mostly individually activated and only transmit voice communication to the one both on the channel and the one wearing it—no one can hear the transmission, however the issue was its activation, sending or receiving messages always causes a pulse of energy – albeit small – that could tip off any twitching guard in close proximity, but the worst thing right now is their location. If he could detect worry in Abigail's tone... then an AI could as well, if not more and they were located in a territory rumored to have dozens of them.

" _Radio silence Dagger-4"_ Ryden hissed once he'd gotten a safe distance away from the conversing guards, his voice but a whisper.

 _[...]_

Ryden sighed gently when no response came, masking his breath of relief with a slight breeze—courtesy of _Ventus_

 _Remind me later to sit everyone down after this... I really need to go over everything about standard comm procedures_

 _ **Noted**_

 _Thanks..._

Ryden breathed lightly before he glanced away from the lounging guards, their line of conversation had switched from him to something about troop details and unnecessary decorum they were forced to endure... in sense, they started whining.

Ryden could relate... he worked retail before...

Ignoring that for now, Ryden easily passed the patio deck and whisked himself into the main building without anyone noticing; once inside, he assessed the interior after positioning himself in a dark corner of the room.

The central building – or more accurately _mansion_ – sported two floors; three if one accounted for the basement. The main lobby of the mansion possessed two curved stair cases one either side of the lobby that led up to the second floor where two hallways could be seen on either side of the upper floor.

The mansion itself from an outside perspective was minimally detailed but massive now that Ryden got the gist of the lobby's comparable size.

He had a lot of ground to cover...

Making his decision on the fly, Ryden chose to ascend the right stair way up to the second floor and calmly maneuvered himself into the nearest room he could find. Once there, Ryden quickly scanned the entire castle zone in order to locate any energy signatures and immediately got several pings at the back of his mind.

Two small signatures where located on his floor while a massive detectable energy signature was located in the basement.

 _Figures I'd go the wrong way first go—if they have a monolith system I expected them to have it high above ground..._

 _ **Master... these monoliths systems use demonic energy to channel their vast range—not these 'radio towers' you keep thinking about.**_

Ryden slapped himself after hearing that.

While demonic energy flowed within the core of hell, Arc energy flowed high up in the atmosphere but was far to spread out to be used as well as an electronic transmission signal.

He knew this, but old habits die hard he guessed...

Ryden couldn't exactly guess what the two smaller energy signatures were but he couldn't honestly care about them; their energy output was dwarfed by the massive energy coming from the basement thus forcing his attention back down into the lobby and to the main central stair way.

However, once Ryden reached the top of the stair way, he froze upon seeing two high-class devils conversing within the lobby's main floor.

The first was a woman, a snarky and angry looking thing if the scowl on her face was any indication. She possessed long black hair and amethyst eyes that bore angrily into the man looking at her. The woman wore an elegant black dress decorated with silver that accentuated her figure quite aggressively as the clothing was almost form fit—allowing her slender but supple legs to stretch the short skirt harshly while her bust pressed dangerously against her bra. The rest of her attire consisted of black detached sleeves and mildly transparent thigh highs and simple black high heels.

Gaudy was all to describe the woman; however the sneer on her face took away from her targeted beauty. Though she looked every bit the part of a woman in her prime; born to frustrate lesser men into a state of perpetual blue balls, her angry sneer and clear show of disdain towards the man in front of her really destroyed her image without fail.

The man in front of her wasn't a noble by sight alone, appearing to be more of a higher status Old-Satan knight what with all the markings and ribbons dotting his golden chest plate. Upon further investigation the man seemed to be one of the same knights outside the building—his choice of allegiance being Beelzebub himself due to the embroidered bee coiled against his breastplate.

Ryden calmly situated himself at the top of the stair way balcony and listened in on the argument below, his senses spiking outward just to make sure no one accidentally snuck up on him; once he was sure no one was around, he tuned in.

"For the last time Cambrian, I don't need a security detail! I am more than capable in defending myself!" barked the woman with a following growl that reminded Ryden of a particularly pissed off house cat.

The officer – now named Cambrian – sighed loudly, an act that was not at all hidden from the noble in front of him. "And for the last time _lady Marchosias_ , we were order personal by Lord Beelzebub himself to ensure your safety from now onward—with the loss of one of your sons, our lord has seen it fit to ensure your permanent survival of this conflict, especially with the failed expedition at Satan's... _peak,_ all noble families have been strictly placed under immediate protection" he dutifully replied with a hard tone.

Ryden was slightly surprised at the audacity in the inquisitors attitude, having been told of common placing among the hierarchy within hell had explicitly told him that any military ranking officers not registered as a noble were seen to be directly below the ranks of any noble—regardless of their military accomplishments and rank.

A set up like that didn't seem very fair for the working class folk—which could lead to civil dispute... as witnessed right now.

"Mind your tone with me _Cambrian_ , need I remind you of your place?" growled lady Marchosias, eyes now bearing slits.

If Cambrian seemed taking off kilter by the woman's harsh reply then he barely registered it—if at all. The officer sighed irritably before he pulled out a scroll from his coat and pressed it roughly into the woman's arms. "If the word of your protectors doesn't persuade you, then perhaps the direct orders from my superior will" he growled, leaving the noble woman to read over the scroll in due haste.

Not even a minute passed and the scroll was thrown right at Ryden at the second floor balcony. His muscles tensed in surprise—not having expected the woman to sense him; but his worries were immediately dashed the second the woman rounded back on Cambrian—her expression taught with rage.

"Satan's curse this! He expects us nobles to bend knee and cower behind the likes of you?! Does he believe our power to be a folly's gambit?!" Lady Marchosias growled out to herself, uncaring to the look of deep annoyance coming from her ward.

Ryden fought a sigh of relief at having only been in the scrolls trajectory by coincidence before his attention fell back on to the bickering woman. Whatever information being discussed may help in establishing their understanding of the situation on the ground—as already, the presence of Beelzebub's personal elite guard already seemed to hint to Shalba Beelzebub's presence – or possible hand – in strengthening security around the nobles occupying the _Territory of Lilith._

All information was crucial...

"If our presence irritates your pride so much _lady Marchosias_ —then might I recommend council with lord Beelzebub himself? I'm sure he'd love to hear of your inconsequential prattle regarding his choice of action" Cambrian jabbed back with a hint of mockery in his tone, a tone that contorted lady Marchosias' face into that of a repulsive leer.

 _Every second she was beginning to look like a vampire bat._

Cambrian sneered down at the arguably shorter noble, his imposing figure actually possessing a greater presence then even the woman's. "Keep glaring all you like, but until the day **the swarm** itself is recalled back to our original posts at our lord's side, we will continue to watch over this domicile until such invading threats are dealt with... your consent was not up for debate"

If the woman in front of Cambrian looked angry before, then she looked down right _murderous_ now; the tone and mockery in the inquisitors tone was bare none the most ballsy Ryden had ever seen a man be in front of their superior. He thought Rivia's total disregard for Sirzechs and the others authority was something to marvel but this man was a Chad amongst dweebs.

Confidence was one thing but his actions seemed to hint towards a form of immunity that had not at all be voiced before; regular nobles would've gutted insubordinate knights for lesser insults – especially in such a manner in proximity – yet the devil carried himself as if his shit smelt like lavender and roses and the woman's smelt like a freshly dug up corpse seeped in apple cider vinegar... _ugh!_

She was mad, but it seemed to be written on her face in bold words; _if she so much as harmed the man, then she'd need to answer to someone less patient_. Ryden's money was on the man named Shalba but it could be anyone for that matter.

After a moment of tense glaring and bemused leering, lady Marchosias spun around in a huff and trudged up the stairs in a flurry of extreme wrath; her aura practically rolling off of her shoulders like a cloak of fire. Ryden registered her approach and quickly acted before her line of sight fell onto the scroll that she'd tossed; upon grabbing it, the pristine sealed item vanished completely—absorbed by his cloaking effect just as the woman finished ascending the stair case.

Her eyes seemed to lock onto him for the briefest of moments before she huffed again and went about her sheer annoyance by angrily growling down the hallway; the echoing clatter of her heels growing ever quiet as she disappeared into a room at the end of the hall—the loud bang of the door being the last he'd ever see of her.

For now at least...

Ryden sighed calmly before he glanced down to see the bemused knight lightly chuckling to himself. "Foolish woman..." he grumbled out. "Only a fool would ignore the danger that looms over our heads; the last thing we need to deal with is the comfort of the pointlessly privileged... tsk! This task is irksome"

Ryden watched the devil laminate on for a moment before the man sighed and casually stepped down the basement steps; leaving the foyer completely empty.

Now he had several choices but before he could make any of those choices, he needed to update Abigail on his findings before he made any further decisions. Assassination was out of the question; Ryden didn't know why that was but for some reason he felt he'd need to consult with Sirzechs on who may be friendly or if they had clearance on waxing off nobles... the latter seemed unlikely in Ryden's book but he had his doubts.

He sighed after skimming his surroundings and calmly opened up comm's, the slight static sensation at the back of his mind was a slightly welcoming feeling after having gone silent for what felt like a couple hours; evidently he'd only been quiet for a couple minutes.

" _Dagger-4 this is Dagger-1, checking in"_

 _[Dagger-1 this is_ _Dagger-4, mission parameters have changed, pullout and rendezvous at fallback point alpha]_

Ryden frowned at Abigail's words, confused by the order. His nerves hadn't flared in worry due to the fact Abigail's tone wasn't carrying a hint of emotion—unless she'd somehow managed to perfect her protocol speech over the course of a half hour yet Ryden had his doubts on that possibility; safe to say he was perplexed.

" _Under what duress, Dagger-4?"_

 _[...Team 2 has discovered something; Dagger-3 has requested our retreat—grab whatever you can within arm's reach and return ASAP... we've got a problem]_

" _Copy that—pulling out now, Dagger-1 out"_

Ryden paused at the balcony, his frown etching itself deeper as the moments drawled on passed in a small dwindle of time before he grumbled at the situation, his form carrying himself back out to the darkened sky of Lilith's territory like a gentle breeze; unnoticed by the denizens that lounged about and unheard by the ignorant devils around him.

Whatever it was that had spooked Rivia and the others must be big enough to warrant a retreat, so while Ryden desired to pick apart the noble house in front of him he still couldn't ignore something like this.

Not even a day of poking around and something already comes up...

Whatever it may be, uneventful wouldn't be one of its descriptions...

* * *

 **[Territory of Lilith/ unknown location]**

"What news do you bare for me Cambrian?"

 _[The good sort my lady... lady Marchosias is compliant—though resentful of the notion mind you but she still understands her place in all of this]_

"Good... any news on the other decoys?"

 _[They are all clear from what I've heard—no reports of contact with hostile forces]_

"I see..."

 _[Standing orders?]_

"...remain vigilant, focused and sharp—your enemy is not the sort to underestimate... many have and their threat was short lived in his eyes"

 _[Is he that great of a threat? Surely his power isn't as great as legend would dictate...]_

"The squabbles and stories of zealot believers means little to me, but be admonished boy—this man is the one that destroyed your home, _Lucifaad_ ; all on his lonesome—he should _never_ be dismissed"

 _[H-He was the one?]_

"Don't make me repeat myself boy..."

 _[...my attention will be solely directed on him my lady, he won't come under this roof without being found, this I swear!]_

"Your words have been heard... carry out your duties and report upon any disturbances, your second priority is to ensure Val Marchosias' safety, though should harm befall her then so be it... she is only a means to an end"

 _[Your words are absolute,_ _ **lady Lucifuge**_ _]_

"...Then carry on"

* * *

A/N:

Sorry for the wait on this one - especially for it being so short and uneventful. i kinda drew in a little close to a brief period of writers block in the middle of writing this chapter so I remedied that by hopping onto AC odyssey... and shit is it big, I was missing out on that game by a long shot.

So now that my brief period of writers block was destroyed I managed to finish this boy.

Not much to comment on it sadly, most of what's happening is set up for a bigger future for this story other then what's probably festering in your minds.

And to answer some questions regarding a few things... no, Ryden will not become a devil... or a _**demon**_. My plans for this story span much deeper into lore of my own creation and a mix of DxD's; shits gonna be serious and massive on a galactic scale that none of you are going to see coming; and no, Ryden won't be going to space...

*Jots notes down furiously*

Anyway! As for the mystery of who "SHE" is from my previous chapter... well that answer will be coming in a few chapters down the line and I'm nervous as hell about her incorporation if I'm being perfectly honest.

To sweeten the pot, I'll leave a simple hint that most will consider vague... or you may figure it out instantly...

 ** _Her origin was born within the 5_ _th_ _century..._**

 ** _She is neither OC nor original... but yet at the same time she is canon..._**

 ** _Her actions affected the canon time line greatly..._**

 ** _But yet her_** _legend_ ** _is not as it seems..._**

 ** _A weight beyond mortal comprehension bore upon her shoulders..._**

 ** _A weight that she bore in solitude..._**

I think that's vague enough... anyways boys, Read and review and favorite and follow at your own discretion and as always...

PEACE!


	23. The Jungle Moved

_**-The Jungle Moved-**_

" _The first day operating within the territory of Lilith was mostly uneventful aside from me getting a taste of what lady Marchosias was like in person; a haughty attitude mixed with the face of a Rottweiler infected with rabbis_

 _Wasn't really thrilled to see that face again..._

 _Aside from the brief bout of recon, something unknown popped up that gave Rivia and the others the spooks—at the time I wasn't so sure what could give that woman any form of spook..._

 _Though you'd be surprised however... the civil war wasn't exactly as cut and dry as the scholars say, fear was a very prevalent emotion during the civil war, and I was no exception to that for a very good reason..._

 _Aside from that, the situation on the ground located at the castle estate assigned to team 2 had become compromised, and I alone volunteered to remedy it... was the only one that could actually._

 _Honestly though, it was kinda fun—in a psychotic sort of way..._

 _They never really knew what hit them_

* * *

 **[Crimson Dagger Operations summary: two team recon deployment into outer limits of Lilith territory/ team 1 objective: recon surveillance into possible noble estate castle – Update: estate now established as the** _ **Marchosias** _**property/ Team 2 objective: recon surveillance into possible monolith location – update: monolith location compromised by unknown assailant(?)... further summary pending.../ Crimson Dagger operations log: 05]**

* * *

 _ **[Crimson Dagger secluded operating base: Lilith Territory]**_

* * *

"So what exactly am I looking at right now?" called out a befuddled Ryden vale Gremory as his eyes traced over the central OPSAT station holding the subject of the conversation. All around him stood the others, their expressions ranging from confused to downright disturbed by the sight before them; but out of all of them, Nyx looked to be the most affected.

"That's what scares me— _I don't know_ "

Nyx's words were genuine—Ryden couldn't quite picture the spear-man to possess a sense of anxiety so severe so the sight of it on the man's face at present was a very difficult sight to process.

Ryden sighed... always something new found its way on his plate

"Any idea what caused this Abigail?"

The woman in question merely shook her head, her eyes still locked on the image. "Nothing not already mentioned Ryden, though this is my first time actually seeing this—Nyx was the one to find the first one" she replied evenly, though even Abigail possessed a degree of unease.

Ryden glanced to Rosalina and Rivia, though his eyes quickly locked with the latter—the oldest devil present. "Does this seem familiar to you?"

The most collected out of all of them – besides Ryden himself – shook her head calmly, her tone even in her reply. "Nothing from memory jumps to mind—there was no such event that could cause something like this; natural or devil made"

Ryden's eyes quirked up at the info. "Guess hells going through puberty then..." he muttered with a almost comedic degree of assurance in his words; though Abigail appreciated the humor – even Nyx to some degree – however the others didn't seem so convinced that hell was just 'growing up'

Ryden grumbled in both frustration and confusion before his eyes returned back onto the subject at hand...

Before they had been deployed, Nyx had mentioned a form of ' _corruption'_ that for some reason took up residence in an Imp nest, apparently having actually swallowed the whole damn thing completely without any bodies to be found... the only witness having been a giant hole being the only thing remaining.

And that was what he was looking at—same description, same aftermath—no discrepancies.

The sight of the corruption hole was located directly in the middle of the castle – or what was left of it that is – that seemed to encompass the entire courtyard, barracks and – of course – the main hall itself. From the looks of things, the hole was probably 20,000 feet squared... so yeah, it was big.

However, the mystery didn't quite thicken until he activated the OPSAT's scanning function...

Scanning the afflicted site for some reason yielded ZERO energy signatures in a six hundred meter radius, which completely encompassed the entire castle and the outer perimeter. As a matter of fact, the energy readout was detecting in the _negatives_ —meaning that the energy in the area was so thoroughly depleted that Ajuka's highly sophisticated energy detection software was picking up small traces of _nether_ energy.

Normally nether energy is invisible to the naked eye, no human or devil – or even angel – can perceive Nether energy unless it was merged with a physical element, so with that knowledge in mind... why could Ryden distinctly see swaths of energy radiating off of the castle walls?

"Uh Ryden? Why is _Fulgur_ glowing?" Nyx called out in confusion upon locking eyes with Ryden's back.

Ryden glanced to the devil in question, confused by his words before he calmly pulled out Fulgur from her sheath—and sure enough; the blade was glowing radiantly. The bright vermilion light within the swords crystal glass blade pulsed rapidly in a rhythmic fashion...

Almost like a nervous heartbeat...

" _Fulgur_?"

 _ **Ryden... take us to that site, NOW**_

?!

 _Huh? Why... what is it? Do you know what caused this?_

 _ **I-I... I don't know... but... the energy it's creating...**_

 _ **We must go there this instant master! The negative output may cause a massive cataclysm...**_

If Ryden was unnerved by the severity in the spirits tones then he didn't show it at all; instead, Ryden's head lolled down into a distinct grumble of annoyance while he casually sheathed _Fulgur._ His sudden response caused a small bought of confusion in the minds of those ignorant to the haste swirling in his mind, leaving them to blink at the seemingly despairing man in front of them.

"What's the matter Ryden, what did _Fulgur_ say?" Rivia questioned

Ryden waved off her slight showing of anxiousness. "It's nothing we haven't heard before—and by that I mean _another_ cataclysmic event"

From the corner of the room, Rosalina was found sipping a cup filled with a drink most probably to be extremely expensive—only for said expensive liquid to flying from her mouth in a surprised spit take. Abigail – for her part – crossed the tent in a controlled pace and calmly yanked the drink from a shocked Rosalina's hands.

Took a sip...

Aaaaand _spat it out in violent surprise_...

For the sake of being repetitive—Nyx also took a spit take after having quickly poured himself his own glass, then handed off his drink to Rivia who merely sipped it gracefully, the only one present to not spit out their highly expensive beverage.

Then it followed...

" _ **What!?"**_

The collective scream of disbelief that is... Ryden knew that was gonna get old fast.

Again, Ryden waved them off. "Like I said— _nothing we haven't heard before_ " he pressed before standing up from his seat in front of the OPSAT station. "Anyways... I'll be back—gotta save the underworld again from another continent destroying event...I'll be sure to pick up some snacks on the way back guy's" he said jovially before pointing to Rivia. "Watch over the readout for me?"

Rivia's reply was a firm nod and a quick sip from her drink

Ryden snickered at the woman's casual conduct while the others stared after him like he'd grown a third head. Seriously, out of all the people present—he expected at least some of them to maintain their image after all they've done.

Not even a week and he'd already stopped several disasters already!

But the worst thing is... why did it feel like this wouldn't be the last?

* * *

 _ **[Corruption location/ outer Lilith territory perimeter]**_

* * *

Due to the haste in both _Fulgur's_ and _Ventus'_ tones, Ryden's arrival to the afflicted site was faster than predicted; having chosen to accept _Ventus'_ form of travel via his emerald wings. Unfortunately for him however, _Ventus_ was the only one capable of using the wings, leaving Ryden to relent to _Ventus'_ chosen pacing... which wasn't a comfortable speed mind you. Though on a side note, Ryden mildly committed himself to try and learn how to use the wings on his own—leaving Ventus to pilot his flight speed really did a number on both his hearing and his sight.

Ryden's landing in the open field several meters from the derelict castle wasn't as graceful as he liked, though that was due to the sheer amount of tears in his eyes from the heavy winds that had battered him senseless in _Ventus'_ hastened flight. He knew the spirit of wind and air could've cut the speed down to some degree to at least keep him comfortable—of it could've severed the wind resistance so to create less inertia whenever _Ventus_ made a hasty turn.

But here he was, on his ass with tears in his eyes... rubbing away at them like a crying child in an open field.

"This is embarrassing" Ryden muttered while whipping his teary eyes clean and standing up. "Gah! Couldn't you have gone slightly slower _Ventus_?—I feel like my eyes are in the middle of my skull whilst tanking a sand storm!"

 _ **Quit whining and get moving—we don't have much time...**_

 _Right... couldn't you have landed me a bit closer?_

Ryden wasn't as blind to not see the sheer distance he had to walk – he'd obviously run of course – from where he was and the castle walls; though his vision was clearing somewhat he still struggled to get an exact distance.

Never the less, he started moving towards the castle just as Ventus piped back up.

 _ **Must you question everything?**_

Ryden found himself growling at that comment...

 _Your god damn right I'm questioning the shit outta this! First the lapse in your memories, the demonic back story, the near infinite power and the god damn fact you're all demonic in origin—did I fucking mention demonic in nature yet!?... Standard fuckin procedure when it comes to shit like that usually involves extreme distrust and a fuck-tone of questions, so excuse me for being cautious—I AM walking towards a zone that most devils find to be extremely hazardous to approach and ya'll don't seem to care, so mind my motherfucking worries!_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _ **He has a point Ventus... being truthful may help alleviate some of his worries to an extent—though only mildly...**_

 _ ***Sigh* I suppose—but I don't think I'll be able to answer that much... all I know is that this situation needs to be remedied, like as soon as humanly possible kinda remedied. I don't know the origin but when you started to think about Nether energy I got this nasty spike in my instincts—like a voice telling me to 'SEAL IT!' with all the gusto of a terrified child... I believe you'd listen to that kind of instinct—wouldn't you Ryden?**_

"Well now that you managed to find the energy to share with the class I'm more motivated—especially when you mentioned the _screaming child_ part _—_ that's a deal maker"

 _ **Right—I'll be sure to use the 'screaming child' part more often...**_

Ryden shook his head at _Ventus'_ sarcasm before the air around him suddenly went frigid. He blinked moderately at the sudden change in atmosphere yet Ryden made no change in his pacing towards the castle; seeing as how the cold felt more attributed to the 'death' energy radiating around the area. Nether energy wasn't the hostile kind of energy—on the contrary actually, nether energy was mostly domicile, harmless without a shadow of a doubt.

Most beings breathed it in everyday...

However, nether energy would be more hostile to free roaming souls then to a living one—small little tid bit on nether energy had been something of a minor study he'd tapped into when learning demonic arts from Venelana. She'd mentioned it offhandedly before stating its violent and hyper lethal nature when 'diluting' the energy of a soul to pass on to Purgatory; _devils afterlife..._ or in a broader term, _the supernatural afterlife._

Guess the TV series _Supernatural_ managed to be right about one thing at least... amongst other things.

The cold was something of a minor addition to the dreary setting he'd quickly walked into; not even several hundred meters out from ground zero and he felt like he was back in the good ol frozen north of Canada, yet the feeling creeping along his spine did little to calm him. Though Nether energy could be considered domicile, it didn't mean the invisible energy didn't _like_ life itself—so the slight prickling along his spine was more of a way to remind him what would happen should he bite the dust right here.

Natural wounds wouldn't do much but if he somehow passed out from blood loss then he'd probably just die instantly after falling unconscious—the sheer nether energy in the area would most likely sap away the literal _will_ from the body, corrode away the desire to live like it was nothing but spec of ash to be swatted aside.

 _He'd need to be extra cautious here..._

 _ **A wise decision Ryden...**_

 _ **Indeed, however I'd much appreciate some more haste master—I can feel the energy in the area slowly decreasing even more than before; this nether energy seems to be steadily increasing**_

"Right..." Ryden agreed before he took off in a sprint towards the castle. "Just how am I supposed to counter this?" he questioned as the castle walls steadily neared by the passing second... the frigid chill of death slowly following as well.

 _ **Simple—overwhelm it with energy; with our combined might we should be able to destabilize the flow of negative energy and revitalize the ecosystem... though the hole itself will remain**_

"Better then leaving this place to rot..."

 _ **Well the whole entirety of hell's ecosystem would crumble to brimstone and ash if we don't, so yes—that is a better compromise!**_

Ryden slightly frowned in disturbed silence at _Fulgur's_ energetic comment before he dropped the matter and jumped directly to the one remaining wall outside the castle in a single leap—leading him to gaze down the gullet of a massive hole in the ground.

Foreboding couldn't really cut it to describe the feeling Ryden got from staring into the Abyss that was in front of him; not only was the cold frigid grip of death permeating the area like a cloud of frozen horror, but along the sides of the hole ran these sickly purple _veins_ that pulsated and writhed sporadically, either drinking the energy in the area or pushing out a sickly purple slug that corroded the ecosystem to a completely dead state; either one seemed to leave the area in a perpetual state of decay—no life was seen in the area... even the color of the surroundings seemed sapped of all vibrancy.

Ryden's gaze continued to observe, leading him to notice the small presented remains of what looked like a control room near the far side of the castle's interior remains—everything else that was once the castle has obviously fallen into the pit some time ago. Most of the important bits of it all seemed to have been swallowed by the massive pit below him, yet several desks and papers were seen scattered around the area as well a few server pillars that acted as frequency boosters.

It was obvious a monolith system had been placed here, yet either by sheer unfortunate bad luck or by ominous convenience, the entire facility and all of its inhabitants were gone... like they all just decided to dive on in.

 _ **Focus master, we need to re-stabilize the area and soon—the nether energy will begin to manifest into a more corrosive toxin...**_

 _What? Nether energy can materialize!? I thought that's impossible..._

 _ **When in high doses nether energy can materialize when it sense's a possible host of energy to permanently materialize itself—and right now, if you don't move your ass... YOU will be that host...**_

Well that settled it...

Without warning, Ryden's hand gripped _Fulgur's_ handle tightly and yanked her from her sheath—crimson lightning quickly illuminating the dreary castle territory in a seemly unchallenged test of dominate beauty. The area was quickly caked in scarlet light as Ryden held _Fulgur_ aloft; the loud crashes of thunder and lightning smacking the castle walls and floor sporadically echoed out at random—often times vaporizing the hundreds of purple veins littering the ground below with a single stray bolt of lightning, any sign of mercy was not every seen.

Then once he felt the blade had picked up enough energy, Ryden shifted his hands into a two handed reverse grip—as if he was motioning to stab straight down. Two seconds after and he did just that—

"HHHHHYAAAAA!" Ryden howled as he plunged the blade of Fulgur directly into the stone flooring of the castle wall he was standing on.

No lightning surged from the sky above in response to his actions as most of the energy accumulated had come directly from the very core of _Fulgur_ herself. Confusion was all Ryden could feel when the sheer _purity_ of energy radiating off of _Fulgur_ saturated the area in a scarlet light. From below him, fissure like cracks ruptured the ground rapidly as the energy from Fulgur quickly seeped into the earth below; crimson light shone from under the many cracks now spreading along the ground around him, stretching as far as the nether energy had reached.

It was instant—the moment _Fulgur's_ pure energy touched the veins spreading along the ground the veins instantly vaporized into ash, leaving not a single trace of their presence. As the crimson energy spread out along the nameless territory; cleansing the earth of all taint, Ryden felt Ventus' wings erupt from his back, the familiar and awe-inspiring sight of the Emerald energy wings – their collective length reaching a whopping twenty feet – stretched out to their fullest before slowly coiling around him like a cocoon of energized feathers.

Ryden knew better though—Ventus' wasn't protecting him...

 _He was charging up..._

Instantly, _Ventus'_ wings suddenly flared out—releasing a massive wave of pure energized wind in all directions. Like a harmless explosion, the green light that was the wind – weaponized to purify the air itself – spread out along the territory much faster than _Fulgur's_ subterranean energy.

The ash that had once been the remains of _Fulgur's_ efforts suddenly de-atomized—deleted from existence by the purity in the air itself.

It was a cacophony of two dominating energy sources working as one, and in a matter of moments—the frigid cold that permeated the castle area was liquidated to a moot point, replaced by the soothing warmth that had once dominated the area before. Directly after, the ground and earth below Ryden's feet returned to their natural life cycle—though damaged as they were, the efforts from both _Ventus_ and _Fulgur_ ensured their survival.

Once completed, the crimson energy shining between the spider web cracks quickly subsided as Ryden pulled _Fulgur_ from her earthen sheath; _Ventus_ himself had relaxed his emerald wings at Ryden's back just as the jaded energy faded in the distance.

"Well that feels like the end of that... what do you guys think" Ryden questioned as he stood to his full height and regarded the barren castle area with a look of contentment.

 _ **I do not believe that is the last we will see of this occurrence, someone must be manipulating something in order to gain control over nether energy—perhaps Death himself has taken to riding his pale horse...**_

 _ **I don't think so Ventus...**_

 _ **Fulgur? You are unusually non hyper verbal...**_

 _ **You know me so well Captain...**_

Ryden frowned at the slightly haunted tone laced in _Fulgur's_ voice, as if it was distant and silent in extreme contemplation. "Is something the matter Fulgur? You seem... _unnerved_ " Ryden pressed with worry.

 _ **I would answer you truthfully if I knew the full meaning master—I truly would, but... I just...I feel as if something is coming that we should all be aware of—HAD been aware of rather, but I just can't remember what that is... this event only solidifies my worries...**_

"What do you think we should do?" Ryden asked.

To hear such nervousness from a woman more pressed to express her degree of hormones spoke of a severity that Ryden just couldn't ignore. Even when she'd replied to him, her tone was so submissive to his authority—so scared of providing false information that Ryden had honestly felt _fear_ in _Fulgur_ for the first time. He knew she was being as truthful as possible, but he couldn't ignore his own degree of nervousness at what _Fulgur_ had just said...

After a moment of contemplation, _Fulgur_ replied...

 _ **We should gather the others as soon as possible... finish what you're doing here, destabilize whatever you can and see if you can rescue those families but its paramount that we head to Ashfeld as soon as possible, my instincts are telling me that we'll need all of us—Ignis and Aqua, if wish to put a halt to whatever is causing this...**_

 _ **I have to agree with Fulgur—the might of all four of us should be well enough to put a stop to whatever is causing these pits to form...**_

Ryden merely nodded at the spirits words before he twirled around to leave. However, before he could leave... new arrivals halted his retreat; their collected voices echoing out from behind him.

Acting quickly so to not be noticed, Ryden immediately activated his cloak while _Ventus_ deactivated his energy wings almost the second the voices sprang up. At first, Ryden was confused when all he could hear from the voices was the muffled and garbled tones excreting from what sounded like a mechanical voice box. From his position atop the only remaining wall of the castle, Ryden glanced over the many bulwark studs that dotted the castle walls in order to get a bead on the voices source.

No dice... nothing was seen...

 _They're invisible..._

 _ **Hmm... Quite advanced these pests are—Fulgur?**_

 _ **They're close by—one of which is below us... though I'm surprised master, you cannot sense them?**_

Ryden blinked at _Fulgur's_ tease – both confused by the sudden return of her playfulness and because of its accuracy. He shook his head and internally cursed his still ever present human limits before he began to focus on the flow of energy around him.

He'd done it a few times during his lovely stay at the Halphes estate in order for him to triangulate the location of a few shit heads that had pissed him off to such a degree. He couldn't do anything to them due to the dispersion of energy at the time and only ever eavesdropped on their private matters so he could tease them about it sometime later, but that was well and gone at this moment—leaving him to not only find his targets, but to also manipulate said targets to whatever extent he wanted.

Though invisible these targets were, the technology used to make them as such wasn't as invisible as they believed—not to him at least, and the garbled chatter filling the area didn't help keep their cover but Ryden guessed his enhanced hearing was actually picking up the remnant sounds of the Old-Satan comm's chatter... convenient

In total there were six individuals fanning out in a 7 meter spread, they're choice of weapons being a set of wrist blades fused to their gauntlets that ran along the side of their forearms. Ryden knew then that they'd not in be in particular favor of long ranged enemies, seeing as how they had placed all their chips on the cloak shrouding them from possible range experts... an unfortunate gamble _ **.**_

with quick action, _Fulgur_ returned to her sheath along his back while _Ventus_ appeared into his hands—the flurry of green energy that usually followed the bows summon replaced by a gentle and soft breeze to signify its arrival.

Ryden should have expected the spirit of wind to favor stealth over open combat but soon enough Ryden was on the move. Keeping himself low and soundless, he calmly trailed along the top of the castle wall until his first target passed under the archway entrance that had previously been below him, giving him a perfect vantage point for two of the six targets closing in to the castles main courtyard.

 _Ventus_ was raised into ready position, poised up into perfect aim just as Ryden pulled back on the invisible bowstring. Though Ryden couldn't see his target visually, he could however see the residual energy radiating off of the devils signature in a perfect outline of his likeliness; arms, legs, torso, head—every limb was visible but not detailed enough to give him a rough idea as to what the devil looked like.

Minor details—he didn't care what they looked like, he just needed a visual representation for a target and he wasn't disappointed...

 _Thoop!_

Unlike before, the release of Ventus' bow didn't create a powerful vacuum, nor did it create a series of velocity rings. No, range wasn't the target here—all he needed was to silently deliver death to six targets without them finding him.

Pink mist erupted from where the devils head had previously been upon contact, splattering the dead grass and loose gravel with a shower of blood and what remained of the devils brain matter; yet even that wasn't enough. Immediately upon contact, the bright streak of green light that had been _Ventus'_ wind arrow – barely noticed by anyone but Ryden – had possessed enough velocity and mass to whip the devil off his feet, sending the headless corpse into a graceless summersault that left him in a heap among the tall grass of what remained of the courtyards garden.

1 Target down... five remain

Unfortunately, due to the obvious communication between the team of invisible devils and the possible presence of a visual uplink that had helped them keep a bead on each other's locations; two of the remaining devils soon closed in on the deceased devils last known location—their movements being that of predators stalking towards prey, yet their discovery of their comrades body laying within the tall grass would leave them both confused.

They hadn't heard anything; no commotion, no struggle and no warning... like he'd just dropped off the radar.

A cold sweat would be felt amongst the three other devils when the two reported the casualty, yet Ryden remained where he was—confident Abigail's cloaking sigil outmatched the cloaks used by the devils across from him.

So he sat there in a low crouch, silent at the far side of the castles crescent wall—waiting for an opportunity to pick off another...

He'd always dreamed of replicating the same type of hunt seen in the movie _Predator_ ; to stalk a small team of whatever suited the mood and pick them off one by one, patiently watching them—studying them to find the strongest amongst them... hell he may even reveal himself to the last man standing; fight mono e mono and all that shit.

It may have seemed impractical to focus more on replicating a movie but Ryden saw no other reason not to. It wasn't as if he didn't have everything the predator had; he had advanced vision that let him watch his prey from perfect vantage points, leaving no where for them to hide. He even had two weapons that could substitute the plasma caster AND he had cloaking...

Yet he didn't possess a wrist blade...

At that thought, Ryden's eyes soon locked onto the distinct outline of the devil's forearm mounted blade, a small smirk soon playing upon his lips as he formulated his next move.

That could be remedied...

Unknown to the two devils, Ryden slowly crept along the castle wall; returning back to his first position while the unaware duo soon dropped the matter and fell back to scouring the area. They knew someone was present just based upon the sudden loss of a comrade, but even then they had no way to find the culprit then by scouring the castle's parameter for any would-be-assailant, or at least locate a trail.

Ryden was amazed the team of – what he assumed to be – elite _hunter killer's_ didn't deign to check the castle wall above them, perhaps they may have been able to see the reflective sheen of his cloak against the back drop of the sun behind him—he could have done the classic _predator eye flash_ for terror tactics, yet they didn't so much as glance upward.

The fools... they probably thought the kill was luck based and assumed it was a stray prowler scouring the area for possible food; believing the missing head of their comrade was merely a quick snack for the nocturnal hunter.

Again... foolish assumptions create foolish ends—and that notion was quickly solidified.

The duo soon dispersed, spreading out to cover more ground. The second devil slowly crept back out the archway entrance and returned to prowl the outer walls—his direction taking him away from his first target that slowly did the same for the castles inner walls—his efforts to avoid the pit being witnessed by his close proximity to the castle wall.

Like a spider eyeing its kill, Ryden slowly followed the devil as he crept along the inner wall, his pace matching the devils before the distance between him and the second devil was well and good—then he acted.

Ryden dropped from the wall and landed perfectly beside the suddenly shocked devil, yet his voice only came out briefly before Ryden's fist crushed the devils windpipe with a nasty right jab, denting the soft tissue to the point that it crushed the man's Adam's apple with a sickening crunch.

Soundlessly, the devil wheezed out several coughs that only came out as wet chokes, blood seeping from the devils mouth before darkness overtook him.

Before the body collapsed however, Ryden grabbed the devils collar—evidently taking in the appearance of his prey as the cloak soon deactivated before he quickly yanked the devils left gauntlet off in one fell motion and then tossed the body into the bottomless pit.

With his prize in hand, Ryden smirked before his head whipped around to see the previously departed devil standing at the archway—staring at him with what he sensed as both shock and fear. It was quickly noted by him a few times before this, but whenever he'd make sudden moves; his cloak seemed to become more pronounced—almost transparent then completely invisible. In a sense, extreme motion caused him to appear only briefly, formless and recognizable but visible nonetheless.

The opportunity presented itself...

Very briefly, Ryden's eyes flashed red – menacing in appearance and filled with vitriol bloodlust – before they suddenly subsided, leaving him to make his getaway. With one moment to flex his legs, Ryden jumped over the castle wall and sprinted along the parameter in a matter of seconds—his speed and lower body strength appearing unnatural to the silently observing devil that watched him disappear without any further sound to be hand.

Let it be known, that those a part of the _hunter kill unit_ within the old-Satan forces trained amongst the best, and killed the best their enemies could dish out—they were breed for the hunt...

But it was clear now that they were no longer the hunters... but the hunted...

The second casualty report immediately filed in the call for a regrouping; most of them were all in favor of it before whatever was hunting them picked off another one of their squad mates.

From a distant location – near the far side of the castle itself – sat Ryden atop a watchtower, his eyes skimming over the newly fastened wrist gauntlet that fit snuggly along his arm. He hadn't really assessed how big the gauntlet was before, but now that he could truly take in the appearance of it, he could honestly say he liked the extra coverage.

It was almost like an exoskeleton fastened to a gauntlet, the main portion completely covered his forearm before the extension of it ran along his arm all the way up to his shoulder, covering the majority of his arm except his bicep in sleek black metallic alloy plating that ended with a thick pauldron that slightly extended passed his shoulder—small enough to look over, but big enough to provide his shoulder and trap muscle some form of protection whenever he'd pull back his bow.

However, the main source of it all was seen extended several inches passed his knuckles.

The blade ran along the outer portion of his arm – for obvious safety reasons – and possessed a jagged appearance when extended to its fullest length. Ryden unclenched his fist—the action itself collapsing the blade back into its safe position within a small compartmental sheath that sat along his arm.

He clenched his hand again and the blade extended, shooting outward with a distinct metallic _'shing!'_ before Ryden studied its differences.

All in all, the blades fully extended mode possessed jagged teeth due to the need for the blade to section off portions of itself in order to fully extend out of the sheath, creating the jagged edge.

Ryden smiled at the weapon before he sheathed it again and rolled his shoulders, familiarizing himself with his new gauntlet and arm blade... now he fit the perfect description of a Predator.

Speaking of which, Ryden spotted the remains of his prey scouring the outer portion of the castle—either avoiding or seeing no point in scouring the inner sector of it. Ryden couldn't blame them, the decaying earth around the pit seemed to be destabilizing as the minutes went by so they must've saw it more as a safety issue then a fear factor—yet Ryden had his doubts on that.

The devil that had seen him was among his squad, calmly following after his team leader – the one openly directing them with hand motions – towards the back portion of the castle, the second most untouched portion of the castle. Ryden could see the devil send odd glances to their six o' clock from time to time—even jumping whenever a sudden breeze swept the tall grass at his rear...

 _Must you torment the poor guy?_

 _ **Yes... its moderately fun to watch these pests squirm...**_

 _ **If that entertains you then imagine what would happen if that leader of theirs suddenly keels over? Say... maybe from a headshot filled with Arc energy?**_

Ryden got the hint loud and clear—Ventus already appearing in his hands, bowstring taught with the newly formed arrow. After a moment, slight licks of crimson energy built up within the arrow before it subsided into obscurity—shrouded by the cloak.

Ryden's aim aligned perfectly with the approaching squad of hunter's—his position, and their approach was a literal snipers dream come true. Nothing would ever satisfy a scout sniper then a clean shot to central mass – where the spine meets the skull – but a slowly approaching OPFOR target coming at them in a straight line was one of those rare beauties that always occupied the wet dreams of a scout sniper.

 **[The term 'OPFOR' means 'opposing force']**

Ryden knew of the mythological status that was an _easy moving target_ , and he honestly couldn't help but feel sorry for the squad leader; had the man known of his sealed fate, Ryden would assume the man would tear out his own hair at how easy it was to kill him... just the unfortunates of war Ryden supposed.

 _Thoop!_

 _ **BVVV!**_

In an instant, the one devil that had been seen directing them was suddenly struck by a distinct crimson streak of light that ripped into the invisible devil like paper, leaving a cauterized hole – still burning with embers – directly at the devils neck... central mass—an instant kill, not a twitch could be seen.

Ryden smirked when the remaining three devils suddenly dropped into prone positions several meters apart; the body of their superior soon following in a graceless heap, crumbling to the floor without a sound from him.

Ryden could hear the garbled chatter suddenly spike, discord soon filling the squads comm channel without the leader to keep tabs on it. he couldn't tell what they were saying but he knew for a fact the devil that had seen him was slowly losing it. now that the one that had been keeping order amongst the growing anxiety was lying on his back—a golf-ball sized hole in his collar. The fear that had held their hearts was clenching down on them without mercy... the morale amongst them was all but squished to two choices...

Fight... or _run_

Soon after, the devil that had seen him stood up—his cloak soon deactivating to reveal the image of a moderately young devil. His features and build were above average within his age group, but the distinct features barely put him within the range of three hundred years... Ryden couldn't see much beyond that point as the devil still wore a small visor along his face, sitting directly over his eyes, but he wasn't above merciful.

The young devil walked casually towards his location – having obviously seen the origin of his arrow – and spread out his arms in a challenging fashion. "Fucking Monster! C'mon! I'm right here!" howled the obviously compromised devil.

Ryden watched the man lose himself for a moment longer, yelling out his challenge to him; Ryden didn't see a point in taking the bait—and nor did he see the need in killing a youngster. Three hundred years was a lot but he had to remember a few things.

The first was the most important—his eyes were recording everything at all times, every action, every moment they were open; though such a thing was a hefty breach in personal privacy, he knew its intended usage.

Oddly enough... the thought _irritated_ him beyond the word.

The second reason correlated with the first reason. Killing an obviously compromised devil while in the midst of recording his actions could create a sort of _morale distance_ between his allies. Sure he may be over thinking things and they'd all question why he didn't just kill the obvious killer in front of him, but he wanted to make sure he didn't accidentally assume the devils age; it wasn't as if he knew the devils exact age as It was a guess, but for all he knew the devil could be 17 years old—the devils equivalent of child soldiers... something that the Old-Satan's were known to employ.

It was a conundrum, but he had his contingencies...

Their task was to disrupt the operations in the _Territory of Lilith_ , IE; _run around and break shit_. But due to the events a half hour ago, their presence needed to get things done _fast_. This could be done by creating rumors, establishing haunting messages and all around terrify the locals of the present 'boogieman' in the region in order to tighten up the strife and force the Old-Satan's to respond... they didn't need to show themselves, but the aftermath of their efforts needed to be seen for all to witness.

They didn't need to broadcast their efforts for the underworld to see, no; they just needed to force the hand—force them to make a move or make a public statement to try and settle the mass of concerned nobles – or _terrified_ nobles – that they had everything under control. Exposing them was out of the picture as it might force them to kill off their loose ends... that's a no-no, so all they had to do was discredit their ability to respond to the threat of a couple devils... or worse, just one. Expose their inability to lead and the none military focused families would cut ties with them.

And nothing got things started then the haunting stories of a _lone survivor_...

His plans set in mind, Ryden finally responded to the loud devils cries—yet his response to the devils challenge didn't go as the young man had expected...

The young devil stopped his howling taunts after a few more minutes without any response, off handily noting that not even the wind responded to his challenge—as everything had gone deathly still. The two others still in hiding felt the sudden disappearance of the natural breeze to be a terrifying omen, yet none of them spoke up about it—their efforts to remain hidden being the only thing on their minds. So instead of warning the young recruit of this possible omen, the two simply watched the devil stop a few dozen yards from them and shrugged. "Guys... I've scared it off—hahaha! Serves the fucker right for killing—Gahhhh!"

 _ **CRASH!**_

It happened within seconds, almost immediately before the young man could finish his empty boast. From within the meadow of the field, the two remaining survivors – as far as they knew – had watched the young devil suddenly rise from the ground and then get sent flying to the castle wall to their far left; crashing against the surface hard enough to render the devil motionless...

After that, retreat was all they were thinking about...

Nothing could do what had just happened—they heard of telekinesis before but it didn't possess the means to lift living beings like rag-dolls!

Whatever was hunting them was beyond their ability, beyond anything they could counter... already they had lost four of the six members of their squad; two of which having seemingly fallen off the radar. This thing—whatever it is, had killed off the majority of their team like nothing, cut them down to size like a sickle to wheat. They posed no threat to this thing, all they had left was to run... run and report the demon that was living amongst them.

If only they had been the chosen survivors...

 _How Unfortunate for them_...

Ryden settled his hand over the neck of the devil he'd thrown and idly sighed in relief when a weak pulse greeted his touch. He'd forgotten how powerful his grip could be with the assistance of gestures and had seemingly thrown the poor kid(?) against the wall with the force well over needed; thankfully, the kid(?) was made out of sterner stuff and had survived.

Ryden nodded at the unconscious body of the devil before his gaze returned to the fleeing hunters, his smirk slowly rising to savage levels. How many times did he see innocence flee from their captures only for them to be hauled to the ground and violated? How many times did he see his tormentors laugh over the bodies of the defeated? their eyes empty with despair...

 _More than he was willing to count..._

Ryden was awakened to the severity of his actions, the brutality and savagery that he was capable of in the name of vengeance; yet nothing he did could match the sheer vile degeneracy that had occurred within the walls of the Halphes castle, the black hearted nature that had gripped the minds of those torturing children all for the sake of breaking him.

They were brutal, vile—without mercy...

And in a world where such vile nature thrived...

 _ **He. would. Be. worse...**_

* * *

The first devil in his sights was seen running through the meadow, swiftly sprinting through the tall dead grass with a speed of an Olympic athlete. However the devils sense of danger would sky rocket when the thooming sounds of heavy foot falls echoed out behind him.

Making the mistake of glancing over his shoulder—thus slowing him down to a degree, the devils heart suddenly spiked when the image of a shrouded figure – transparent like a wraith – sprinted directly at him with unnatural speed. The only distinct visual he got from the approaching demon was the rapidly parting grass blades and the set of demonic red eyes that glared with bloody intent.

Fear prevailed instinct and the devil chose to try and out run the approaching being rather than maneuver, yet this feeble attempt proved fatal—leading to the spike of immense pain that erupted from his back and chest. With a momentary glance downward, the devil idly noted the presence of a transparent blade peaking through his chest, only partially shining with the distinct crimson hue that was his blood.

Soon after, and the devil noted that his speed was increasing—yet he couldn't feel the ground beneath his feet. With a clouded glance further beyond the protruding blade, the devil noted further that he wasn't the one running... but rather the demon itself.

In the last moments of the devils life, his gaze slowly turned to the right in order to regard the one that was carrying him; yet his vision was to foggy to truly get an image of his killer. Soon enough and blackness enraptured I'm and he was gone.

Ryden barely noted the weight as he continued his sprint with the body of the first devil impaled against his arm blade, yet when he spotted the second devil breach the tree line he acted accordingly.

Stopping his sprint for a moment, Ryden yanked his arm blade from the devils back in a small fountain of gore before he twirled around and gripped the devils neck with his right hand. Once the grip was made, Ryden continued to twirl around until his target was perfectly aligned; once done, Ryden tossed the corpse hard in one fell motion.

The body sailed through the air for a moment before it slammed into a tree right next to the fleeing devil—shocking the man at the suddenness of it and further confusing him when the body didn't hit the ground. He'd get his answer when he'd look up to see the deceased body dangling against the tree; impaled by a thick tree branch.

Panic was all that the man could feel; _it was a message, a fucking message!_ – the man would scream internally, complete and utter terror gripping him as the sounds of distant foot falls echoed out behind him in loud pronounced booms.

 _It was coming for him..._

 _ **RUN!**_

Fear was none to create haunting images when in high doses, snaking in the dark of the mind—corrupting it. who would have known that such influence could be prescribed from fear? That terror could truly grip the hearts of those that relished the sight of it in others.

He would be reminded that there was no greater power then the simple thought of one's name...

 _ **...Inscribed upon a grave**_

The devils baited breathing tore through the silence of the area, only ever accompanied by the sounds of his boots crushing the loose foliage below him while the sounds of rapid footfalls behind him only kept him going further; even when the devils lungs demanded reprieve, the man didn't deign to acknowledge the desire as stopping meant death—and not the kind version of it. his entire squad had the luxury of dying first, yet he was the last of them... any hunter would remember the first feeling of stalking the last of their prey, the sheer elation and euphoria in being the fear that stalked through the night was immense, captivating even—but when the time came that only one remained, disappointed soon followed and quickly thereafter, sadistic desire followed.

The demon was going to enjoy killing him, slowly and painfully in order to extend the hunt for a grueling few seconds. He knew the feeling—he'd indulged before, he'd gutted his enemies with sickening glee, laughed at the terror in his prey's eyes.

He knew it... his end wouldn't be gentle

In a weird way, the devil felt as if the demon was his karma—the culminated fusion of all of those that he'd hunted tossed up into one big nightmare out to get him. His team had been done away with almost lazily by long ranged kills, as if they were mere cannon fodder not worth sparing a couple seconds for. The rookie had been tossed to the side – literally – by an unseen force like he was but a child before a god—not even worth sparing the effort of hunting, but rather a means to instil fear.

It worked on both him and his old friend...

Then his old friend – his long time hunting partner – was thrown at him like a paper weight, left there to dangle in the forest like a monument to past sins. That man had been there for his first hunt, yet now he was maggot food.

As his feet continued to carry him through the forest, the devil quickly became aware of the lack of loud foot falls following after him and the revelation created a deep sense of relief; allowing the man to slow down in order to catch his long sense lost breath. The fear had overridden his pain and so his throat felt like it was bleeding—his breathing itself coming out in hoarse rasps.

It was a trivial pain that could be remedied by a guzzle of water—all he'd need to do was return to base camp quickly; he didn't know if the demon had lost his sent or just lost interest, yet nevertheless, he had to warn team two of the danger, he had to tell them all how his team—

 _SHLUNK!_

"Guuuaaa..." the devil gurgled as a transparent blade instantly embedded itself into the soft tissue of his throat, staunching all sound from escaping the devil and cleanly cutting into the devils jugular. For a moment of confusion, Ryden let the devil stare down at the transparent arm that had silenced him before he slowly stepped in front of the bleeding out devil—his transparent body seemingly becoming more noticeable due to the proximity between him and the dying man.

Ryden saw no need to reveal his image, his looks weren't as terrifying as the image of an invisible demon; the mystery of his likeliness was what created the fear—all his smug mug would do is disavow the fear to a degree and he found himself liking the terror in the devils eyes... a small sadistic edge in his mind immensely enjoying the turning of the tables.

He said nothing to the dying man before he lifted the devil from his feet, the blade still embedded in the man's throat easily supporting the weight of the man. His strength was unnatural to the man but his _finisher_ wasn't meant to impress, but to dispose of the filth lining his new arm blade.

In one fluid motion, Ryden twisted the blade and ripped it from the devils throat brutally; the jagged edges ripping apart the soft tissue in a manner seen as unnecessary, yet unavoidable due to the depth his blade had gone.

In the end, the devils body dropped to the floor with what remained of his throat—blood seeping into the ground below the face down body.

Stepping over the corpse, Ryden quickly followed after the collective voices close by...

It would seem his prey had back up... _sweet_

* * *

He awake with a start, cold sweat lining his brow as he glanced from side to side in sudden terror, yet his eyes found nothing around him and his sensors picked up nothing as well—not even his team was seen on his HUD. _Either they were killed or gone_ the rookie summarized despairingly as he continued to assess the damage

His hands quickly scanned his body; terrified of finding a lethal wound, yet after double checking – even triple checking – himself over, the young devil found nothing except the distinct dent in the mysteriously destroyed castle walls right where he was.

Studying his surroundings, the young man quickly stood up on shaky feet, his head suddenly growing dizzy from an obvious head rush—yet even if that was the case, the young man could see slight splotches in the corners of his vision; a key sign of a minor concussion.

He didn't dare try to shake his thoughts away from that realization—a note that spoke of his inability to protect himself from the demon if it deigned to return. it had had tried and failed to kill him and the young man knew it might come back to finish the job if it found out of its failure... he wouldn't be killed easily but considering his circumstance he had to take stock of the situation in order to ensure it.

His cloaking system – created by the science division – was heavily damaged from the impact as evident by the obvious crack in the glowing breastplate, leaving him with a damaged cloak that would prove to be nothing but a minor defense against this things ranged weaponry. The rookie removed the damaged armor and disposed of it in the tall grass—ensuring no scavenging low-born could find it.

Once he made sure the highly expensive armor was hidden, the rookie gingerly approached the body of his superior and studied the man's armor. Surprisingly, the armor was mostly intact but its energy core had been fried by some form of energy overload. Good thing the rookie removed the battery in his previous suit—he even had his spare in his utility belt.

With a sigh of disgust, the rookie slowly began the process of removing the armor from his dead superior and within a couple minutes, he pulled the armor free for use. After placing the armor on and powering it up, the rookie sighed before activating the cloak—shrouding himself in the familiar safety of light bending technology. Though it may prove futile against the demon, he still felt comfortable in keeping his presence as low as possible... who knows, he may even be able to figure out this things visual ability.

Even when they were cloaked, this thing seemed capable of spotting them without issue—even pegging them with perfectly placed shots that none that he knew were capable of. It obviously had some form of advanced eye sight—all he needed to do was figure out what it was.

Setting his mind in stone, the rookie calmly adjusted his new set of arm blades before trudging towards their fall back point; obviously sensing the danger had moved elsewhere.

 _ **[within the interest of time...]**_

For a few minutes, the rookie walked in silence—prowling through the meadow of the open field without a sound to be heard; he even made sure his boots didn't accidently snap a twig beneath his feet as he neared the improvised pathway into the thick forest. His team had passed through the dense forestry in order to cover more ground, their orders having been to investigate the lost signal coming from the surveillance base stationed near the far east sector of the region.

It had been a mystery as to what had happened to the castle outpost but they had learned of the culprit soon enough... too bad they had to lose a man in the processes—well... they did kinda lose more than one man but the rookie got the idea. _The loses were just not balanced_ the rookie summarized after stepping to the forest pathway only to freeze upon seen a puddle of blood building up to his right.

Slowly, the rookie glanced along the thick tree that sported the heavily flowing blood before his gaze quickly landed on the impaled body of the team's sergeant, his face seemingly locked in a perpetual state of neutrality—the natural resting expression of the late departed. The rookie found the sergeant's dead stare to be more than just disturbing – _terrifying_ if he had to put a word to it – and found himself quickly stepping passed the man's dangling corpse; filing away the bodies location for later retrieval... if he made it out.

And if he planned that, then he'd need to locate the carriage activation key at base camp—thinking further on this, the rookie quickly remembered that team 2 was stationed there. The communication with HQ was their responsibility, while they – team 1 that is – scoured the castle area for answers.

base camp would be his chosen destination.

 _It should have been textbook, in and out—yet nothing truly prepared them for this..._

As rookie slowly crept through the forest—almost deathly acute to his surroundings by the letter, he soon came across of what remained of their specialist body after what felt like an hour of nothing. By that point, rookie's nerves were beginning to tighten dangerous as he studied specialist Ulren's body and what remained of the man's throat. The man had always been silent—quiet like a shadow; he never started a conversation, only ended them with sharp words and simple phrases. The rookie knew the man's legacy amongst them and the other squads was mostly cold professionalism—yet to see the man lying face down in a pool of his own blood, clearly having run from the situation spoke of the sheer danger this creature possessed.

To make a man as cold as Ulren flee in terror meant this was no ordinary devil—if it even _was_ a devil to begin with. The rookie sought no answer in that endeavor—he'd leave that to the nobles that would no doubt joke about this event like it was a simple failure on their end.

They were fools, and he'd dare them to face this thing all on their own... he had a feeling the answer would shut them up completely.

Stepping passed the veterans body, the rookie began his distant trek back to base camp—his last hope of survival, and his last remaining key to get out of dodge...

* * *

 _ **Blood...**_ that was the first thing he noticed...

All around the base camp – scattered and strewn about haphazardly in a mess of gore – was blood; as if a hurricane had descended upon the camp itself—caking the entire area in its crimson hue; all of the tents seeped in red, every container – filled to the brim with resources for their operations – were caked to the point of contamination, the contents dripping with fresh blood. Even their miniature monolith slab was covered in blistering scarlet—the body of an analyst lying upon the thing; a spear lodged into his back, both killing the man and destroying the fragile comm's item in one fell motion.

The next thing the rookie spotted was what remained of the rest of the bodies...

They were a mess, some of them missing limbs while others lay dead in two gruesome heaps a few meters apart. Team 2 had possessed their reinforcements should the need have arrived—leading the second team to be compromised of ten personnel; and said personal were laying scattered—picked off one by one by the demon.

None were alive...

"H-help..."

...or so he thought

The rookie bound towards the source of the voice as fast as possible; passing over the horrified remains of those that were less fortunate them him, and found himself staring at the second teams captain, his body leaned up against a tree—pinned to it at the left side of his torso by what looked like a wispy green... arrow?

Rookie ignored the oddity and quickly assessed the man; his cloak deactivating as he leaned down to the man. "S-sir, it's me—the rookie, I'm here to help" he reported whilst looking over the man, however he quickly jumped back when the captain pulled a Dagger on him—his eyes screaming confusion and fear.

"S-stay back! You're not fooling me with that S-shit!" howled the pained man, his teeth dotted by blood—clearly having sustained an internal injury. Now that the rookie was looking at him, the green thing sticking out of him was located right where his lung should be.

A collapsed lung... the man needed a medic, and _fast_.

"Sir, it's truly me— _rookie_ from team 1, I'm alive—that... _thing_ , failed to kill me" he repeated as professionally as he could, yet his morale was slowly seeping away at the still present fear in his secondary superiors eyes.

"Bullshit... that thing... C-can't be killed—we tried, we tried everything... It killed _everyone_ like it was... nothing" the man stated with such absolute certainty that the rookie had no other response in mind. He couldn't help but agree with him—six highly trained assassin class inquisitors couldn't so much as spot the thing, yet he couldn't imagine how dangerous this thing was in a pitch fight... his assessment of the things abilities was painfully present before them both.

"Even so captain—you still need medical treatment; you may have a collapsed lung" rookie pressed, finally forcing the captain to drop his knife.

"Damn it kid..." the man wheezed with baited breath before he pulled out the carriage activation card—a security override procedure to keep any possible vagrants from stealing their ride. "can you run?" the captain asked suddenly after pulling out the card.

Rookie nodded. "yeah... sure as hell can"

The captain nodded. "Good... then take this and go—the trip home is too far for me to make it in time...I might just be able to-"

Rookie blinked when the captain froze, the man's eyes locked on something over his shoulder yet he didn't dare look. The rookie knew the expression of fear when it gripped a man's heart, knew the tell tale signs of a man staring death down... _it was right behind him._

Without any sudden moves, the rookie slowly peeled the card from the captain's hand while the captain himself kept his eyes one the looming demon a few meters away—standing ominously within the shadowed tree line, crimson eyes of vile brutality floating without sway in the darkness; locked solely on him.

" _Kid... remember when I asked if you could run?"_ the captain whispered

Rookie nodded. _"yes sir"_

" _...i don't see you running"_

It was an order that was not to be rebuked, a command left un-resisted and the rookie followed his orders without question. His feet dug up a set of trenches in the blood soaked soil, kicking up the muddied ground in his sprint towards the carriages direction. He moved so fast that the rookie broke through the tree line within seconds but not before the most haunting sound echoed out for the silent world to hear.

The captain's guttural cry of immense pain filled the air, terrifying the rookie at the mystery behind the pain before the sound of ripping and tearing followed the echoing cries of the deceased captain. Even upon hearing that sound – that _agonizingly terrifying_ sound – rookie never broke stride towards the distant carriage sitting upon the dirt road, he never tore his eyes off of the hope filling his vision.

Fatigue barely registered in his mind, nor the throbbing pain in his head had managed to deter the devil in his sprint, and once he grasped the handle to the carriage his eyes almost flooded with tears of relief. Seconds ticked by before the draw door at the rear of the armored carriage fell open—the bypass activation card finally working its magic that allowed the devil his safe entry into the armored carapace that was the Inquisition's Personnel carrier. The moment he entered, the rear door closed and locked—safely securing him in the personnel hold of the carriage, yet his escape was only beginning; now he had to actually drive the damn thing.

The front doors opened to allow him entry into the driving seat and rookie took no time to activate the magic energy core that fueled the vehicle. With a loud 'Grrrr' the magic core roared to life before settling into a soft groan...

Rookie sighed in immense relief...

Only for the headless body of the captain to drop onto the hood of the carriage.

"Ahh! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!" rookie yelled out in terror as his eyes stared at the gushing stump that had once supported the devils head—the blood saturating the black and gold carriage a sickly red.

After a second of hesitance and staring, rookie floored it—leaving the area in his tracks within seconds. The body of the captain remained on the hood for a moment longer before it naturally slumped off the hood and onto the side of the dirt road, yet nothing else impeded the devils quick and "narrow' escape.

It would be two days before the _Territory of Lilith_ would learn of the demon of the east—the hunter that had decimated the entirety of two highly trained and highly lethal special operation assassin teams... leaving only one survivor to tell the story.

* * *

Ryden watched the distant carriage haul ass, his lips lining into a small smirk as his cloak deactivated to reveal his moderately blood stained visage—the brutality of his actions having gone slightly over board, but then again, he had to indulge _Fulgur_ from time to time. Several days without some bloodletting seemed to really test _F_ _ulgur's_ patience; so in the end—he had to get... _creative_.

His eyes glanced down to the blood soaked sword in his hands. "So... did you have fun?" he asked with a plain expression of expectation... he had a guess as to what the answer might be.

 _ **~Master... if I ever get a body, I'd want you to ravage it without mercy~**_

Ryden nodded, plainly excepting the horny swords response before he corrected her. "and before I did that, I'd take you to dinner first..."

 _ **~But this WAS dinner master~**_

"ah—ya got a point there..."

 _ **R-right... now that this has been settled—you should probably return to the others and explain the changes that have come up... something is happening and we need to get ahead of the game...**_

 _ **~I can give good head~**_

 _ **...see this is why I think it's a bad idea to indulge her bloodlust—she gets all weird and unfocused, it's not helpful**_

"neither is her constant whining—at least I can look forward to a couple days without it... sometimes you just gotta look ahead of the game _Ventus—_ you gotta plan out the coming events and deal with the shit at your own pace"

 _ **~Ahh~ he said 'Cumming' ~Ahh!~**_

 _ **...i don't like your idea of thinking ahead**_

"Oh c'mon bud, just make like the great Canadian TV series _'letterkenny'_ and just 'figure it out' eh?" Ryden rebuked with a thick Canadian accent, confusing the wind spirit immensely.

Ryden lightly laughed at _Ventus_ before he casually regarded the distant carriage with a sadistic grin. "Just figure it out huh?... I wonder if you'll be able to figure this out— _Grayfia_ " like a light switch, Ryden's expression moderately darkened at the mention of that woman before the head of the captain inquisitor dropped from his left hand, disposed upon the hillside like a discarded toy.

The board was set, the plan was set in motion—all they had to do now was wait for the reaction, and knowing the one responsible; that reaction would be predictable.

Force the hand to act—only to cut it off when it tries...

Grayfia may be his primary target, but he had a promise to make... the next one to fall, would be Creuserey Asmodeus...

* * *

 **[field update: Monolith system location lost/ responsible party: corruption based energy, identified as** _ **nether energy**_ **/ Field summary: "Ryden Vale Gremory—code-name "Dagger-1" intercepted the corruption and re-established the ecosystem before a wide spread cataclysm could occur. It is theorized by the** _ **Infernum Armis'**_ **designated as** _ **'Ventus'**_ **that someone, or** _ **something**_ **, Is beginning to unfold and pressured Dagger-1 to acquire the remaining** _ **Infernum Armis'**_ **as soon as possible. Before Dagger-1 could return to base, Dagger-1 was ambushed by a team of** _ **hunter killer**_ **units, to which Dagger-1 proceeded to hunt and kill the majority of** _ **two**_ **highly trained** _ **hunter killer**_ **teams with minimal effort, as reported by Dagger-1 himself—leaving only one survivor"]**

 **[End of action report/ Crimson Dagger operations log: 06]**

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **This chapter was fun as fuck to write, the stealth, the action, the brutality and the constantly switching perspectives really helps create a true sense of difference between Ryden and the common soldiery. Where he goofs off and smiles like its nothing, the lower folk see him as a demon prowling in the dark—cutting down their numbers with extreme efficiency and brutality, a true horror to fear...**

 **And he uses that fear well.**

 **Last chapter had been mostly uneventful, yet this one seems to be something of a redeemer for that one—especially with how fast this puppy was finished!**

 **So a couple things have come up in this story and the biggest in my eyes – that I can actually explain somewhat without spoiling the surprise... like a curtain other topic – would be the change in pursuit, though Ventus' thinks it's best to find the** _ **Infernum Armis'**_ **as soon as possible, Ryden still has to find a way to get things done in Lilith within a timely manner now.**

 **Placing pressure and fear on your enemy is a good way to stir up the bee hive, to rile up the common folk into hysteria. And while the common masses don't really create much sway in the face of the government – IE; Asmodeus – then the nobles would most definitely not like the chaos. That's step one.**

 **Step two would be the constant pressure build up—prove that Creuserey's efforts don't have any impact on their actions, create a sense of distrust in the politically focused nobles that will get them to question if the descendants are truly capable in handling ghost haunting's... make him fail enough and he'd sooner loose support then gain it.**

 **Mistakes would only follow afterwards...**

 **Now, it has come to my attention that all ya'll MF's figured out my damn riddle... by Satan's sweaty salty balls I really should have left out the 5** **th** **century bit, that shit was the lynch pin in the mystery.**

 **SMH...**

 **Anyway, I hope this chapter fit your fancy and I would really appreciate some feed back if you are so inclined... and as always...**

 **PEACE!**


	24. Convenient Progress

**-Convenient Progress-**

" _Things were beginning to heat up after my little movie moment with the inquisitors at the destroyed estate..._

 _Word travels like wind in the territory of Lilith... apparently the stories of a 'brave little rookie' a part of a_ _ **hunter killer**_ _team had managed to spurn the public into believing some kind of monster was dwelling in the region in the far east—they even tried to connect the storm that had sprung up a couple days ago to be a sign of the creatures arrival... like he was some kind of_ _ **alien hunter**_ _sent down to hunt them for sport._

 _How amusing..._

 _I was surprised that my plan had kicked off as well as it did—at first I had expected the rookie to get 'silenced' before he could run his mouth but I guess Creuserey never did manage to get a hold of the situation— he probably didn't believe a word of it... as expected of the little Muppet._

 _Three days and the public spread the story like wildfire and the military arm of Shalba's security force was already prowling the region for us in response to these rumors—their personal opinions of the matter seemed to vary between skepticism and disbelief... and small amounts of fear._

 _This was a good thing... if they suspected the 'ghost' or 'demon' of the east to be a team of Anti-Satan insurgence, then all our efforts would be mitigated._

 _The fear would help pressure the Old-Satan descendants into action; besmirch their public view and their noble supporters and force them to quell the situation before they lost their credibility..._

 _You know that wasn't going to be easy for them... not at all_

* * *

 **[Crimson Dagger operations log: 07/ current mission parameters:** _ **disrupt Old-Satan hold on the region by pressuring action into the local government, once pressure is established—Crimson Dagger will continue to lay on the pressure until mistakes and openings are made**_ **/ secondary objectives:** _ **Locate and hack into monolith communications system/ locate and secure blackmailed noble families and evacuate accordingly**_ **]**

* * *

 _ **[Crimson Dagger secluded operating base: Lilith territory—3 days later]**_

* * *

Ryden found himself sitting in a chair, his right leg casually crossed over his left leg while his eyes skimmed over a news article that had been found by Abigail some time ago—perhaps about several hours.

Ryden's eyes continued to skim over the hard cover pages, his bemusement slowly rising as he read the headlines, the article itself and the various comments from the locale noble families within the capital city.

Discord was the main subject on the Lilith news page; their sources stating that a large majority of the local populace was heavily unnerved when a lone survivor – a young man a part of a hunter killer unit – drove his armored Carriage into the side of the main entrance to the capital city doors—his carriage being completely soaked in gore.

It was a hard hit to the populace when the young man – _the rookie_ – stumbled out of the carriage almost unconscious; having suffered from a lack of water and food for a couple days as well as suffering a major concussion.

Ryden lightly cringed at the mention of the rookies head injury—mildly guilty of harming the kid to such a degree. All he had planned to do was knock the loudmouth out; he didn't want the poor guy to suffer traumatic brain damage just because he couldn't put a cap on his telekinesis grip.

Ryden digressed; the kid had survived—made a full recovery within a day or so and managed to make his statement and story for the public reporters to gobble down with baited breath and extreme horror. The reporters had gone into excessive detail about the casualties and the brutality that had been displayed by what they dubbed as _**'the Predator'**_.

Ryden openly laughed, striking the attention of both Abigail and Rosalina momentarily before they glanced back at each other and shrugged. Seeing no point in interrupting Ryden's enjoyment, they both fell back to replicating the tech that he'd brought to the camp—leaving him to continue reading.

Ryden was beside himself at this—out of all the things they chose, they end up picking that name? If Ryden was in some sort of story then he'd feel as though a _copyright_ _strike_ was coming down to nail him for this, but it just didn't register. All in all though, the name suited his fancy well enough to keep his enthusiasm riding high.

Aside from the perfect name, Ryden suspected the survival of the rookie to be up for debate. He didn't know if Creuserey held a tight leash on the publication of news; yet Ryden had his doubts on that possibility. Sirzechs had spoken about the Old-Satan's drive to control all of hell—rule it under their ideals and force the entire species back into a suicide run against the angels and the fallen angels. Though their goal was forged out of sheer stupidity – Rizevim being the biggest contributor to that notion – they weren't as stupid as their desire may make one believe.

They didn't force anything as of yet in the state of government as most of the contributors put their chips on reason and logic – IE; the anti-Satan forces – which left their funding significantly lower than desirable; and that wasn't factoring in the sheer number of devils that _didn't_ desire to continue fighting. Stupidity was their name, but patience and tenacity was their game. They knew they couldn't jump the gun without making enemies that could threaten their campaign—so they needed to force hell to heed their orders by standing firm and proving their worth through... well, _marginal_ force.

They still needed the contribution of their less informed noble families and they needed the support of the lesser folk... the ones that would be forced into arms when the time was right.

For now, it was all hugs and smiles—mixed with copious amounts of propaganda. He knew now that Creuserey wouldn't mount the rookie's head on a stick for speaking out—for revealing a failure that – at the moment – stood out as a minor issue that they could actually _use_ to their benefit. Ryden would suspect the kid to be awarded with a medal of some renown, paraded around as some form of hero while Shalba's forces hunted down the perpetrator and do away with it—maybe even parade the body around as a show of power. This effort would strengthen their position by ridding the common folk of a boogieman, and the masses would love them for it.

Just your typical under handed political tactics and manipulation... what's new?

"...Ryden?"

Ryden glanced up for a moment and spotted Rosalina staring at him from within the central canopy tent a few meters from him. "What's up?" he asked before the woman just gestured for him to come over without a word. Complying with the demand, Ryden rose from his chair and disposed of the article back onto it before he casually strolled over to the canopy tent and followed the blonde in.

Inside the canopy tent was a series of activities playing out in tandem. Both the fabrication station and comm's relay were openly active—carrying out various tasks that Ryden didn't immediately identify upon brief examination; the only thing he noticed was his arm blade sitting atop the fabrication stations scanning platform, obviously being replicated by the ranger for her own use.

Next to the fabrication station sat a series of armor pieces and arm blades, their placement being compulsively lined up in order of condition while the armor pieces themselves were stripped of mechanical parts for separate us.

Aside from this however, both Abigail and Rosalina were standing over the OPSAT station, their eyes set on a comm's signal that had yet to punch through the clutter.

"What's the situation?" he asked as he stepped beside the blonde Phenex **.**

While Abigail continued to fight the signal transmission via smacking the comm's relay a few times, Rosalina glanced over to the red head, eyes set in stoned seriousness. "Nyx just reported a monolith compound several miles out to the southwest—near a river bed" she reported dutifully

He nodded at the report but felt there was more to it than this. "That's not all is it?"

As expected, the Phenex heiress nodded. "Correct, but get this—while Nyx was snooping around, he spotted what looked like _Gale Valefor_ leaving the compound; Rivia's following the convey right now—she even requested backup"

Ryden smiled. "Perfect..." he muttered before he suddenly frowned. 'Though why does Rivia need back up?"

At his question, Rosalina gestured to the lone arm blade sitting aimlessly on the far side of the canopy tent—the one that Rivia was suppose to use.

"I see..." he muttered before he looked back to Rosalina. "Well at least she's following the protocol" he jested lightly.

Rosalina scoffed. "I still don't know why you think it's important for all of us to use these—a simple blade would be best used; hardly anyone would notice the difference" she argued while Ryden casually leaned on the OPSAT station—watching the woman with marginal bemusement.

After a moment he cut in. "You do realize your sword cauterizes wounds right?" Ryden questioned before smirking when Rosalina turned to look at him. "Do you know anyone else that has a sword that could do that with as clean a cut as your own sword?"

A minute went by and she didn't answer him; a blush of embarrassment soon rising to her cheeks when the meaning behind his question finally sank in—a reaction that Abigail found completely amusing. "He has a point Rosa—you're the only one with a bladed weapon that could leave behind such cleanly cauterized wounds; anyone that tries to replicate the same effect usually ends up with a melted sword"

Again, Rosalina scoffed at the situation. "This is more than just a pain—torture is more like it!"

Laughing lightly at Rosalina' distraught disposition, Ryden pushed off the OPSAT station and went for the exit. "Alright—I'll be back in a couple hours; and remember—if you do get comm's up and running, please for the love of all that is unholy, don't break radio silence... we'll report back in a couple hours, until then nothing fills my ear other then Fulgur's nasty comments, you two got that?"

Rosalina waved him off – already knowing the plan – while Abigail quickly glanced away, cheeks dusted a soft pink.

"Abigail..."

The aforementioned woman tensed before she began nodding profusely. "I got it Ryden; _don't break radio silence while operators are in the field_ —I remember the lesson" she quoted back without looking away from the comm's station—amusing both Rosalina and Ryden by the usually flippant devils change in demeanor. Normally, it's _she_ who scolds them—yet Ryden had found a way to change that around.

Nodding at the woman's response, Ryden stepped out of the canopy tent and approached his own; keen on retrieving his gear before departing.

* * *

 _ **[Southwest region of Lilith: several hundred miles from Crimson Dagger S.O.B]**_

* * *

The standard protocol for mission conduct within the _territory of Lilith_ had drastically changed. Before, their conduct would have been simple in and out operations that focused mostly on acquiring resources and information regarding the blackmailed families before any true operations could begin. That path would have led to them to be in the _territory of Lilith_ for months before they reached any sort of result unless they started dropping noble families left and right. However, now that _Fulgur's_ and _Ventus'_ ominous fear and desire had been revealed to the entire team after he'd dealt with the nether pit; their conduct had changed significantly while their focus had diverted more towards sabotage rather than simple force recon and rescue.

The protocols now had diverted more towards the use of _**terror tactics**_ and traditional hunting of enemy forces—mostly small to mid sized squads of patrols. While resources and information came along with the new mission parameters, their goal had now focused more on creating the ominous reputation of _**the Predator**_ in order to create 'the boogieman' role that the Old-Satan's had to quell.

And so their task was simple...

Make that task insanely difficult—create an impossible enemy to find and kill—while at the same time, killing anyone that dared try.

Those within the Old-Satan forces would sooner learn that the eastern regions of Lilith – if not all of Lilith itself – would be a brand new hunting ground for their _friendly_ neighborhood apex hunter. A place where one is either the hunter or the hunted... and he knew for damn sure which one he is.

In order to create the best possible outcome, they all had to use the same form of weaponry to create the image if a single, anonymous – hyper lethal – entity, that none could compete with. Ryden had already set the stage by using highly accurate and deadly ranged weaponry while at the same time using the brutal arm blade that he'd looted a few days ago.

Though the weapon itself was mostly familiar to the Old-Satan's, but the jagged edge created messy and sloppy slash wounds that were almost impossible to determine the true culprit; leading to most autopsies towards dead ends.

In a sense, they had created a shrouded vigilante alien hunter that killed Old-Satan personnel for sport, and spooked civilian personnel and any reinforcement unit's with simple messages in the form of hanging corpses.

Ryden wasn't about to follow every habit in the movies, and skinning his enemies was most definitely out of the question—yet hanging them by their ankles; stripped of their gear, was a lot less compromising then the latter idea. Though he had done this with the bodies of his first couple victims, he had yet to do so again, while the others had taken it upon themselves to follow his example over the course of the last few days.

Ryden didn't know if the Old-Satan forces had come to retrieve those bodies yet, but if they did then he'd probably read about it sometime later when the security arm of Shalba's forces grew a pair of balls and stumbled upon his little canopy of corpses.

He felt marginally fucked up about it, but war was war; it was both he and the innocent survived the civil war, or the opinions of the ignorant and his morality held them all back. He knew which side he was on, and he knew for damn sure the lengths in which he'd go to ensure it—so his personal morality meter was all but disposed of.

He could feel guilty later, but right now—he had shit to do; so in the end, this gave birth to the Crimson Dagger's first ever quote:

" _We go in and get dirty, so the rest of underworld doesn't have too"_

Ryden lightly smirked upon that memory as he and Rivia sat in a crouch at the top of a large boulder that was situated high above a dirt road somewhere in the far edge of the southwest regions; the both of them shrouded by their cloak sigils which was complemented greatly by the dense forestry on either side of the road. A few hours had gone by since his departure from base camp, and now he was located to the far western border of Lilith – several hundred miles from the _Lucifaad_ border.

Rivia had stated that the convoy was in route towards their position and had specified her intention to isolate the Transport convoy as far from civilisation as possible so to completely cut them off from any outside assistance—but mostly to keep the screaming from reaching any prying ears.

Once that was done, then they'd pick off the guards one by one; leaving the rumored _Gale Valefor_ completely alone—and depending on the mood, they might just make the man seemingly... _disappear_.

Due to the rumor of _**the Predator**_ roaming the region of the southwest – courtesy of Nyx's small campaign in the region – the idea of a noble going missing around the western region wouldn't come across as odd, and would even help place more pressure on Creuserey; yet even then it was a gamble. However Rivia had stated that if they established a new habit in _**the Predator's**_ memo—one that expresses its intention in capturing powerful devils, then the idea of a blackmailed devil lord vanishing wouldn't look as convenient as it would.

Given that they were isolated at the moment – and also in the process of hacking into a monolith system – then they may have a window of opportunity to pitch their idea to the generals and get a kill order clearance on a local noble before the Old-Satan's learned of his disappearance... a certain female Lordess slowly coming to mind.

"Their coming Ryden, get ready" Rivia piqued while her eyes locked down the road to his right, clearly sensing the convoy's approach.

Ryden nodded before _Ventus_ was silently summoned. Standing to his full height, he calmly pulled back on _Ventus_ ; a jaded crimson arrow slowly materializing as he did so before his eyes locked on the lead transport carriage driving down the road.

There was a significant difference between the carriage's of the Anti-Satan forces and the Old. As a matter of fact, Ryden was having a hard time even calling these things _carriages_ as their detailed build and sleek armored carapaces made them look like _APC tanks_ without the clutter of comm's antenna, ammo boxes, strobe lights and ordinance launchers.

He'd first seen them when the Rookie had fled the scene within one of them—yet at the time Ryden hadn't cared much about it; but now he did.

These _APC's_ – something that Ryden had just come to brand them as – looked almost futuristic by design and sat low to the ground with a set of three wheels on either side to support its massive weight. The length and height of these things was far larger then a human made _Ford F-150_. The front portion was flat and armored to the bone but curved enough at each corner to fit its sleek design, while the driver's seat was located at the forefront of the vehicle; leaving about a couple inches of space for the engine—or magic core to fit into the compartment at the front end of the vehicle. There wasn't much of a window to see into; only a couple inches of tempered glass was what made up the only window on the APC's so shooting the driver would be a gamble. Ryden didn't know of these glass windows possessed enough protection to stop a shot from _Ventus_ and he didn't want to risk spooking them with a simple gamble—so instead he went the simplified root... the route intended.

In total, there were three APC carriages driving down the road in single file formation and the rumored VIP had been placed in the middle APC carriage. Ryden's target was not them, but the road they'd pass over.

Just as the three APC's closed in, the driver would suddenly see a crimson and green streak of light fire off from the left side of the roadway and impact in front of them—leaving behind a crimson vapor cloud of dust upon detonation. The origin of the streak of light had come from the top of the massive bolder that was situated to their now immediate left, Yet before the driver could step on the accelerator and place some distance between him and the attacker, the APC carriage suddenly churned and sputtered off the road and into the small ravine to the right—the other's soon following in similar fashions; their own APC carriages having mysteriously lost power.

Ryden smirked at the chaos before Rivia squeezed his shoulder. "They know where that shot came from" she warned while standing, her eyes set onto the three carriages.

Ryden took her hand, garnering her attention almost immediately. Had the cloak been done away with and the distinct energy outline that signified Rivia's active location then he might have seen her blush, yet the woman's sudden bashfulness had gone unnoticed.

"Patience—let them sniff around for a moment and get a handle on the situation; once they do—we'll start picking them off one by one... I'll signal the first kill and you follow my lead... and make them messy, nothing more terrifying then a brutal kill" Ryden informed to which Rivia merely nodded a moment later, her expression dropping down to a more excited edge. Nodding on his own, Ryden stood up and jumped down towards the forest area—the simple action sending him directly over the slowly recovering Inquisitor forces and into the thick forest. Shortly after, and an unnoticed blur of distorted space shot across the road and into the deep lush bushes.

The perfect location for a duo of hunters...

* * *

In systematic fashion, all three drop doors at the rear of the armored carriage transports opened, and a series of black and golden clad figures funneled out; their weapons drawn and at the ready while their glowing green 'V' shaped visors glared out in all directions. However, much to their disappointed, the devils a part of the elite legionary guard – classified as _**'The Swarm'**_ –found nothing to challenge them, yet their sudden appearance answered several questions in the minds of the two devils watching them from afar.

From within the middle carriage transport stepped a grizzled man—his body adored in obsidian black clothing and armored by sharply polished golden plate that covered the majority of his being. Along his torso dangled a series of pointless medals and honorific's that were graphed to the left side of his chest—making sure to not shroud the image of the green eyed embroidered Bee that sat upon the middle of his chest.

Spangled didn't quite cut it with this snowflake, and Ryden found himself questioning the intelligence of Shalba's security forces. By now at least, the devil should be aware of the conduct of the prey he was 'hunting' so why did he adore his entire body in every medal he had?

Ryden didn't know for sure but he was wondering if the man had been accompanying his and Rivia's VIP to a sort of party—which explained the decorative appearance. It was all Ryden could assume from where he sat, and regardless of the reason—the devil had just become the biggest target on both his and Rivia's hit list.

Nothing scared the morale of the men most then the gruesome death of a superior—hell, the loss of one alone was gut wrenching enough, but the ones that got the knees quaking in despair really sold the message, however Ryden knew the differences between easy and _smart_...

Killing the superior first would only slightly impact the large group of devils—and sure, it _may_ create the outcome that he wanted, but again... he didn't gamble with _maybes._ The goal at the moment was to spice up the situation – _get a bit of the blood flowing_ – and get the superior barking orders. It didn't matter how harsh; nor how brutal the superior was—cause when the shit hits the fan, every soldier looked up to the leader for guidance and survival.

The best thing to do was drop a few bodies – quietly of course – and let the large group of devils get a grasp on the situation, while at the same time learning of the danger they were in. Then, once the anxiety and pressure were at their peak—he'd kick out the remaining pillar of support with a fast and surgical arrow.

Ryden knew for a fact the impact of that kill would _really_ push them over the edge. After that and it was easy picking... he just hoped Rivia remembered to leave a few survivors—the reputation of _**the Predator**_ didn't spread off the lips of dead men.

Ryden could only hope...

"What's the situation!?" barked the spangled devil, his eyes locking onto several silent individuals before a lone driver stepped out of the lead vehicle.

"Sir, the demonic engine core's fried—"

"What do you mean fried?"

The driver simply shivered under the intense gaze of the Grand inquisitor before replying. "T-The cores are overloaded completely sir—I don't understand how but... when we passed that boulder I saw a streak of light fire off and hit the road... after that and I lost control"

After the explanation, the grand inquisitor glanced over his shoulder towards the boulder and glared at it for a moment before he waved for three of his men to scout it out. "What else do you know driver?" growled the devil.

"Nothing else sir... I don't know what I saw—from memory it looked like a streak of green and crimson light just materialized out of thin air and hit the road; creating some kind of red mist"

The lead inquisitor nodded at that. "Magic disruption..." the devil muttered before chuckling lightly at the follow up prospect. "Seems we've got ourselves an ambush gentlemen—now what do we say about that?"

At the devils question, the inquisitors adored in the black and gold armor merely snickered in response – arrogantly displaying their confidence to both Rivia and Ryden. Upon his platoon's response, the grand Inquisitor nodded to the forest that was in front of them—his hand calmly placing his own 'V' shaped visor on. "Let's go hunting boys—and let's make it quick! I don't want to be late for that damn party ya hear!?"

As the couple dozen Swarm knights fanned out and entered the forest, Ryden lightly blinked at the mention of this supposed party.

 _A party huh? What kind of party are we talking about here?_

 _ **It must be for the nobles—possibly to try and tide over the ruffled up noble families and ensure the situation is under control**_

 _I see... sure as hell sounds like something worth crashing—that'll really mount the pressure_

 _ **It could also be a trap master—this woman you so vehemently despise... she may have orchestrated it just to lure you in**_

 _Not likely Fulgur—if Grayfia did forge a trap out of this, then it'll only draw in questions—questions that I'm sure are not ones she'll answer_

 _ **You believe the woman wouldn't go through the hassle of purposely allowing you to mount pressure on Creuserey because doing so would divert unwanted attention towards her**_

 _Exactly—Grayfia will most likely play ignorant; ignore any thing regarding me and place all the blame on the incompetent devils that had allowed my escape... for now I think Grayfia is playing the close game and focusing on keeping valuable assets as far from me as possible_

For a moment, Ryden eyed the three devils standing guard over the middle APC carriage and smirked when memory of the passenger returned to his mind.

 _Well... I guess her efforts in that department were minimal at best_

 _ **Indeed...**_

Ryden glanced over to Rivia from his spot amongst the canopy – the both of them having taken residence in the thick trees for both height and stealth advantages. Currently, Rivia was keeping her eyes on both their prey and him—closely following his every move.

Unfortunately for the Crimson Dagger, the comm's situation hadn't changed; as the slight blip of energy from their surgical sigils still stood as a possible detection issue... for now at least. While he and Rivia handled the matter of Gale Valefor, Nyx was apparently still dealing with the monolith outpost a few miles from their current location, and even if they did manage to hack into the system; he didn't know when to break radio silence... twas another gamble.

So here he was, breaking distance protocol in order to relay his plan by literally going to Rivia in person. Stealth was difficult to maintain on its own, but in the trees? Yeah it was definitely a lot easier in the movies then in real life... he really wanted that comm's situation done and gone—otherwise group stealth efforts would be a nightmare.

Ryden gently landed upon a branch just a couple feet from Rivia – his telekinetic force ability allowing him marginal gravity manipulation – and calmly regarded Rivia; the woman herself having casually glanced at him with her usual neutral disposition.

"Ryden?" she questioned upon his landing

The man in question lightly smiled at her before he fell down to business—his eyes having slightly caught the mild blush on the older woman's cheeks and Ryden found himself sighing a moment after processing it... the blushes were more frequent then usual due to Ryden's _predicament_ , but nevertheless—the task proved more important than his literal fiance.

 _He still needed to get used to that..._

"Hey—just poppin in to tell ya that we'll secure the carriage transports when the bulk of the Swarm nights gain enough distance away from them" Ryden explained to which Rivia lightly nodded almost the second he finished.

"Understood... and afterwards?" questioned the woman almost childishly; clearly showing her unfamiliarity to the idea of stealth—her dependence of his opinion being a major example to that idea. To be fair on her end; during their little incursion into _Lucifaad_ Rivia's role was as simple as a role could be—honestly he expected her to argue her role to some extent, yet she took it without even a grunt of disappointment.

And to be fair again; Rivia may be familiar with 'sneaking up on targets and killing them'—as it possessed little thought to it, but it was clear she was unfamiliar with _sneaking up on targets and killing them, but with government level impact_... the mild difference being the latter required a certain level of awareness with the fragility of government structuring.

He digressed however.

"Once were done getting The VIP clear of the sight, we'll begin dropping bodies—however, leave the superior for later. As the bodies begin to mount, the confidence you heard before will dwindle down to fear—"

"—and taking out the superior at that critical moment will force the men into panic mode... I see now, the flow of stealth carries much more then I had first believed" Rivia interjected upon realizing the intent, her own degree of realization dawning on her hidden features.

Ryden smirked down at Rivia from his spot above her. "Atta girl..." he complimented with a quick head pat—predictably forcing a mild blush from the woman. "My young little hunter is growing up..." he added, further pushing Rivia's blush to exceed normal levels. If Ryden hadn't been more acute to his senses, then he might have missed the slight _steam_ radiating off of the woman's cheeks.

Heheh... there was something oddly cathartic in making vastly older beings blush like teenage school girls.

Aside from his mild enjoyment in making Rivia squirm, they had a VIP to grab and a few dozen Inquisitors in league with Shalba to dispatch.

During the last couple of days, Shalba's forces had started to congest the majority of the central regions of the territory while sparsely patrolling the outer limits – their focus being the defenses of the main capital while the rumored _Death knights_ roamed about mysteriously. The lucifuge family elite killers didn't factor much into his plans—though they did pose a major threat to his team in large numbers, but against him?

He'd already proven his worth to them—even if he didn't improve from it.

No, Shalba's forces were a good target to focus on. While killing the 2 teams of hunter killer's had hit the _public_ hard – mostly due to the public image of those units being more favored than the more elite ones – but Shalba's security force focused on more _political matters_ —they were literally his right arm so to speak; known affectionately as, _**the swarm**_ _._ They stood more as protection for the noble class—leaving the publicly viewed and favored _hunter killers_ to take most of the lime light and simply focused on fulfilling their lord's orders to the letter.

If the public reeled in terror at the news of several dead _Hunter killers_ , then you can bet your sweat bottom dollar the nobles will _shit their pants_ when their supposed 'protects' didn't mount much of a difference to the now regional threat that was _**the Predator**_... he never got tired of saying that.

Ryden gave Rivia a somber nod before he began his stealthy trek towards the now seemingly abandoned APC carriages, the remaining personnel in the area being the simple drivers, two swarm knights and of course, the VIP himself—tucked away safely in the central carriage.

Ryden paused in his advance, taking mind of Rivia's position just to his right – a few trees spreading the distance – and gently nestled himself into a perfect position to fire within his own tree, _Ventus_ having long since been summoned for use.

Unlike before, Ryden specified his desire to kill his enemies – the two guards – without firing off a streak of emerald light, which would give away his position and possibly alert the platoon of swarm knights a few dozen meters behind him should they notice the flash of green light... spoiler alert; they'd easily notice.

It didn't really surprise him that _Ventus_ possessed the means to not only target multiple assailants, but to also fire off an invisible arrow that felt like a gentle breeze—but carried the lethality of a hurricane.

The _Infernum Armis'_ were truly hand crafted perfection given beautiful form...

 _ **Much appreciated Ryden...**_

 _ **~Aww, masters spoiling me~**_

Well... Ryden guessed the term 'perfection' was well up for personal debate; but even then, his opinion of the weapons versatility was as solid as the day light sky above him.

After a moment to grip his bearings and aligned his sights on the two guards, Ryden slowly pulled back on his bow—the gentle hum of a warm breeze grazing through his hair being the only indication that his weapon was truly armed.

The release of the bowstring was silence itself—of natures gentle song given form and weaponized to the point of hyper lethality. Soon after the bowstring was released, the guards dropped to the floor... their heads quickly following a moment later.

If Ryden hadn't been acutely aware of his targets, then he'd have missed the slight fracture in what looked like _space_ itself before his targets dropped dead without a sound; that told him everything about he'd just done, and he was _beyond_ impressed with the results—even Rivia found herself both confused, and impressed with whatever Ryden had done... she even found herself staying back and allowing Ryden to take out the drivers before they noticed the deceased men.

A moment after, and three more bodies dropped to the floor; headless, and each of them were a couple meters apart. Honestly, Rivia was a little bit more confused on the means of these kills then impressed at the fluidity of them; yet her eyes drifted to the form of Ryden—her gaze quickly locking onto the bow outline situated in his left hand and immediately she had her answer.

 _Ventus_ ' control on the very winds of hell were said to be so acutely poised, that a single thought from the ancient being could narrow its wind down to such a point, that it could slice entire sections of _reality..._ a power that could pierce any shield and cut any metal.

The stories and ancient texts seemed to hold true... truly, the limits of these beings were beyond the means of ancient demons.

Aside from this thought, Rivia found herself patiently following Ryden down to the three Carriages situated in a small ravine—the present guards themselves being calmly pushed into the small flowing stream before the both of them paused at the rear of the central Carriage; their cloaks still engaged for obvious reasons.

Ryden glanced to her and nodded once, before – to Rivia's immense surprise – actually dug his hands into the metallic frame of the carriages rear drop door and _pulled it open_ like it was nothing. She'd seen raw strength before in larger beings – the demons themselves – but the difference in present was due to Ryden's deceptively smaller build then the old ones. Corded muscle twice her size was needed to apply enough strength to fight hydraulic locks and magically seal doors, yet Ryden's smaller frame – though still muscular – seemed to possess enough strength to outclass both of those things, even exceed it due to the complete lack of strain seen on his face.

A very small – fleeting – thought crossed her mind at the sight of Ryden's strength, her thoughts slowly delving into the realms of perversion as she idly wondered what sounds she'd make if he—Rivia roughly shook her head at the thought, yet her efforts were for nothing as her eyes slightly glazed at the continued stream of mental images; the words, the screams, the sounds—all of it; collided into one big sloppy mess of thoughts that forced Rivia to almost freeze where she was, leaving Ryden to enter the APC carriage alone.

From within the APC, Ryden could make out two individuals sitting on one side of the duel seated personnel cabin; both of which being man and woman and their slight age difference via appearance made them look as though they were husband and wife—the fact they both found themselves hugging each other in terror was a good enough sign that his observations were at least in the same ballpark.

The man looked moderately aged, almost appearing in his early 50's with a full head of cleanly cut black hair and soft blue eyes. His complexion was lightly tanned while his build made him look more combat ready, yet his attire didn't fit the memo.

The woman was slightly younger than her husband as her appearance placed her somewhere between late 30's to mid 40's; with a head full of long flowing blonde hair, her age looked almost in the mid 20's with how well done it was. The woman's complexion mildly matched her husband's – moderately tanned – and her physical build was close to what every female looked like in hell; hour glass figure, hefty bust... the usual.

Both individuals wore a clean and expensive suit of black and gold that was moderately embroidered with emerald jewels and purple gems. The man's suit was a classic V-neck dress suit while the woman's was a classic one piece suit with a low cut collar; in addition to this, a slit ran up the right half of her dress all the way up to her hip; exposing a hefty amount of her thigh and a small amount of her rear end—which hinted to the woman's black laced lingerie, garter belt and all.

It was a little too much... and Ryden's placement within the APC carriage and the woman's current position against her husband didn't leave much to the imagination—honesty she looked more naked then clothed.

 _Good thing he'd seen enough naked woman prior to this... the sight hardly affected him_

"W-what...a-are you?" questioned the young woman, her wide green eyes staring at his silhouetted cloaked form with clear signs of fear.

Ryden immediately deactivated his cloak, revealing his crimson figure to the two cowering devils. Their reactions differed momentarily; the woman flinched at the sight and quickly looked away out of fear towards a possible killing blow, while her husband's eyes remained locked onto him before his narrowed – but fear filled eyes – widened. The crimson red hair was the first thing the man took notice of before his relief-struck eyes relocked with a set of calm blue eyes.

"Gale Valefor?" Ryden questioned from his spot at the entrance of the APC, his tone moderately hard but his tone of slight worry was enough a comfort that the woman's eyes glanced to him from the crook of her husband's neck; a second ticked by and she was eyeing him up with the same degree of relief that was adorn on the man she clung to.

Ryden sighed at the clear shell-shock written on their faces before he glanced over to a mysteriously shell-shocked Rivia. As if sensing his gaze; the woman quickly shook away her thoughts and calmly stepped into the APC, her own cloak slowly dissolving as she entered.

Both passengers went deeper into their silent shock at the sight of Rivia—clearly having known of her exploits, and seemed even further away from responding to his words.

 _Trouble-some..._

" _Gale Valefor_?" Ryden pressured further with a slight edge to his tone this time.

The moment he repeated the man's name, the devil glanced to him and almost choked out his reply; the surprise and relief being too great for the devil to cope with. "Y-yes lord General, that's me" the man replied after a moment to clear his throat.

Ryden chuckled before glancing to Rivia. "He thinks I'm Sirzechs..." he idly commented, much to Rivia's brief amusement before he returned his gaze back onto the man, a small light of mirth developing onto his features. "Sorry to burst your bubble Valefor, but I'm not Sirzechs Gremory—I'm actually the man's younger brother" Ryden corrected.

Gale's eyes widen at his words, realization quickly developing on his features. "Then you were..." he briefly muttered before Ryden waved him off.

"Not important; the main reason we're even here is to get you out—not to smack you around" Ryden lightly jabbed before he gestured for the two to follow him out of the APC. "Now if you would be so kind, could you both follow me?"

"W-wai—"

Ryden acted quickly upon seeing the woman's sudden expression of reckless realization, his hand clamping down on her mouth before she could scream out her words. He glared at her, an expression that mildly unnerved the woman for a moment before he let her go—his finger rising into a gesture of silence. "Mind the noise; the Swarm knights are still active in the area—so would you _please_ keep your voice down"

After Ryden's warning, the woman nodded before she speaking again, this time in a more meek tone. "My daughter... she's..."

Before the woman could explain further; Gale Valefor stepped forward, his hand quickly gripping Ryden's arm in order to gain his attention. "What my wife is trying to say is; the descendant Shalba—he plans to marry our daughter off to one of his most trusted supporters; the _Beleth_ family" Gale revealed as he slightly tightened his grip on Ryden's arm. "If he does succeed... my daughter, our family..."

Ryden only nodded – finally realizing the true identity of this _party_ – and gently reassured the worrying father with a rough pat to the man's arm. "Understood; however, I just have one question on that matter. Is the Beleth lord aware of the Old-Satan conduct? Is he active in the war or is he just political?" questioned Ryden as he kept his eyes locked on the anxious eyes of Gale.

"No, Prince Gremory—lord Beleth is mostly focused on political backing and public service. I had even overheard the brat Euclid lucifuge mention lord Beleth's ignorance before" Lord Valefor revealed while letting Ryden's arm go.

Ryden nodded before he glanced to Rivia and wordlessly relayed his intentions. As if knowing his plan with a look alone, the tallest blonde gently inclined her head at the implication and calmly filed away the information for later us before she reactivated her cloak and stepped outside.

"What do you plan to do Prince Gremory?" Lordess Valefor questioned with a hesitant tone, her eyes shimmering with just as equal anxiety as her husband.

For devils, the two's clear worry over the fate of their daughter was honestly moving in a mild sense. Normally the idea of a father and mother worry over a family member was considered an instinctual notion, yet when it came to devils—it honestly surprised him with how human they appeared.

Ryden lightly cleared his head by blinking away his fleeting thought, before he regarded the two with a mild expression of wonder. "Have you two heard of the rumored hunter in this region? The one branded as _**the Predator**_?"

He didn't need a response in words strictly because the two immediately appeared nervous upon the mention of the anomalous vigilante's name, yet the both of them soon developed looks of realization when the dots started connecting.

"Y-You?" Lordess Valefor muttered with a set of wide eyes

Ryden smirked and merely nodded before he felt Rivia's hand tap his shoulder, the mild gesture itself conveying a simple message— _the enemy forces were coming back_. Immediately afterwards; Ryden's eyes hardened before he idly summoned a series of demonic sigils to bear on his right arm – the glowing insignia of the Gremory family crest illuminating the interior of the carriage – while Rivia entered from behind, her own cloak deactivating as she did so.

"Prepare a rift Rivia—one that leads far away from the scene, and stand guard over these two while I deal with our present guest's" Ryden commanded idly as he sift around the APC carriages personnel area, searching for—found it!

"What will you do?" Rivia questioned as a rift opened behind her, the two others idly watching Ryden rip open a magic core containment compartment.

"...give those outside a scare they won't ever forget... well—the ones that'll survive this that is..." at his ominous words, both lord and Lordess Valefor paled when Ryden stuck his hand – the one containing the magic sigils – directly into the demonic core compartment. Safe to say, the two instantly realized what Ryden was planning and quickly stepped into the rift without hesitation; leaving Rivia to stare idly at Ryden, a mild incredulous expression doting her features as she had also watched Ryden.

"Is that entirely necessary?" she asked as demonic energy slowly began to build up inside the Personnel cabin.

"Yes..."

Rivia sighed at Ryden's playful smirk. "How long will this be?"

"If you don't want to wait—you can take both Gale and Lordess Valefor back to camp..."

Rivia's eyes slightly light up at that. "And leave you behind?"

Ryden shrugged as best as he could with his entire right arm lodged down a compartment slot. "Meh, I can fly home—I'm mean, you'd be amazed at how comfortable flying at _mach 4_ can be with actual breathable air and zero G-force..."

"Do I even want to know what those words mean?" Rivia mildly whined

Ryden shrugged again – demonic energy slowly reaching combustible levels – before he gave Rivia a slightly coy expression. "I dunno... do _you_ _want_ to know?" he idly questioned, forcing a slight blush to Rivia's cheeks.

Before Rivia even dared reply, she quickly collected herself and sighed out her fluster before speaking. "Just... get back to base soon" she replied with a very controlled tone, her back turning away from the man as she stepped into her rift. Anything less and she would've been a stuttering mess had she not reigned herself in at the last moment; yet Ryden's question had sounded – dare she say – _flirtatious_ in nature. Such concepts were a small rarity for the usually focused devil.

With Rivia facing away from him, Ryden idly stared at the woman's back before an even juicer idea entered his mind; and without much care, he opened his mouth—coy smile rising as he did so...

"Whatever you say— _dear..."_

He tried to keep his humor in as best as possible when Rivia's back stiffened like a statue, but he knew Rivia had heard at least a few seconds of his amused laughter before her rift finally seal shut; leaving him alone in the APC Carriage personnel cabin for a few moments before a small collection of swarm knights stepped into view behind Ryden.

Due to his precarious position within the APC, the Knights standing outside only got a perfect shot of Ryden's back before the man himself casually glanced at them – his hand slowly pulling out the one item he was looking for and held it behind his back – before he pointed at one of the knights standing outside.

"Do you wanna know why America doesn't come knocking?" he questioned jovially – confusing the small number of Swarm knights at the unfamiliar name – before his smirk grew savage. From behind his back, Ryden pulled out the demonic core that had been softly glowing and proceeded to squeeze it; the light within the core rapidly shining brighter.

"—becomes _freedom_ **rings** motherfu—"

 _ **BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!**_

From outside the blast radius, every swarm knight violently found themselves on their asses due to the massive shockwave originating from the central APC carriage. All around, every inquisitor found themselves reeling at the powerful explosion that had shredded the central APC like paper; killing five knights within the blast and severely burning a few others that had taken to their flank.

The swarm knight officer had lost contact with two of his men responsible for guarding their VIP's and the drivers that should have been working on a solution for their hasty exit. But after a moment of zero responses, the officer had ordered a couple of his men to return to the carriages and get an update on their situation. At first, the officer had believed the loss of comm's to be the case of _residual energy contamination_ ; due to the nature of their derelict transports, the residual energy might still possess anti-magic particles that may have resulted in the team's loss of communication.

That was his earlier assessment, yet now—now he knew something was up...

...And he didn't have a good feeling about it.

"Status" the officer barked as he rose to his feet, eyes locked on the burning husk that had once been their ride—hell, it had contained the VIP's themselves and now it was a flaming ball of wrathful demonic energy... they couldn't have survived that.

 _{My lord, all Carriage transports have been destroyed and team 3's registered as KIA}_ came a brisk voice within his mind, courtesy of their private comm links.

The officer nodded. "What about team 4—what's their status?"

 _{Registered KIA as of a second ago my lord... orders?}_

The officer bit his lip harshly at the news. Not only had he lost the VIP's in that explosion, but he'd also lost 8 of his men and three drivers at the same time. Bad enough he'd probably be executed for his failure to keep the Valefor fools alive, but now he was trapped in the middle of nowhere and locked in a game of cat and mouse against whatever had killed his men.

A grim expression slowly rose to his features before he opened all comm's with his remaining men; they only had one task now. "All teams regroup onto my position—I'm activating the _Pariah protocol_... no one leaves until we find answers... consider all contacts hostile, civilian or otherwise"

Upon his orders, every remaining swarm knight calmly rose from the crouched positions within the forest and filed over to their superior in silent and orderly fashion... all of them being unaware of the camouflaged hunter looming over them within the thick trees.

Now the hunt was live...

* * *

Ryden idly watched as a couple swarm knights made their trek further into the forest, the canopy and forestry having become so thick that the slight stream of sun light from Lilith's daylight cycle barely pierced through, leaving the majority of the swarms knights in partial darkness. Ryden knew the darkness was a mild issue for the devil in the visual department, yet when it came to his stealth sigil—the less sun light, the better.

It was a significant change compared to his first hunt as the entire platoon of swarm knights didn't even notice him when they all walked right on by; his form having taking residence on the ground for moderate experimental reasons, yet he had his motives.

Taking up the rear of the platoons advance was a single devil, his gait being slower than most and his eyes seemed to track along the trees above them with a vigilance that expressed awareness.

"I'm telling you Sager, it's probably in the damn trees" whispered the flanking devil as he quickly caught up to his friend.

The devil named Sager merely shrugged at the devils words. "Like some lowly rumor built by the low-class would actually be true—I bet that damn rookie got all scared when one of his comrades fell into a hole – ha! – he probably ran his ass home to mommy" joked Sager as he swung his long sword over his shoulder in a cocky manner. "If it had been us in that situation, we'd probably have killed the creep without any issue an' gotten home for some grub before anyone was the wiser"

Without either of them noticing, both the flanking devil and Sager strolled on passed the man of the topic—the shrouded silhouette of Ryden's cloaked form going completely unnoticed by the two as they carried on with their conversation.

"If it had been us..." muttered the flanking devil in moderate thought and Ryden could almost see the sheer doubt through the devils visor.

"Yeah Orion, we would've stomped the pest and gotten home to your old lady before sun down" bellowed the now clearly obnoxious knight.

The flanking devil – now branded as Orion – sighed at Sager's comment. "Honestly, what is with you and my damn mother?" Orion questioned with a clear sign of annoyance.

"Heheh... what can I say? She's got a fine ass" Sager conceded without shame before a third devil interjected.

"Hey, I thought my mother had the nice ass!"

Sager waved off the devil with a scoff to follow. "Sure, whatever you say Stans, but Orion's mom has both an ass _and_ a set of knockers—full package deal if you ask me! The only thing missing in that deal is yours truly" Sager stated with a matter of fact tone—a tone that honestly annoyed Ryden as he returned to the trees above; bow slowly materializing.

"Oh shut the fucks up Sager, we all know you'd get your ass kicked by all of our mothers—wouldn't be much of a challenge for any of them" yelled a fourth devil from further in the formation.

"Oh blow it out your ass Vue; your mom would be quaking at my touch and you know it! And while we're on the subject, can you tell her I'll meet her in the capital tomorrow? She says she wants to shop for clothes but I don't think there are any clothes stores in the district she mentioned... unless she's willing to try me on"

"Try you on huh? She shopping for a toddler or something?"

At that response, a small chorus of chuckles permeated the small platoon while a small chorus of 'fuck you's' were directed to each laughing individual by Sager.

From above the marching platoon, Ryden idly watched them go by as he lined up his first shot directly on the impulsive man. Ryden knew the individual wouldn't leave much of an impression based upon his obsessive desire with his team's mothers, but this _Sager_ fellow stood for one other thing that he needed to dampen down.

 _This platoon... it had become far too loose for his liking._

 _and this Sager was the culprit._

 _...time to remove him._

 _Thoop!_

In an instant, the platoons 'comedian' suddenly went silent, his form quickly going rigid solid as his hands quickly – almost instinctively – shot up to his face before all life left him; leaving the body to drop unceremoniously to the ground. His lower jaw and neck almost completely torn from his body from a violent and sudden streak of green light that originated at their front—within the trees.

"MAN DOWN! MAN DOWN!" howled a nameless swarm knight as he and all of his fellow men dropped into prone positions; the instinctive action for any long range ambush.

Ryden jumped from tree to tree in response to his first kill, eager to find a new vantage point while the now wide awake devils scanned his last known location, only to – predictably – find nothing but displaced leaves and cracked branches.

The sight of something having obviously _been there_ disturbed a handful of the now 10 swarm knights, yet no matter how hard they scanned, the culprit of Sager's killer remained a mystery, leading most of the knights to scan all around their positions... only to come up with the same outcome.

Nothing.

"Orion! You good!" Stans yelled out to which Orion immediately responded with a solid 'yeah' before the aforementioned devil crawled over to the motionless body of Sager; yet upon arrival, Orion simply paled at the horrible wound left on the man's face.

All Orion knew then, was whatever had hit Sager, hit with enough penetrating force to tear the man's lower portion of his head clean away—the only thing keeping Sagers head from rolling down the slight decline in the trail had been a few shreds of skin and muscle, everything else was gone; jaw, central neck area, everything in the region.

"what's his status Orion?! Is that dumbass sleeping!?" Vue called out.

Orion shook his head after making eye contact with him before he began crawling on his stomach towards the main portion of the trail. "keep moving, were sitting imps out here!" Orion heard their superior, Faeroes Nox hollered as he and the leading squad took point down the steadily increasing slop down wind.

Within a couple minutes, Ryden watched as the now tense and nervous swarm knights carried out their prone trek down the trail towards the empty creek bed below. Prior to his brief engagement with the knights; he'd scouted their march towards an open creek bed that would lead to an open plateau island attached to another forest. From there, the swarm knights would have a couple miles of land to cover before they'd chance upon a small village. Due to his connection with _Ventus_ , Ryden's eyes easily spotted several dozen families within that village, and due to his increased hearing, he'd heard the superiors prior orders to engage at will... even upon civilians.

Ryden had hoped the devil to not be so stupid to engage literal civilians within a civilian populated territory so callously, as the notion of the event and the risk of the story leaking out may lead to a serious level of discontent among the populace and even a severe loss in respect with the Political nobles. Yet even with this in mind, Ryden had spent a good twenty minutes following the loudest platoon in existence... clearly, his hopes would most likely prove fruitless.

Had Sager been a part of a navy seal team that had just recently lost a political leader and several other men only a couple minutes ago, then he'd have probably suffered the same fate at the hands of his team. Normally, such banter was left for the marines or the rangers on simple road side patrols; yet for some genius reason, the dumbass decided to start yapping about sexing up his teams mothers while in the mild of carrying out some form of suicide mission.

And did the officer break his foot off in this guy's ass?

No... no he didn't.

Ryden scratched his cheek before he rubbed the bridge of his nose in sheer incredulous confusion. He was trying hard to make a difference between these _Swarm knights_ and the _Hunter killer_ units from a few days ago and he honestly spotted several _dozen_ differences that led to the latter units being better threats then these buffoons.

The biggest point was the tech, obviously—Ryden had learned fast after his second kill that those hunter killer spooks possessed some form of an up-link that helped them keep tabs on their team's location; and they even possessed a privatized comm's link that muffled their speech so no one could eavesdrop on them...and of course, the cloaking field—who'd forget that small tid bit?

That was text book... _this_ wasn't; this was a sign of a division of low to mid class devils given far too much privilege and far too much power. The conduct of this team show clear signs of arrogance and indifference to the matter—most of these _igits_ – besides the two documented officers – were clearly drunk on the fact that they served a descendant so closely and probably believed themselves untouchable based purely on that morale booster.

Only the experienced would truly grasp the situation upon witnessing their rides being destroyed – a clear sign of outside sabotage – yet most of the simple grunts only followed the orders given to them without actually thinking deeper on the matter.

The officer and the second in charge probably served in field operations, if only marginally based upon the officer's inaction in trying to shut up the loud mouth Sager. But at least they seemed to be aware of their predicament prior to his killing of the very loud mouth they ignored.

Not only did it kill the light hearted mood, but it also scolded the officer in charge; had the devil taken the time to turn around and wallop the little shit for talking, then he'd probably still be alive—yet because he refrained, the devil had been silenced by something else.

It took away the mood

It scolded the officer

And it woke up the indifferent devils... a three in one wombo combo!

Now Ryden watched as they funneled down the pathway towards the creek bed, the majority of the devils present now finally showing signs of taking this task seriously as they all moved in routine formation. For a team of devils involved in a division of loyalist that took direct orders from a descendant, the combat experience within these devils was clearly never actually tempered in conflict—only nurtured in drilling and sharpened to a point by repetition.

It created a dull division... perfect to fit the idea of a 'security' unit, but it didn't possess the strength of say—Katerea leviathans legion of inquisitors, at least they proved worthy in combat... for all the second it took to do away with them.

But hey... at least they tried.

Ryden lightly chuckled as a few of the Swarm knights below began to show signs of anxiety – the classic spicy thought – whenever a breeze of wind ruffled the trees or caused loose bark to crack from the hull of a thick tree and plummet to the ground—only to be caught of several bushes below. Due to the silence that permanently took over the underworld in these rural areas, privy of civilization, nature itself was all the sound that could be heard.

So when bark crack and fell and wind blew, the echoing cacophony of these sounds echoed out within the thick forest—mixed only with the beating of their hearts and the thick flow of their slowly freezing blood. The silence itself could cause one of them a heart attack and the idea itself was far to amusing to not try and replicate.

Ryden gave the harrow team of amateurs a few more minutes – about twenty – of silence, before he took aim at a random tree and scythed a thick brand from the top of it, silently severing the thick limb with a reality cutting arrow and watched as it plummeted down towards the marching swarm knights.

 _ **CRASH!**_

Ryden stifled a small chuckle at the sight of several devils suddenly jumping at the event, howling the phrase 'we've been engaged!' several times before they were silenced by the roaring command of their superior; the man himself quickly pulling his nervous men back from the brink of losing it and pointed out that it was just a fallen branch.

Ryden was amused by the way the devil calmed his men before his interest was piqued when the devil named Orion pointed out the biggest piece of information that they all needed to note down...

The branch didn't fall naturally—it was actually _cut down._

He could tell that bit of information was all that needed to be said before the devils quickly began scanning the tree tops again; a few of them slowly muttering the name he'd been waiting to hear.

"I-It's here... that— _Thing_ the hunter killer teams encountered... I-It's here" muttered a devil, his legs clearly shaking upon hearing his own words.

" _The Predator_..." another muttered, forcing a series of chills to race up their spine.

At the first sight of disarray within his platoon, Faeroes quickly stifled the growing fear in his men with a hard glare to the originator of those words. "Stow that bullshit Stans—those rumors are nothing but myth created by a bunch of spooked civilians and prissy special forces; no, there's just some nameless Anti-Satan freak prowling around out there and we're gonna kill him, now form up and fall in... this guy can't hurt us on open ground" at his order, the small growing buds of fear quickly seeped away at their CO's words; thus reigniting the ever straining line of morale.

The pressure was mounting and Ryden knew the means to get that pressure riding higher—all he needed to do was pick off just one more target... the second in command.

The devil chosen as his next target wore similarly detailed armor as the Grand Inquisitor – heavily decorated and finely fashioned armor – however the main issues with his armor was the missing segment of ornate metals dangling from his right shoulder—a contrast with the CO. Now that Ryden took in the devils attire, the platoon of marooned swarm knights stuck out like a sore thumb within the thick green shrubbery that made up the majority of their surroundings.

Good _god_ was this a joke...

Ryden shook his head while he slowly descended down to the ground floor, his approach being as slow as possible before he suddenly lashed out at the man; his arm blade erupting from the man's chest as his free arm tightly clammed down on the devils helmet—crushing both it and the head within. Sheathing the arm blade a moment after, Ryden instantly jumped back into the trees before the body even hit the ground; but when it did, the others not paying attention suddenly whipped around upon hearing the distinct sound of a body hitting the floor.

Ryden's opportunity had come from the Swarm knight's mistake of splitting up just a bit too much—leading to a few segregated devils all on their lonesome. It was a opportunity Ryden used to thin out the herd in rapid motion.

Using the mild distraction his first kill had caused, Ryden fluidly bound from branch to branch before eyeing a lone devil positioned the furthest from the now active platoon; their positions quickly collapsing in on the sound of their fallen comrade. Upon stepping off of the tenth branch, Ryden took aim at the lone devil mid jump and fired a single streak of green light that erased the devils head upon contact.

Soon enough, the devils heard the sound of another body and quickly split their efforts to collapse in on the sound—the atmosphere of the forest quickly growing cold and thick with action and anxiety. With the split efforts of the remaining 8 devils in search of their fallen comrade's location, the officer was briefly left unattended.

Fatal mistakes after fatal mistakes...

For a moment in Faeroes' life, a small trickle of fear built up in his heart and mind when a distinct ' _thump!'_ sprang to life behind him; yet before he could react to the invisible assailant behind him, a transparent blade exploded out from his chest – through his densely decorated breastplate – and sprayed the green bushes before him in red ichor.

Time slowed down to a crawl in that moment; as the superior swarm knight rose from the ground – blade punched through his chest cavity – the remaining seven quickly became aware of the loss of rank when Faeroes roar of pain filled the forest completely, garnering the attention of his men before each one of them widened their eyes at the invisible outline of a figure lifting their superiors body from the ground.

None moved when the body of their CO was held up high—displayed to all present like a morbid show of superiority, and none moved when their CO's body was suddenly dropped unceremoniously to the ground, leaving the invisible figure to stand over their deceased leader like an ominous wraith.

Dead silence filled the forest, encompassed by the rapid beating of their hearts before terror itself gripped them.

Like an unvoiced command, the eyes of the creature – or where they should be located – flashed crimson; malevolent bloodlust given brief form before the invisible creature seemed to slowly dissipate into nothingness—leaving the remaining seven completely stock still, gripped tightly by the realization of their situation.

With no superiors to hold order within their platoon, rank was suddenly broken.

Stans made a break for it in the opposite direction, his form flying through the forest like the wind before his visage vanished over the top of the hill, yet the instant he vanished... his scream of pain and terror suddenly rippled out before silence returned. None moved upon hearing the devils terrible cry of pain, yet a moment later and something was seen flying through the forest canopy, its trajectory coming directly towards them.

With a sickening splat, the torso of Stans landed admits the 6 remaining inquisitors; the only thing remaining of his body being his left arm, head and torso—everything else was missing. Orion nearly fainted upon seeing the lifeless eyes of Stans staring at him – no, _through_ him – before he and the remaining knights; including Vue, took off in a mad sprint down the slop—their only hope now being the open ground that came with the creek bed.

However, the knights quickly registered their folly when the sounds of something giving chase came from behind them.

It sounded like thick tree logs thudding ominously against soft earth, rift with strength and clearly malevolent in nature just by the sheer pacing of it. Orion glanced over his shoulder when the curiosity got the better of him – a mistake he knew that would've cost him – yet thankfully his action didn't render him headless. He was thankful that he'd been the one leading the pack towards the creek bed as the sight over his shoulder caused his mind to freeze over – blocking out all instinct to fight and easily forcing his legs to push beyond his capacity.

From behind Orion and his team, was the distinct image of a red eyed creature giving chase through the forest; its invisible form parting the bushes and tall grass as it gained ground on them like a recently released bolt of magic. Soon, the first sound of another victim was heard over Orion's shoulder, yet the devil didn't dare glance over his shoulder.

The sound continued for three more victims; leaving both Vue, Rone and himself to breach through the tree line and into the open creek bed alone—the last of their 24 man platoon. the three of them jumped from the slight drop towards the creek bed and roughly landed admits the rocks; yet before either of them began running across the wide creek bed, Orion grabbed Vue's arm and hauled him down and into a small hiding space along the bank of the creek—their forms becoming hidden beneath the slight overgrowth.

Rone saw the twos choice of action, yet his fear quickly overloaded his desire to join them and simply twirled around and high tailed it across the creek... for about two yards.

Orion and Vue watched as Rone was cut perfectly in haft by a streak of green light; the man's two haft's caking the creek bed completely in red gore—followed closely by the devils entrails.

Orion and Vue sat against the creek bed, their eyes wide in horror at the brutal end of their last teammate before an unseen force yanked them both from their hiding hole—tossing them unceremoniously into the rough and harsh earth that was the creek bed.

Orion was on his feet within a fraction of a second, his eyes immediately locking with a distorted section of space before his instinct to dodge low screamed at him. Thankfully, whatever it was passed right over his head upon conceding to his instincts – the distinct _shrill_ of a sharpened blade filling his ears – before he responded with a series of quick jabs from his back up weapon—his sword having been lost in the heated chase some time before.

To Orion's extreme shock, his Dagger suddenly shattered upon contact with whatever was assailing him—rendering him weaponless and at the mercy of his would-be-killer.

Surprisingly, instead of a cold merciless blade being the first thing he felt, a hand clenched down on his throat and whipped him around before slamming him against a tree leaning over the river bed, the impact forcing the air from his lungs—leaving him disoriented.

With blurry vision and stars in the corners of his eyes, Orion started weakly into the heated red orbs of the creature— _ **the Predator,**_ _the wraith of the east and south_. Nothing could be discerned from the being as every inch of its body was transparent, a testament to the report filed by the lone survivor; Orion could even seen the unconscious body of Vue directly through the central portion of its chest.

Seeing as how he'd met his end, Orion glared hatefully into the red eyes of the creature before he slowly became confused when its hand forcefully turned his head from left to right—as if it was studying his appearance. Then, after a moment of even more staring—Orion heard a distinct growl of disappointment before he was dropped to the floor, coughing roughly due to a lack of oxygen.

After a moment of gaining his bearings, the sole surviving devil – minus the unconscious Vue – found himself alone and alive, with no sign of the Predator to be seen... as if it just vanished.

The shock of the situation and the sheer relief caused the man to collapse to his knees; overwhelmed by the miracle of surviving the encounter.

* * *

Ryden watched the devil from his spot within the tree line; his eyes closely watching the devil dispose of his helmet and revealing the visage of a moderately aged man openly weeping in relief.

Ryden didn't plan on killing the devil—he even found himself sparing that other swarm knight just to increase the likeliness of this encounter spreading further. He expected these two to not last much longer due to their involvement with Shalba – a literal descendant – but he needed the word to get around somehow.

It sucked that these two would most likely meet an untimely death – possible suicide even – just so Shalba could keep his pearly white record of a security force; all that bitch needed was a slight dent to his record and he'd probably lose a good sum of credibility, and he might even throw a tantrum if that happened... which is exactly what he wanted.

All he could hope is that the public learned of this encounter before anyone in the Government did. But it was bad enough for Shalba that lord and Lordess Valefor ' _perished'_ during this little attack, so a public explanation would probably be demanded of him—or at least force the political families to question why one of their allied families suddenly went missing; thus the pressure was mounted.

Ryden sighed after a moment before the main reason of his sudden disposal of his hunt filled his ear. He had wanted to drag out this hunt a couple of minutes longer—yet someone felt the need to cut his time short.

 _[Dagger-1, this is Dagger-5—report your status]_

 _._

 _[Dagger-1, this is Dagger-5—come in]_

 _._

 _[Dagger-1, this is Dagger-5—please come in]_

Ryden idly chewed on his lip in extreme annoyance when radio silence was broken yet again before he opened the comm's channel, tone seething but contained. "This is _Dagger-1_ , I read you loud and clear Dagger-5, go ahead" Ryden spoke before Nyx could repeat himself again.

 _[Dagger-1, rendezvous back to base ASAP—Crimson Dagger has been authorized for a new mission]_

Ryden sighed after hearing the command. "what's the mission Dagger-5?"

 _[Nothing I can say over open comm's Dagger-1, just get back here... we have something you need to hear]_

Ryden nodded at the information before he turned away from the image of the slowly calming Orion and took off towards his objective; Ventus' wings erupting from his back a moment after.

* * *

 **[One hour later/ Crimson Dagger Secluded Operating base]**

Ryden stared down at the OPSAT station, surprise and mild relief filling his thoughts as he merely stared down at the image before him. "Your certain this information is verified?" Ryden questioned only for Nyx, Abigail and Rosalina to confirm his question.

"Abigail and Rosa confirmed it Ryden—everything checks out" Rivia added for further confirmation.

All around the OPSAT station stood the entire team that made up the Crimson Dagger, while the two maids and lone butler framed the outer edges of the tent; their backs straight and poised for any order given. Yet among them, both lord and Lordess Valefor sat roughly on a set of stools, the both of them nervously staring into the back of the crimson haired devil.

As if feeling the two's gazes, Ryden glanced over to them—mildly causing the two to slightly recoil upon meeting the devils eyes. The both of them had witnessed what the devil had been doing before they had left that carriage; and to say they were shocked to see the devil alive and well right after he'd forcefully detonated a demonic engine core was honestly mind boggling to say the least.

It was clear their slight fear of the devil to be unfounded.

"Lord Valefor, is this information correct?—Is it confirmed without a reason of a doubt?" Ryden pressured to which Gale nodded profusely.

"I had been informed of their transfer to that region by lord Murmur himself—that report was recently established only a couple days ago and I'd see no reason for them to change such a transfer like that so quickly" gale replied evenly before Ryden nodded and returned to staring at the OPSAT station.

"I can understand that well enough Lord Valefor, but this feels to convenient—to easy. It's not lady Lucifuge's style to make a mistake like this... so why would she do it?" Ryden pressed before Nyx piped in.

"Perhaps the pressure we've been causing for the last week might have forced her hand—hell, lord Valefor might've been transferred there shortly after this public marriage deal fell through" both lord and Lordess Valefor flinched at Nyx's words, causing the man to paused briefly before continuing. With one family tied to an allied one, Creuserey might have seen the need to distance these two as far from their schemes as possible—or even associate them with something damning, like this..."

At Nyx's last word, the man gestured to the OPSAT station which forced Ryden to shake his head again. "That still makes no sense... why would Lady Lucifuge send all of her chips to the same location when it's perfectly clear that we're in the area; I mean I did kinda broadcast our presence with that storm a while ago"

At that, Nyx nodded in agreement. "True..."

This time Rosalina added in her two cents. "But this doesn't mean she isn't panicking Ryden; you can't honestly believe lady lucifuge to be in perfect control all the time—with everything we've done in the past week, all the rumors that have spread and the pressure that's mounted, she may have done this in order to focus on more pressing matters that correlate with staunching a public outcry. Already they have a dead family of supporters—"

Ryden butted in. " _That's_ the issue though—the family that's ' _dead'_ is one of the very families that had been blackmailed, for all we know, she could have already connected the dots and subsequently placed all her chips in one area to sweeten the pot and wait for our dumbasses to try and spring the obvious trap"

"In that area though? That seems way to foolish... especially with what's residing in that area" Abigail added before a knowing smirk stretched across her face. "Wait... don't tell me your nervous Ryden; you _did_ sign up for this yourself after all" the red haired lightly teased to which Ryden scoffed.

" _That_ doesn't make me nervous Abigail—what makes me nervous is how blatantly easy this whole development is; we don't know what they have in store for us and I don't need to remind you guys what I had to close a few days ago. _Ventus_ and _Fulgur_ seemed nervous of that pit and you'd be damn sure that I'd listen when a hyper-perverted sword and an overly focused bow tells me to remain vigilant" Ryden argued seriously before he sighed after a moment of silence.

"I just want our bases covered—I want to make sure our intents aren't written on the walls after every hunt. If you guys want to do this, then we'll need to paint a broader picture. Our targets can't just be the blackmailed families, but noble families in general"

Rosalina blinked at his meaning. "so you want to start mounting a noble body count?" she asked with a set of wide eyes. "That's...—"

"—exactly what we need right now. We have a target already within our effective range, yet for some reason she's still alive when a noble family _miles_ from our first sight of appearance has bit the dust. That's already a clear sign of target favorability, so why don't we start setting _**the Predator's**_ list of targets to appear more indiscriminate; rather than surgical? Cause if we keep up with this target favorability and jump at the first opportunity she provides, then lady lucifuge is gonna start predicting our moves—even manipulating them"

Ryden's reason was sound for all present, leading to Rosalina to cross her arms under her bust, accentuating them – an odd new habit that she'd taken to doing more and more – before she eyed the man closely; unaware of the snide smirk from Rivia off to her side.

 _It was becoming subconscious now..._

"What would you have us do for now then?" she questioned with an analytical eye.

Ryden lightly shook his head upon seeing Rosalina's odd habit again, yet he quickly returned his attention back to present before anything came of his little mistake in staring. "W-well Rosa, since lady lucifuge thinks she knows our patterns and objectives—I'd say we focus on smaller objectives, lay low for a couple days before we try and take this opportunity. She probably has as many men as she can muster guarding that trap right now; all we need to do is _not_ take the bait"

Upon hearing Ryden's words, Nyx – surprisingly – found himself remembering a few things regarding a certain group of 'rebels' within the territory; and before the usual hesitant devil could filter his words—they were already leaving his lips.

"What if we aren't the ones to take the bait?" Nyx offered, catching the attention of everyone in the room.

"Pardon?" questioned Ryden, confused by his words.

Nyx shrugged knowingly. "I said— _what if_ _ **we**_ _aren't the ones to take the bait?_ " Nyx pressed further before realization dawned on the majority of those in the room, a ferocious grin rising to Ryden's face as the true meaning of Nyx's cryptic question finally made sense.

"Rosa..."

At her names call, Rosalina glanced over to a darkly smirking Ryden—the man seemingly on the verge of licking his lips. "yes?"

"Know what I said about laying low?"

Rosalina merely nodded slowly at his train of questions...

"forget I said anything about laying low—cause this plan... this plan changes everything"

Rosalina merely sighed after hearing that, an action lightly amusing a knowing Rivia Abaddon. "yeah—I had a feeling it would... pulling it off however will be a different story"

* * *

 _ **[Ashfeld/ northern point of hell/ sulfur field mines]**_

 _[all preparations' have been sent lady lucifuge; your new guests will arrive shortly]_

"Understood captain, keep me posted on the events in the capital city"

 _[as you command—though what will we do about these rumors? the nobles and the public are growing anxious]_

"Ignore them—our guests within the territory do not fit the rumors and it's of little consequence to you, leave _my_ men to the rumors end"

 _[by your order my lady]_

"Carry on with your duties captain, but should anything happen... Know that I will _not_ be happy"

 _[Y-yes my lady...]_

"carry on captain"

.

.

.

"You know of your task? The one you are hunting?"

" **I do..."**

"Will it be a challenge for you?"

" **No..."**

"...I expect nothing less than perfection commander"

" **And you will receive nothing but perfection"**

"...Your departure for the capital begins effective immediately—brief your team on the matter during your travels"

" **As you command... my Queen"**

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Another build up chapter for the boys – and girls... if I even have girl readers that is...**

 **Well... for this chapter there really isn't much to say, really – mostly just build up and repetition – but next chapter should be a real winner.**

 **As for my previous chapter... I really don't know what to take from its reception. BUT, rest assured, things are gonna be picking up a little bit in the next chapter; both in action and in a sort of _lore exploration_ as I've been hit with a set of idea's that I'm gonna implement into this story in order to really shed light on the origins of the _Infernum Armis'_ and what that nether pit is hinting at.**

 **Something ominous is looming over the horizon... and I thinks it's time I start hyping _that_ up.**

 **Anyways, Leave your thoughts on this chapter in a review, favorite and follow if it struck your fancy and as always...**

 **PEACE!**

 **Next chapter: [Blazing meteor]**


	25. Blazing Meteor

_**-Blazing Meteor-**_

" _So... this was a thing..._

 _...Honestly at that time my mind just couldn't wrap around the idea that the coldest, merciless, heartless and most calculated bitch that was Grayfia Lucifuge, had really placed all of her 'chips' in one of the_ _ **worst**_ _places imaginable... it was either her, or the bright minded Cuck-lord Creuserey had come up with the idea._

 _Here's what they decided to do..._

 _Not only had the_ _ **Belial**_ _family been transferred to the_ _ **City of Ashfeld**_ _to oversee the mines as the defacto wardens – as informed by Gale Valefor – but the_ _ **Amon**_ _and_ _ **Vassago**_ _family had been also transferred there in order to assist the small devil family with meeting Old-Satan quota's..._

 _Confusing right? I mean why transfer a bunch of unwilling devil families to a remote desert land of brimstone, sulfur and torture; and leave them in charge of it?_

 _Sounds dumb as fuck..._

 _But I thought on it for a moment..._

 _Kinda like how a cartel 'expects' certain people to get a certain task done within a selected time frame; and if said task was not completed at a certain time, then the son was either killed or the daughter was 'introduced' to a select number of men in a less then healthy manner... which usually ended with death._

 _So that may be exactly what the blackmailed families were going through; good ol' fashion blackmail—with the added spice of Sodomy!_

 _Sure, you're probably thinking – "Ryden, this isn't as stupid as it sounds" – or – "from a tyrannical political standpoint, that plan seems full proof—cause not only does it force the blackmailed families to associate with criminal activity, but it also keeps the rebellious families busy"_

 _And in all honesty, I would agree with that notion; however... it seems they weren't exactly aware of their exact location..._

 _The Old-Satan forces situated there were heavily cut off from civilization and locked in an incredibly dangerous environment due to sulfur storms and brimstone fires; which constantly contaminated their food supply due to the extreme toxicity in the air—kinda like Chernobyl, but without radiation._

 _But that wasn't the worst of it..._

 _Why? You may ask... "What's worse than a near inhospitable wasteland?"_

 _Well... they were kinda in the presence of a_ _ **king**_ _..._

 _...A_ _ **Dragon king**_ _to be exact_

* * *

 **[Crimson Dagger operations log: 08/ Field summary:** _ **due to information acquired from the recently rescued Valefor Lord and Lordess; information regarding the remaining three families have been located at the northern point of hell, in the City of Ashfeld**_ **/ Current Objective:** _ **Crimson Dagger en-route to the outer limits of hells mountainous regions, at the farthest point northeast—towards the valley passage into the heart of Dragon claimed territory**_ **]**

* * *

It had been a mild chore to locate another APC carriage for low profile transport to the Northeast sector of the mountain region, yet after scouring the majority of _**the Predators**_ known territory, the Crimson Dagger managed upon a small prefab base somewhere in the mid west sector of the _Territory of Lilith –_ near a distant noble city – which led to a now full team raid on the base for a full packaged and fully tuned up APC carriage.

The distance from the present location to the far corners of the territory – the exact heart of recent Dragon activity – was a daunting journey that would no doubt take a few hours to trip over during flight. And while Ryden and Nyx had stated the topic of flying would be a better option – just so they could avoid the recently establish checkpoints and cut down the time traveled – the others however had calmly stated the possibility of there being aerial scanners hidden within the territory, and considering _**the Predator**_ was the only known anomaly taking residence within the region, they couldn't risk breaking the rumors with countering stories of their being Anti-Satan personnel within the territory as well.

If that happened then connections by the public would be made—thus destroying the fearful grip _**The Predator**_ had on the territory of Lilith.

Word had traveled around about the deaths of lord and Lordess Valefor at the hands of _**The Predator**_ —which lead to an even greater degree of unrest for the Nobles and the Public; even surprisingly, stories of the creatures habits and preferred _prey_ started cropping up after connections were made. For now, the public knew _**The Predator**_ only hunted military personnel – basically anyone carrying a weapon – and seemed to only leave the strongest or smartest of its prey alive for a final game of cat and mouse.

It was a mild relief to the public that so far _**The Predator**_ seemed to have either failed to catch the final target—or the Targets themselves were simply not worthy of truly being the final game, thus their survival. While the former idea seemed to carry a mild sense of truth due to the reports from the Rookie, however a good number of military personnel had been on record stating the second reason being the main possibility. Sure enough – and due to the public's chosen favoring of the Rookies story of survival – most of the public didn't take too kindly to those words—which was quickly quelled by Creuserey himself when he stated the simple notion that _**The Predator**_ simply being too good a threat to consider competing with.

After that – and after the Public refrained from lynching the military personnel – Creuserey then began to inform the public – and by extension the nobles – that a new form of counter force was being sent to them by the _Benevolence of_ _ **Lady Lucifuge**_ _..._

 _Benevolence he says..._

 _...Dumbass._

It was clear things were looking more pressured then expected; and due to the failure of Shalba's bumbling division of amateurs, and Creuserey's lack of containing the issue, Grayfia was sending them help—and the idiot had stated that to the public.

Clearly, the Descendants didn't consider what single minds of their public masses thought of them when everything was said and done—probably seeing each glowing face of reverence as mere sheep to hurl at the meat grinder when their way was achieved. Creuserey himself was probably now seen as a mere puppet, either controlled by Rizevim or Grayfia – and they weren't wrong – and the arm of Shalba's security force was now seen as a total dud of a division—merely glorified guardians that were mostly meant to _look_ the part rather than BE the part.

And the best part of that?

The deaths of the swarm knights at his hands had even been stated to the public!

Ryden may not be as versed in politics as deeply as a Politician, but even he could see the sheer failure the PR had been, and the dumbass had been the one to do it! Honestly, if he was with Grayfia right now, he'd probably laugh his ass off when word of the man's mistake finally reached her; like seriously? How full of yourself do you need to be to not consider the thoughts and opinions of your masses? Even if it was merely to keep the masses loyal to you—it was better to paint the image of a lie, then to full on reveal the complete failure of the territories defenses.

At times, honesty could be used to help further the masses loyalty, but when it came to failing to protecting a fellow noble house from getting killed, and continuously failing to apprehend the culprit of the mass killings within a supposedly safe territory, it did help at all—and merely sugar coating that with honeyed words like 'The benevolence of my superior' didn't sound as awesome as some simple minded tyrant believed.

Quite honestly, it had the opposing effect...

Sure, a large majority of the masses may see the reinforcements as a mild remedy for their worries; but that still didn't stop the rumors and doubts from spreading—and anyone with half a brain would know what would happen next once the rumors and doubts caught on, especially when one considers the legacy the Old-Satan descendants wanted to leave behind... compared to the Anti-Satan's.

Once loyalty was tested – these _'chosen leaders'_ – would start rounding up any naysayers and doubters and begin culling the heard with private executions, all in the name of their 'Glorious dream'. It would start as private, but sooner or later questions will begin to rise up when people start to go missing, and doubt will begin to take shape along with fear of anyone... once that happens, the society begins to crumble—and loyalty becomes an object of survival rather than an ideal to follow.

No one likes believing in something their forced to... obviously

Aside from this gloomy news; one of the more positives notes was the canceling of the Marriage between the Beleth family and the seemingly sole surviving Valefor daughter – now none as _Rena_ _Valefor_. Due to the apparent loss of the Valefor family crest with the deaths of her parents, Rena was immediately forgotten when the one thing the Beleth family desired was seemingly lost to oblivion – consumed into the massive well that was the Dantalion family.

It was obvious the marriage was merely a ploy to force the more powerful Valefor family to marry into a lower status family strictly so the Old-Satan's could bleed the Valefor's of their vast riches—yet because of Ryden, that plan was destroyed—and Rena was soon branded an Extra demon and left to her own devices.

She neither had money to survive nor any other family to fall back to—and so she was left to the outskirts of the region, near the far western area for whatever reason. Ryden had pondered the reason the Old-Satan's didn't just cut the loose end and state it as 'despair induced suicide' when her body was discovered; yet surprisingly, she was left mostly unattended... perfect for Rivia to swoop in and Evac her from her temporary residence.

None of them could honestly dream of leaving that issue for more than a couple of days; and when word finally came down that Rena had been branded an extra and left mostly unattended—it was both Rosalina and Rivia who quickly sprang to action in order to rescue the obviously grieving woman.

Ryden was surprised by Rivia's vehemence in going—he was even more surprised when Rosalina demanded she go along as well, possessing a fiery resolve that even gave Rivia a small moment of pause. And not even a couple hours later and Rivia and Rosalina stepped back into existence with an unconscious woman in Rivia's arms—the woman herself having been found crying softly to herself in her chambers.

Rena was a woman that took after her mother in the looks department, yet she possessed her father's black hair instead of the regal blonde that adored lady Valefor; however, everything else about the woman matched her mother with obvious genetic variables... he didn't need to describe her appearance as much, as her figure matched with every known woman in hell...

 _Hour-glass figure, hefty bust—yada-yada-yada... the usual._

It had been an amusing event when the woman finally awoke within a soft bed located inside Rosalina's private domicile – for some reason having been stripped of her clothes some time before hand – only for her to lock eyes with a calm Rosalina Phenex sipping away at some hot beverage she'd procured—reading away at the daily acquired news paper regarding the previous day's events.

 _Amusing_ had been the word to describe it in Ryden's lingo, but it was more 'eventful' then amusing—well it could be strewed that way depending on his willingness to admit his perversion.

He didn't know what exactly had gone down inside Rosalina's tent – be it a friendly conversation between two noble ladies or an overly friendly reunion between two _'Besties'_ was best left for later debate – because after a moment of silence and casual lounging—mostly waiting; the entrance to Rosalina's tent burst open to reveal a stark naked woman sprint through and home in on lord Valefor; the streak of skin and tears literally shooting off like a missile before glomping the devil to the ground—a chorus of relief filled words soon filling the area as she held her father in a vice grip like hug.

Amidst the chaos of the events, lady Valefor quickly covered the woman in a blanket – smiling in amusement as she did so – in order to cover her modesty; and soon after the initial relief washed over, and Lord Valefor was returned to his feet after having literally been used as a demonic Kleenex, the situation had gone to the eventful.

Gratitude had its limits but when Ryden had given the woman a summary of their efforts in the territory, and the means in which they had procured her parents during their travels to the Beleth estate, it had been his turn to became the object of tight hugs and a few sloppy kisses to his forehead and cheek—add the present fact that she was still naked left the scene far too much for Rivia and Rosalina to handle, as they were the ones to ease the woman from her hugging... with extreme persuasion.

Rena Valefor – it seemed – was the hyperactive type of person, full of energy when happy and relentless in her pursuit to spread it—irregardless of her state of dress... she honestly didn't seem to have cared at all—judging by the goofy grin on her face. Well once Rosalina managed to pry the woman off of him, Rivia had idly stated that it had been Nyx Oriax that had learned of Lord and Lady Valefor's transport—to which Nyx immediately turned tail the moment she said that... only to be dropped to the floor by Rena Valefor's _linebacker_ training.

He got laid the fuck out...

It was all laughs and jokes for a small time – something that had been needed for the team – to which a small celebration was held in order to honor the efforts of the five devils that had successfully pulled them from the fire. Once the celebration was completed by the morning of the following day—the new objective was to begin; much to the moderate awe of the three nobles...

* * *

"Your... what?" Rena gaped with a set of wide eyes as she stared into Ryden's blue orbs like they were balls of sheer testosterone.

Ryden nodded at her words, unfazed. "Yes—I am..." he repeated before lady Valefor lightly leaned in—her hand gripping her head moderately at the notion being finally revealed to them.

"So not only are you planning to actual go for the bait – that you specifically stated that you wouldn't – but you also plan on allying with the Dragon's in the northeast?" Lady Valefor stated, both shock and awe radiating off of her in tandem with her worry; a moment of silence from Ryden – the man merely smiling at them – and lady Valefor simply shook her head. "Honestly—you Gremory's can be so stubborn... you know the danger these beings bring, yet you would test yourself against a supposed Dragon king?" she laminated questioningly—doubt still seeping off of in her tandem with her slowly mounting awe... the confidence in this man was apparent enough even for her to be impressed.

"It is not so much as a shock to us now after having seen the _Arbiter_ converse with the majesty of _Tiamat_ without fear" Rivia replied evenly, her position at his side almost being hip to hip—he even felt a slight protective sensation radiating off of Rivia whenever he was in her proximity.

It was a sudden change in demeanor that had forced Ryden to take notice of the change in Rivia; from the tighter embraces and far more aggressive cuddles during his sleep, to the obvious proximity breaches whenever she saw him, and finally he became aware of the almost reverent respect and admiration she had for him had revealed the complete notion that Rivia's 'bond' with him was practically maxed out.

Aside from categorizing the woman's clear attraction to him in the same sense he would a video game character, Ryden knew for a fact that Rivia was right on the precipice of becoming something more to him...all he needed to do was take the leap.

Or at least acknowledge the woman for what she was and what she wanted... _him_ , to be exact—or at least that's what he thought she wanted him to do...

With all of her signs of increased interest with him, Rivia still kept herself poised when needed and still followed professional codes of conduct whenever the moment demanded it. With the way Rivia had been acting recently, his naive mind might have expected her to jump him when he fell in bed – take him right then and there – yet for some reason it didn't reach that point... as much as his inexperienced mind made him believe.

It took a few moments for him to processes that Rivia was simply making him aware of the issue – if he could even call it that – without expecting much of it—merely reminding him of who she was and what she was to him...

He couldn't ignore the change – especially when he didn't know what he did to bring it out – but whenever he'd try to confront her on the matter, Rivia would merely smirk warmly at him before carrying on with whatever she had been doing—be it hunting patrols or scouring the territory for sources of information. Even when he'd find the opportunity to question her during the night she'd merely silence him with a finger and press him hard into her chest...snickering like a high school girl all the while.

It was a couple days of that and Ryden found himself ignoring the matter all together; clearly, Rivia didn't desire a response yet – probably due to their Mission – and simply gave the signs as a simple reminder that SHE wasn't the one pressure him, but merely reminding him that she was waiting and still very much interested... judging by the volume of proximity breaches and small reverent glances and words.

Ryden thanked the dead god for that when he realized Rivia's intention, thankful that Rivia seemed wise enough to not pressure a form of romantic commitment right in the middle of enemy lines. As much as the TV series _Grey's Anatomy_ gained in popularity, it wasn't as accurate as some may say... so the last thing he wanted – and Rivia included – was to depict hells version of _Grey's Anatomy_ by choosing romantic choices over rational and professional distance and courtesy.

So aside from that, when Ryden noted his hips proximity with Rivia's, he instead found the looks of shock and awe on the three in front of him to be even more alluring then the clearly growing relationship right beside him.

However... unbeknownst to him, Rivia's eyes slowly rolled over her left shoulder—her golden orbs locking with a set of blue eyes adorn by a certain Phenex... the woman in question glaring heatedly at the woman in response.

Yet even still, Ryden had at time's seen the odd glances between Rivia and Rosalina and would noticed the former's constant smug grins whenever their eyes met; and after the little staring contest, Rivia either carried on with her day like nothing had happened, or increase the proximity breaches just a little until Ryden could sense Rosalina's sudden spike in demonic energy.

It was subtle, and honestly very hard to detect for some time, but he wasn't as clueless now as he had been before. He'd seen the bickering between the two back before their deployment into the _Rose Garden_ , but now it seemed to be more a subtle _competition_ – like an unvoiced game between two equals – and all Ryden could do upon noticing it was—well... _quell Fulgur's perverted howling_. The spirit for some reason found humor in the two women and strictly advised Ryden to NOT interfere with it, as it was stated to be a natural course of action that needed to be settled between the two on their own.

Ryden had voiced his concerns regarding _it_ but _Fulgur_ had assured him strongly that nothing negative would come of it... much to Ryden's continued doubt.

So that had happened, and now – after having finished explaining to the Valefor's regarding their plan – Ryden and the others left to the Midwest sector of Lilith to get their ride—leaving Rena and her parents in the protective custody of their servants.

Now it was time to get things underway...

* * *

 _ **[Midwest Carriage prefab station/ centralized region of Lilith]**_

* * *

 _[Dagger-5 in position...]_

 _[Dagger-4 primed and ready...]_

 _[Dagger-3... waiting for the signal]_

 _[Dagger-2... ready]_

"Dagger-1 calling in all clear—operation is a go"

At the peak of a small hill located in the middle of a large expanse of lush tall grass on all sides, was a large compound base that stood several meters high and was nearly 200,000 square feet in total diameter; which was estimated to support several dozen working inquisitors within along with civilian engineers.

Surprisingly, the compound wasn't framed or encased by any exterior blockades such as walls or any of the like—yet on the outside of the compound were several dozen sand block barriers – almost looking like the classic 'Hesco sand blocks' used by modern military – that were positioned in such a way that it left a good bit of the compound surrounded by the simple yet effective blocks of sand.

Ryden was confused why they chose these over other forms of defense, yet after seeing signs of hasty construction he pulled back his previous statement when it was clear the new additions was not only recent, but placed on very short noticed—probably due to _**The Predator's**_ rumored territory control having come out some time ago, close to about a day or two, which probably spooked the Oldies so bad they decided to narrow their field of view.

I mean, why create defensive barriers when the anomalous target was rumored to be _invisible_? Made no sense to simply supply cover for it... which is exactly what they did.

A couple minutes before they had arrived, Abigail had gone ahead in order to locate a perfect location for long ranged support—leading to her current position at the peak of a distant boulder, placing her right behind the rest of her team.

According to Abigail, the skeleton crew working on the outside of the compound ranged in the dozens – probably being extra muscle for added security – while the inside of the base would be revealed once they dealt with a good batch of targets. Due to the risk of destroying their efforts in building up _**The Predator's**_ habits, they had removed the 'one survivor' rule and were simply under advisement to remove all targets without any surviving forces.

Surprisingly, Abigail had revealed that the engineers currently stationed within the compound had been released for the night, leaving the entire compound theirs to invade without any possible collateral. Convenience aside, the estimated number of OPFOR was staggering enough to warrant a full on incursion into the compound on all sides while Abigail took out the guards out of their reach.

It was a gamble on their end – not a big one – but should they miss a single target, then word might get out regarding the attack, which could lead to a few questions regarding _**The Predators**_ motives. Obviously, should that happen, then they'd merely steal an APC carriage and then demo the rest in order to create an illusion that spoke of mere sabotage.

Yet even if it came to that, total destruction of a 'hunting' sight was not something _**The Predator**_ did when in eyeshot of a noble castle. Word _had_ come down to the public – in the form of rumors and leaks – that a trio of Carriages were seen on the edge of a road located to the far western woods; the carriages themselves looking as if they had been destroyed by a powerful explosion that gutted one and shredded the other two.

Remnants was all that remained; corpses and clear evident signs of struggle was all that were left behind... aside from the token survivor of course. Not once did anyone witness anything out of the ordinary, which placed stress on the effectiveness of this attack. It had to be perfectly executed – text book even. If they were gonna make this little trip of theirs go off without losing a majority of their 'believers' then they had to leave behind a text book hunt without bringing up any new variables that may suggest a mistake.

If that was conceived, then their long trip to the northeast would leave the public and the nobles in a state of confusion—which leads to questions and then investigations; and without solidifying the new found habit with constant attacks that fit the new discovery then it _would_ come across as a mistake. Considering what they had planned for the future, it may seem a little convenient that right after detecting a mistake in _**The Predators**_ habits—a random dragon attack would commence at Ashfeld... and Ryden had no intention in hiding his identity when that time came.

Things needed to stay the same in order for one hundred percent deniability to be viable in case someone suspects something... he'd practiced his ignorance before – many times – all they needed to do was keep things normal.

Powerful as they were, it didn't exempt them from the term ' _difficult'_ in any shape or form...

 _[This is Dagger-5, south side infiltrated]_

 _[Dagger-3...west side cleared—moving on to next designation]_

Ryden lashed out to a lone devil whose back was facing him, his arm blade puncturing through the man's throat wetly before he dragged the body into cover and carried on – a mild sweat drop developing after hearing the last transmission.

He shook his head before he continued to file down the OPFOR along his eastern side of the compound—the area itself possessing a moderate number of guards that were more half asleep then ready, which gave him the perfect chance to 'speed run' his quadrantby lightly jogging along the outer limits; slashing, cutting and crushing any unfortunate inquisitor in his path before he eased himself into the more open driveways closer to the base of the compound walls.

" _This is Dagger-1, I'm closing in on the main building's entrance"_ Ryden reported as he spotted the evident garage bay doors just a few meters from him; the snub nosed hoods of the APC's sticking out just slightly from his angle of approach.

 _[Understood Dagger-1, but be advised—enemy patrol patterns have shown the main entrance to be a high traffic area—expect immediate contact]_

" _Copy that Dagger-4..."_

Ryden expected the main garage area to be a high contingent of activity compared to any other part of the compound; as the sheer value these APC's possessed was something else entirely. The Old-Satan forces hadn't actually deployed these puppies into the _Territory of Thorns_ yet, possibly due to them either being too valuable to depart with, or simply didn't perform as intended. Either way, they had been rumored to be extremely costly – costing about a small fortune to possess just a handful – yet it was this degree of risk that led him to infiltrate this sector in the first place.

 _They won't like it when they find them sabotaged..._

Ryden un-clipped his thigh holster and drew _Cerberus_ from it before he quickly thumbed back the _anti-infantry hammer_ in order to activate one of his first upgrades to the hand cannon. He had honestly found it easy to manipulate the fabrication table and upgrade module in order for him to create his own selection of juicy new firing modes to use—the whole process itself being so easy that multiple projects and experiments had come to life; which led to the first one... **[Whisper rounds]**

Just as the newly fashioned firing mode locked in, Ryden found himself leaning against the main entrance to the first garage door bay. With a quick and casually glance around the corner, his vision was instantly greeted by the poised back of a sentry guard. With the devil having obviously not seen him, Ryden continued to survey the garage bay area and spotted an office cubical at the top of the room, framed on either side by a series of catwalks that ran all along the entire prefab area. As for the prefab area itself, each fabrication station – that was currently occupied by APC's – were all located in the same room; yet even better, the slide doors themselves all possessed the same energy signature—meaning they had a central control area.

 _He could lock his targets in if he flipped that switch._

Ryden's eyes locked onto the office area – the single elevated office space that oversaw all constructing operations – and immediately knew the key to closing the doors was inside, yet all he needed to do was get there without alerting anyone.

Just another Tuesday...

" _Dagger-4, this is Dagger-1; requesting assistance..."_

 _[What do you need Dagger-1?]_

" _I'm looking to evaluate, can I get a sitrep on my location"_

Ryden waited several seconds before a ghostly green arrow lightly pricked the top of the garage bay doors without anyone outside to witness. The arrow struck true before it exploded into a silent and seamless spray of particles, yet almost instantly Ryden could see every devil dwelling within the garage area due to Abigail's wall hack arrow.

He smiled at the sight of all twenty or so devils mulling about before he casually waved over his shoulder in appreciation—the action itself been idly witnessed by a distant Abigail before she shifted her attention back onto Nyx and Rosalina.

Ryden on the other hand briskly tossed himself up towards the steel catwalk to his right and filed over to the office cubicle dangling above the lethargic action below. There wasn't anyone inside the office other than a selection of files and reports sitting in an organized fashion on the central desk in the room – distribution logs and account filings were what most of the contents focused on – yet sitting along the wall was a big red button that was hooked to a selection of wiring that ran up to the roof of the cubical and out to the bay doors themselves.

 _Bingo_!

" _Dagger-3 this is Dagger-1, how quickly can you get to my position?"_ Ryden questioned over the comm's channel as he approached the big red button... the temptation to just push it was apparent enough that he audibly groaned.

 _[Instantly Dagger-1]_

Ryden smirked at the woman's eagerness. _"...I'm waiting"_

Being true to her word, a second invisible presence seemed to materialize right behind Ryden before he glanced over and sighted Rivia stepping out of her rift—cloak still active.

" _Glad you can make it to the party..."_ Ryden joked lightly as his hand hovered over the button.

Rivia calmly ignored the joke and surveyed the area. "What did you need me for?" she questioned in her regular tone, no whisper either.

Ryden could tell Rivia was all business – why exactly? He had no idea – but it was clear the woman was deeply focused in carrying out whatever task he desired. Either it was loyalty or a deep connection with her serious side he couldn't really know for sure so he had to just get out his request before the woman froze him over with her staring.

"Can that muting ability of yours cover this entire room?" he asked while gesturing to the entire garage area with his index finger.

Rivia nodded yet lightly sighed after a moment. "What plan are you conjuring up this time?" she questioned in response, incredulous to say the least.

Ryden surveying the area again just encase the office they were in didn't suddenly became the most popular spot around; yet when he fully grasped the response from Rivia, he eyed her with a degree of amusement that honestly spoke of exclusive knowledge to a joke that Rivia couldn't – or wouldn't – understand.

Ryden giggled. "I'm about to do what's called a _Pro-Gamer move..._ "

Rivia blinked at his choice of words, confused at what this 'Pro-Gamer move' was before she found herself slowly nodding. "I see... command it and it shall be done" Rivia relented with a calm demeanor while Ryden snickered gently at the woman's response.

Honestly, the phrase itself was unknown to him but for some reason the thought just struck him out of the blue; but regardless, the placement of the joke was perfect and he found himself inching towards the red button a moment after, intent on shutting off the energy supplying to the garage bay doors before Rosalina's voice cut into the mildly tensing atmosphere, thus further pushing along Ryden's 'Pro-Gamer move'.

 _[This is Dagger-2, compound alarms have been deactivated]_

Just when Ryden pressed the button he smiled at the convenient call out from Rosalina—the simple line of dialogue practically sealing the compounds fate right then and there. Not even a second after and the bay doors were all sealed shut courtesy of Ryden—and leaving those below in a mild state of confusion for only a second as their expressions frozen over – _**literally**_ _– before sound itself was flushed away..._

Time ground to an immaculate halt once Ryden unsheathed _Fulgur_ – the crimson edges arcing every so often – while his very eyes shone bright red. He glanced casually at Rivia and noticed the woman calmly standing before the polished oak desk with her hand gently pressed against it—a small white demonic sigil imprinted on the surface, marking the mute spells current state of activation.

Ryden couldn't quite get over the sight in front of him; it wasn't as if time was permanently froze as the soft and very subtle motion seen in Rivia eyes was key enough for him to be aware of that, yet his speed – even when walking – was so far above normal that the very particles of dust in the air seemed to gently float aimlessly around him—as if gravity itself was no longer present.

Clarity was his vision defined; every detail around him was amplified to extreme measures; colors bloomed marginally more than usual while the very signatures of all those around him seemed to be more pronounced and sharper—narrowed down to a more personal state of mind. Ryden could feel Rivia's signature, an odd mix of warmth and cold that left behind a neutrality that he could not refute, as if she possessed the warmth of light and the cold embrace of darkness within her.

A single thought was all it took for him to understand her origin; the dark angel Abaddon – the destroyer – that had been self-condemned to hell for reasons left unknown to him, yet even so, Rivia's origin was marred in both divine and... _**?**_

Ryden blinked, confused at the sensation dwelling within Rivia before he found himself staring even further into the black edges of her origin.

It was odd – not terrifying – because deep within, the sensation he got from it was... _yearning...Infinite... yearning..._

 _ **Master, I believe the saying goes 'don't stare into the abyss, less it stares back'...I guess I'm saying you should probably stop staring before Rivi notices—and I mean I'm not saying you**_ _ **can't**_ _ **stare – it's really awesome that you are – but in a couple minutes her eyes will finally lock with yours and I think it would be best to avoid that line of questioning, So stop gobbling in the woman's lovely assets and let's get moving!**_

Ryden's eyes shook away their confusion before he indeed saw Rivia's gaze slowly rising up to regard him—barred only by the gap in their perception. He coughed gently in embarrassment and quickly stepped passed the woman and towards the door, yet before he could leave his senses suddenly screamed for him to turn around, as if something was calling out to him with great effort.

He complied and instantly came face to no-face with a dark hooded figure—a spectral anomaly that phased into existence over Rivia's back...

The figure was a hooded being clad in onyx black robes that seemed to shine an ethereal light—as if it was literally wearing an eclipse upon its shoulders. Ryden found himself blinking in confusion when the spectral figure slowly reached out to him – hesitant in its efforts – while the energy signature that radiated off of it was that of the deep yearning he had originally felt before.

A silver gauntlet of sharp intricate design – clawed gently at the fingers – reached out towards him from within the blackened robes of light, the action itself exposing the oddly designed glyphs and markings along the beings metallic gauntlet; yet even with this, the anomaly pressed its advance until it lightly found its mark along Ryden's own extended right hand.

Its touch was delicate, hesitant even, as it felt his digits with such a degree of gentleness that it seemed as if the spirit was afraid he'd shatter apart with even the most sudden of grazes. It felt almost ticklish to Ryden with how soft the anomalies touch had been before the being pulled back its hand and gazed at it closely.

Clearly Ryden had done something to surprise it, as immediately after it pulled back the deep sense of yearning had changed to extreme surprise. The robed anomaly stared between its gauntlet and him for a few more seconds before its signature changed again to full on acceptance— _joy_ even. Ryden didn't know what to make of this moment, to somehow bond with Rivia's personified energy signature – _literally_ _in_ _seconds_ – and somehow do so without the woman even noticing... well, that's what he believed anyway.

The figure stared at him for a moment longer, watching him, before its hooded visage slightly shifted to look out towards the exit. Ryden glanced over to the door and smirked lightly when he slowly realized what it was telling him...

 _The cheeky thing was telling him to get a move on._

Ryden fought a chuckle – nervous of whether it could break the sound barrier all things considered – and simply chose to shake his head at the hooded spirit. So with one final nod to the demonic being, Ryden turned and casually strolled out the office—leaving behind a faint streak of red energy in his wake before he began his stroll towards the catwalk's stair way.

 _Well that was interesting..._

 _ **Indeed, but don't be so surprised master; with the added assistant of Ventus and I—your perception has increased drastically... and that's not including your enhanced speed.**_

 _ **It's as Fulgur says Ryden, with me—no sort of illusion can affect you as it does most others... I'm surprised you didn't even notice that.**_

Ryden shrugged as he descended the catwalk stairs towards the main cargo area, his thoughts casually falling back to the fact that Rivia's cloak hadn't seemed to be working while he was _'enhanced'_ by _Fulgur's_ raw energy. Yet with _Ventus'_ words he now understood why he'd been able to see Rivia in the flesh... _Ventus_ had filtered out the alteration— _purified the manipulation to reality._

 _This is honestly broken... and I haven't even trained for that..._

 _ **Training correlates to individual power—but with us, the four of us are more of a 'partnership' to you then simple skills to learn and struggle for... such wasted time only endangers you, and we do not see the need in keeping strengths from the one more then capable of wield us.**_

Ryden hummed in amusement as he walked passed a guard – parted neatly in half from shoulder to hip with a casual swing of his arm blade – and continued along the outskirts of the garage bay area; cutting down all inquisitors with either casual swings from his arm blade or gentle jabs from _Fulgur_ herself. After neutralizing all the guards along the outer limit of the garage bay area, Ryden swapped to _Cerberus_ and pressed on to drop the guards within the central area of the garage – perfectly placing his shots to their heads – before the entire room was an artistic scene of frozen death.

After a few more minutes, Ryden casually paused at the other end of the room – having lazily dodged some wafting blood from a heavily bleeding inquisitor – and eyed the scene with a look of boredom in his eyes.

 _Its official, until I find someone who could compete against this ability – or keep up – I won't be using this as often, it's just not theatrical enough!_

 _ **That's probably due in part to the fact that most of your opponents have so far been mere cannon fodder at best and simply pillions at worst...and that's obviously including that confrontation you had with the Stolas brat and the Marax brothers. The only 'challenge' you've had was with that lord Bathin and even that's a stretch considering your level of fatigue at the time.**_

 _ **Indeed! Though if you really want to make it theatrical then might I suggest some combo's? Maybe some air time with a few of your victims, oh! maybe you can actually try RUNNING instead of walking! That might help...**_

 _ **Aww, I think you've insulted her Ryden... is her speed enhancement not good enough for you?**_

 _Don't get all guilt trippy with me Ventus—Fulgur's speed enhancement is more than enough for me._

 _ **~Ahh~...Such praise, such affection...i think I might—**_

Ryden instantly closed his connection with the spirit before her perversion bleed off to greatly and his focus was ruined. Evidently, this action left _Ventus_ to deal with the woman's vehement comments of sexual influx while the effect of him cutting connection immediately returned his perception back to normal—which resulted in the slowly descending bodies of the long since killed to collapse to the floor in blooded heaps.

The last thing he heard from _Ventus_ was a muffled curse before silence overtook his mind; leaving Ryden to smirk bemusedly at the comedic closure to his conversation with the spirits while the blood and bodies finally hit the floor.

It was a splash of events in almost perfect synergy, disheveled bodies that had been slashed by his blades wetly collapsed to the floor, along with the bodies that had been dealt with by _Cerberus_ —the contents of their minds leaving gory imprints of their last thoughts along the walls.

A cacophony of death in a single moment—a sound that filled Rivia's ears moments after she'd deactivated her muting spell.

It was a flurry of events that she could not describe, a series of emotions that rapidly filtered into her mind; from the deep yearning that always filled her heart, to sudden inexplicable joy that replaced it—and then to stunned silence when the sights before her seemed to shift to that of violence—or at least the remnants of it.

Bodies littered the floor in blooded heaps, all of which possessing a degree of fatal wounds that she could instantly identify as strategically placed – even surgical – while others possessed small holes in the central portions of their skulls—a distinct sign of what Ryden called a 'headshot' kill, or 'money shot' as he'd often referred it as.

Evidently, the one standing the furthest from her was Ryden himself—casually leaning against the far side wall with what looked like a bored expression laden on his face; and soon enough, Ryden took notice of her staring and waved casually, yet her shock of the moment wasn't yet diminished enough to allow her to wave back.

Rivia had seen speed used before, both by beings long since deceased and by Ryden himself back when they'd chased behind the marching platoons of Old-Satan forces towards _Ventus'_ resting place. Yet what had just happened redefined what she considered as speed; before, she could see Ryden move only briefly before he outpaced her perception, yet this time his speed could match or even outmatch the snapping of a finger... _instantaneous._

The second he'd pressed that garage bay release she'd activated her muting spell; yet somehow, her demonic signature became distressed over something before suddenly overflowing with a positive energy that she had never once felt so prominently before in an _instant_ of the distressed feeling creeping up.

It was a whirlwind of emotions that had caused her to falter in her focus—leading to her spells instant deactivation; yet even still, the outcome was already sealed.

Over twenty inquisitors suddenly died in the blink of an eye – twenty demonic signatures suddenly snuffing out within a flash – and Rivia hadn't been able to get even a glimpse of it all. yet when her eyes found Ryden's, a heat she'd only rarely felt overwhelmed her, forcing her face to heat up in a sudden sensation of joy that she immediately knew to be unnatural for her.

From a distance away, Ryden lightly frowned when Rivia quickly looked away from him – her face bright red in some fashion of embarrassment – before _Ventus_ piped in; either forgetting the previous moment or just outright ignoring it for his own sanity.

 _ **It would seem your little moment of connection with her personified energy signature has caused something...**_

 _I guess so—I mean I wasn't expecting her demonic energy to take the form of a sentient being capable of independent action but I guess everyone's got a shtick._

 _ **That's possible but not likely—I've never heard of a devil possessing a sentient energy signatures before...**_

Ryden rolled his eyes.

 _And I never thought I'd come across a perverted sword and a prude bow—yet here we are..._

 _ **Funny... I guess it is possible for something so impossible to exist**_

 _Well whatever it is, she'll tell me when her face stops glowing..._

 _ **Let's just hope you didn't push her over the edge of control; from what I've felt, that entity had at one point expressed deep yearning before it touched you, and then afterwards, it expressed extreme levels of joy... you can consider me confused on the matter, but the possibility of you having 'bonded' with her demonic energy is also a high possibility.**_

Ryden didn't know why, but hearing that last part honestly caused his heart to heat up in mild worry.

 _I-Is that a bad thing?_

 _ **Hmmm...considering devils bond their demonic energy upon touch directly during and after intercourse it's a good possibility you actually skipped the**_ **penetration** _ **and straight up bonded with her without the fun of the experience—meaning she'll either be really pissed off that you jumped the gun, or she'll become REALLY aggressive in her advances**_

Ryden loudly sighed in brief annoyance with himself, his hand rising up to rub his face in exasperation before he idly glanced up to the office area only to see Rivia calmly approaching him—reserved expression laden upon a face bared red for the world to see... clearly she was aware of the event that had occurred, yet her attempt at a reserved expression was clear enough that she was at least trying to not make things even more awkward.

 _Seriously, time after time after time—I have managed to further my relationship with this woman without much trying. Aside from the two brief moments of consoling her, I've only ever carried myself as I normally have and yet here I am forming a deep seeded bond – almost subconsciously – with a woman well beyond my league in the looks department... Gary-sue much anyone?_

 _ **HEHEHE! Your desperation to rationalize life is so very amusing master!**_

 _Don't patronize me damn it! this is seriously beyond what actually happens in real life—shit like this doesn't just fall from... the fucking...sky..._

.

.

.

 _ **...well... master... I believe you fell from—**_

 _IGNORE THAT IRONY!_

— _ **HAHAHAHA!**_

 _ **As much as this conversation amuses me, I believe your woman is approaching Ryden...**_

Ryden wanted to deeply retort that comment, but just before he could lambaste his wind spirit Rivia stood before him—blush dwindled down to a slightly noticeable shimmer.

 _An awkward moment was approaching..._

Social instincts flared the moment she stopped in front, a combination set of social instincts born from a life of constant social interaction immediately flipped alarm bells in Ryden's head, and soon he found himself a worthy situation to call a challenge.

Without thought or reason, Ryden smirked brightly and gave her a thumbs up, comment already in the chamber. "so, how's that for a _Pro-Gamer_ move?" he questioned before his heart immediately sank when his left hand rose and rested on the woman's armored shoulder.

The second his hand made landfall on Rivia's shoulder he felt the world crumble away and the color in his face drained when the mistake was evident; Rivia even found herself suddenly losing control of her blush briefly upon his sudden action, yet at least she managed to react well enough to stop the moment before it got any bit worse.

Her finger gently pressed against his lips when he went to speak, silencing him before she leaned in to his ear. _"We will discuss this at a later date—for now... we have work to do"_ she whispered simply before pulling away—yet Ryden noted her finger had idly remained against his lips for a brief moment longer before trailing along his lips in a very gentle manner, sensually even.

A blush was all that came of his response, a reaction that Rivia found satisfaction in before she stepped past him. Yet before she left, Rivia glanced over to Ryden and smirked playfully. "though, before that... might I suggest a bet?" Rivia offered plainly.

Ryden was gonna be honest, the previous actions of Rivia had left him a stammering mess of sorts, yet the sudden mention of a bet – especially when it involved a mild blush on her cheeks, hinting to some form of motive – created an even deeper sense of foreboding then he'd already felt.

"A-A bet?" he questioned

Rivia nodded "Indeed"

.

.

.

"What do you have in mind?" Ryden didn't know why, but for some reason the woman's offer seemed off—yet he still found himself relenting... he supposed it was the good ol womanly charm that radiated off of her in massive droves.

Something was off...

And her very faint chuckling only made it worse...

* * *

 **[10 minutes later]**

The operation had ended without a hitch a couple dozen minutes later; leaving the entire Carriage prefab base barren of all Old-Satan life. For Nyx, the mission was a simple incursion – in and out, no survivors... same shit different day – yet the _feeling_ he got after the OP left him questioning the status of two – no, _three_ – of his colleagues.

He was on the roof, sitting casually amongst a slew of surgically assassinated Oldies while cleaning his newly fashioned arm blade of all the blood that soaked it. The last remnants of the Old-Satan forces had congregated to the roof when they had slowly begun noticing the rapid decline in personnel.

They found some dead, while others merely went missing all together—gone without a trace... almost like they had been completely deleted from existence by a certain _someone_.

Regardless of the obvious culprit, Nyx had been tasked by Abigail to mop up the remaining inquisitors that had retreated to the roof—which he'd savagely jumped at considering his lack of contact with enemy forces since he'd gotten into the building.

 _It was almost completely barren by the time he got inside..._

The only ones that had gotten into the building before him and Rosalina had been Ryden and Rivia—so it was no mystery to him at who was responsible for completely _decimating_ the enemy forces within the main compound. To put it shortly; they were absolutely ridiculous! It took him _five_ _minutes_ to mop up enemy positions located outside on his end, yet both Rivia and Ryden had cleaned up their end without much effort—then when it came to clearing out the interior of the base it was an absolute gore fest.

Room after room it looked like a particularly nasty prowler had managed to get loose inside the base while the majority of the rooms were completely barren of any signs of life—the only thing standing out was the sheer savagery that had prevailed within these rooms moments before his arrival, the signature being familiar to him yet new at the same time. Obviously it was Rivia's energy signature, yet for some reason the usually revered and cold woman gave off this joyous aura that he couldn't refute—a joyous energy that deleted anyone in its way.

Something was odd about that... Rivia didn't seem like the woman to rush things, yet he knew he was right behind the woman during those last few minutes; and when he finally did catch up to her she was... _giggling_... and muttering something about winning a _bet_ of sorts.

Nyx sighed – idly questioning his own sanity after having seen that woman giggling like a young blood – before he lazily watched Ryden assist Rosalina fuel up their secondary carriage. At first they had planned to take just one, but they all soon realized the carrying capacity of just one carriage, so when it came to smuggling out the Valefor family, they needed to at least possess two carriages to safely travel as a formed up group.

Nyx wasn't against the idea, especially when Ryden said they'd be taking them both on their journey to the Dragons location. Honestly the idea was a miracle for him, both he and Abigail were aware of the competition for Ryden's attention so any chance he could be as far away from that storm of events was something he'd hunt for his own accord. The last thing he wanted was to be cooped up in a carriage with two love stricken woman – at least he considered it as such – was not something he favored... playing the third wheel was bad enough but Satan forbid he play the _fourth_ wheel...

Nyx shivered... that's a hard "NO" from him.

So two carriages was awesome – though they'd stick out more than just one carriage as the typical description of a VIP convoy was two – but it made sure he was given the space he needed from the cringe fest that was Ryden's current predicament.

Not that he was totally against what the guy was going through – envy wasn't out of the picture here – but from an outside perspective looking in, it was really hard to watch a man be so clueless to the conduct of his would-be lovers; though he guessed such ignorance was due to the fact that said would-be lovers made absolutely sure he was as detached from their competitions as much as possible.

And it may also be because Rosalina and Rivia didn't put much effort in hiding their off the record challenges when he or Abigail were around—they weren't ignorant because those two couldn't give a _imps ass_ if they heard; though Rosalina seemed more adamant in hiding it from everyone completely, much to Rivia's counter opinion on not giving a damn what she felt like on that matter.

He'd asked Abigail why they fought so passive aggressively—all the side glances of triumph and mild sneers of challenge was confusing to him on the matter; most of his male friends had stated that a harem was filled with female devils extremely intimate with each other—even to the degree of sexual interest on common occasions, yet if that was happening with Rivia and Rosalina... why were they competing?

She stared at him long and hard after he'd asked that... probably judging him.

It wasn't his fault most of his life was filled with conflict and war—so the idea of hunting down a pack of females to fool around with and create some offspring was very far from his bucket list. Though he did have his little fling with Katerea – a memory that would never leave him – but even then, pleasures of the flesh had been something of a mild interest at the time.

Survival was priority... fucking was secondary—and he was still looking towards survival.

The only thing that shocked him right now was the fact that Ryden had managed to capture Rosalina's interest—Rivia didn't seem like much a shock to him as time moved on, _That_ woman was smitten – reserved and patient yes – but smitten nonetheless. Rosalina however was a deep shock to both him and Abigail—that woman would probably deny every question he'd pitch to her, and then proceed to go blue in the face with the sheer amount of excuses she'd shove down his throat.

She was a stubborn woman – prideful to the point of luciferium – but she obviously possessed some form of interest in the man; something neither Nyx nor Abigail would ever know. Rosalina wasn't the kind of woman to throw herself around when saved; the damsel trope that some low-class females glorified just wasn't her style, it kinda correlated with her pride even... attempt to swoon her after pulling her from a fire and she'd put you into one herself— _literally_.

No, Rosalina's interest of Ryden wasn't the kind born from one bogus rescue and a convenient one; which left it all up to some mystery that will only come to light when Rosalina finally comes to terms with her feelings, or falls behind the one woman that always got a rise out of her.

Abigail _had_ answered him after all... those two were competing for the _Alpha female position_ —the one that governs over the other concubines.

Nyx idly chuckled at that memory, having also been visibly amused by the information when she'd said it.

In a straight pitch opinion—Nyx had his money on Rivia just as Abigail had previously stated; though his choice in this matter hadn't been because of the older female's feats, but simply because she possessed the forward power to be the alpha... it just fit the woman, confidence leads those in possession of it to greatness, while pride only stagnates—sure it was great to solidifying ones glamour, it didn't however move mountains.

And if Rosalina needed any advice to win—he'd tell her to act just like Rivia; get confidant, ignore the pride and the embarrassment and get it done, cause at the moment, Rosalina looked more like a woman chasing after something entirely different then what Rivia was chasing...if he could really call her conduct as 'chasing'—looked more like _hunting_.

Nyx glanced down to the three, the same image always filling his vision...

Rivia stood almost shoulder to shoulder with Ryden while Rosalina was a couple feet to his opposite side, just slightly behind him—while her attention was focused entirely on Abigail's words instead of what she truly needed to be focused on.

' _You know what? Fuck this...'_

With a simple step forward, Nyx dropped from the roof above and landed behind the group of four by a good couple meters—far enough for none of them to notice besides Abigail, and even she didn't react to his approach. It was a fine for him, as long as neither of the other three took notice of him it was all he needed for his little kick to Rosalina's ass to pay off.

He carried himself normally in case Rivia glanced at him or Ryden decided to toss him a barb of sorts, and preceded along his path to Rosalina's flank before he _accidentally_ bumped into her after apparently seeing something in the distance—thus pulling his attention away from the matter entirely and leading to the mild accident.

There wasn't much sound that came from the impact if he could call it as such—his execution had been flawless and neither of the three had suspected foul play on his part when Rosalina suddenly tripped forward and into Ryden's free side.

Nyx even had to give himself bonus points for the chain of events that followed after it!

Rosalina had become so terrified of breaching Ryden's personal space that any sign of breaching it on some occasions had led to the woman into a fit of stammers and inaudible noises... honestly she looked adorable when that happened, but when it came to the present, Rosalina had grabbed hold of Ryden's arm and hugged it close to her without even realizing who she was holding.

Nyx had to play off his act first before he could glance over to eye up his handy work and apologies to Rosalina for bumping into her—yet his made up excuse fell short when the woman was seen still holding the man, a morbid mix of pride and embarrassment keeping her from letting go—most likely seeing the idea of tripping randomly more embarrassing then suddenly grabbing hold of her interest; in her mind, she probably believed that if she let go in the face of Rivia's clear advances then she'd lose... something the woman despised the most.

Nyx had played his part and now Rosalina was on the offensive—clearly confusing Ryden to some degree as the action itself was so alien to Rosalina's character that it honestly left Ryden befuddled. Nyx had to give Ryden props for his control, as not many devils had ever experienced the sensation of Rosalina Phenex's body against them, yet Ryden looked more curious as to the woman's sudden advance then embarrassed by the extremely rare moment.

Yet when Rivia decided to join in on the arm hugging, the matter became something comical to both himself and Abigail—but even then, the situation didn't get totally serious until Rivia mentioned this 'bet' that had been formed between Ryden and herself, and the fact that she'd won that particular bet some minutes ago.

At that moment, Abigail all but smiled joyously at the three before she dragged him off and into the lead carriage; leaving Ryden to watch them disappear into their safe place.

For Ryden, the situation had gone from serious to straight up _animu_ within seconds; He couldn't count the amount of times his sister Sophia had done this to him in public places when they were on their own at amusement parks or carnivals—or even the mall for that matter. Normally such actions from a sister ranging close to his own age would be considered weird to most people, but they wouldn't have known that Sophia strictly did this only to make him as uncomfortable as ever.

She was sadistic like that...well—mostly because he'd voiced his dislike – or mild disinterest – in her choice of entertainment at one time... namely, _**anime**_. He'd seen some of the shows before; the context of which being his desire to at least give the shows a chance for his sister's sake—she really needed a person to relate to or at least talk to about the recent anime series or she'd explode.

It was astounding how his sister – a literal bombshell of a woman – could be so infatuated with the genre of anime. Like, imagine you find a woman with snow white hair, hour glass figure – athletic build almost – and a smile that radiated like the heavenly body... his mother always complemented her smile at times and he couldn't blame her for melting whenever she beamed—even his hard faced dad kicked back a slight _'aww'_ whenever he caught her smiling.

But for a woman like that to be so OBSESSED with anime was something... well— _literally out of an anime_ ; how'd he know that? Well Sophia had introduced him to several anime's where the rich, beautiful, smoking hot girl was totally obsessed with something off putting or damaging to her _perfect_ image—like BDSM, masochism, DnD, cosplay, basically all the weird shit that didn't fit with the 'perfect straight A student' image.

It connected to her on a spiritual level – in her own words mind you – and she found herself connecting more and more to the extremely expansive world of Japanese animation the further she delved into it; cause in that world—imagination was limitless and fantasy was ever growing beyond the norm.

He understood her true reason though—the notion that most of the world around her was _fake_ to some extent. His mom and dad heavily disagreed with that statement – almost looking offended by her opinion – but Sophia had been adamant in her words.

He knew what she meant because he pitched for the other team, and they'd been in the same school until he graduated and moved to university. But during his time as her senior, his male friends would tell him of his sisters time whenever they'd catch a glimpse of her; if only Sophia knew how well protected she'd been in school...

Most of his friends – the ones he _chose_ to socialize with most – were truly defined as friends. They knew he was the strict academic type, the one who studied the hardest and competed just as much—but they also knew of his protective side as well; Sophia vale was off limits by all of them and they respected that notion to the letter, even going as far as to protect her from the negative individuals within the school.

Sophia Vale was rumored to be the 'heavenly host' during her junior years; treated fairly and given respect by both faculty and students alike—but those rumors and title also came in the form of her guardians that hid within her fragile shadow, protecting her from all forms of nefarious students that no doubt despised his sisters 'god given status'. But even with all the contingencies and counters, Sophia had been aware of it... the comments behind her back, the jabs at her appearance and glamour.

Ryden knew that at such a young age, the negative comments and two faced lies only ever created doubt within her whenever she'd try and form a relationship with someone—be it her supposed boyfriends over the years, or the many friends she'd hang with; but every now and then, she'd get backstabbed—and it obviously played a massive part in her clear distrust in people... her opinion of everyone being fakes, friends and adults alike was slowing being created.

In her eyes, beauty was both a gift and a curse—as it attracted both the faithful and the deceitful, the latter being the kind to search for perfect individuals to hang around with in order to sap them of money and connections—a sort of social virus of sorts.

After some time, Sophia had become incredibly detached from forming further bonds with anyone – her friend borders closely completely to create her small nit group of friends that she adamantly kept close – but even then, the sour bitter taste of what she called _the world of snakes_ was still present; she didn't dare mention her joy in the anime genre to her friends – afraid her taste would scare off the remaining few she had – so all she had to connect with was himself, and he made damn she he tried.

Though of course, he failed partially...

The first series she introduced him to was a series called _**'Fairy Tail'**_ where a guild of extremely close friends face off against a world of extremely cartoonish villains in the arts of magic and friendship—something that Sophia had been envious of.

... the show was... _interesting_ ; not exactly something he enjoyed when skill and experience could be trumped by the power of _friendship_ , but he would admit to feeling something when those piano notes kicked in.

Oh lord, those key notes hit home...

The next series was something he actually found himself liking immensely...

 _ **JOJO bizarre adventures**_

He didn't know why, but that series was something of a mix between bizarre scenarios, badass action, comedic awareness and even MEME awareness... a full package deal that he couldn't honestly pass up. at that point, the connection was made—but only halfway.

Ryden idly dwelled on his sisters expression when he'd stated his lack of interest with her favored genre – ' _slice of life' –_ due to the fact that most of those anime's dealt with moments so unrealistic that it hurt for him to watch.

It was a long winded thought/memory; to dwell on his time trying to connect with his anime obsessed sister, only to come winding back to the moment he was now in. At some point, Rivia and Rosalina had dragged him along into the second carriage – both holding his arms close to their chests – before the carriage was activated via convoy sigil and began trailing behind Nyx and Abigail's APC carriage in a controlled speed—fast enough to reasonably gain ground, but controlled enough so that he wasn't being tossed around with the two _Klingon's_ holding him.

He honestly thought his little memory jolt of his sisters choice in entertainment had been a mild stroll down memory lain but he knew for a damn fact it wasn't. No, his memory had been trying to remind him exactly what he was experiencing; now fully coming to light when he began hearing _Fulgur's_ soft chuckles of amusement and small comments of his 'Harem' progression.

As much as it bothered him that most of his life was becoming that of a _harem protagonist_ , he honestly didn't find himself reacting like what most of those schmucks would be doing in a situation like this. Though it was probably due to Sophia's apparent 'punishment' when he'd expressed his disinterest with her favored choice of anime genre. Leave it to Sophia to conduct herself like a smitten little sister in complete love with her brother – maddened love even. She knew damn well it made him uncomfortable, but she also knew that his mother loved the interaction between the two—even going as far as helping his sister with furthering their interactions by purposely tasking him with his sister's day to day hobbies.

Honestly, his disinterest with the slice of life genre wasn't as much as a _hate_ per say, but he sure as shit hated it when those anime's incorporated _incest_ as the romantic interest... _like what the fuck Japan?!_

so that was his punishment; whenever Sophia wanted to trip over to the mall for some light shopping, he was tasked as her 'escort', and she'd make sure his time with her was as awkward as possible by hugging his arm the entire time. Even when it came to his LAN parties with the boys – the rare times he'd be able to attempt beating _**Halo 2**_ on legendary with his limited time – and she'd either lay down on his lap, gently lean on his back and text her friends, or straight up hold him from behind while whispering that god awful _Oni-Chan_ in his ears.

His friends chuckled at his sisters clingy nature – even teasing him about it some time when she wasn't present – but they never really knew _why_ she did it; like sure, his sister was an extrovert, everyone knew that – hugs were her way of charging her social battery – so physical contact was natural even when she became 18, but only _he_ knew what the reasons were. She never held him like a smitten incestuous sister before; most hugs from her lasted maybe about 30 seconds before she vanished from sight for several hours on end before returning for another recharge.

Long time hugs like the ones she did were unnatural, but he dared not ruin her image—if this was the type of punishment he'd get for merely disagreeing then he'd rather not find out what she'd do if he purposely exposed her true motives... probably would end their relationship entirely if he was being honest... yeah, he didn't really want that.

Aside from the few brief moments where she'd whisper the Japanese word for _brother_ in his ear, with that affectionate honorific to follow, he honestly didn't mind the affection as much as she'd believed to the contrary—he was just that good at hiding his enjoyment or _contentment_. He guessed it was simple long time exposure that had caused him to grow comfortable from it—but in Ryden's own words, he was glad it was _him_ that she was holding rather than some random kid that would no doubt have anterior motives.

It was bad enough that at the ripe age of 16, Sophia had already began developing a negative opinion regarding the truth behind the smiles that were always directed to her day after day—she even began doubting most people and their true motives to associating with her.

Too many smiles and she'd begun questioning which ones were true, and which ones were merely for appearance sake—a facade. With that mind set, and with the apparent failures of four boyfriends – most of which being mere crushes that never really came to a true relationship – Ryden was afraid Sophia would become extremely disassociated with people should the time come when her trust in people finally came crashing down.

So in the end, Ryden chose to be the shoulder – the solace – for his sister until she found her confidence in people again... well...

...He used to be that is.

 _I wonder how she's doing right about now..._

 _ **Hmm... I can't respond to that without somewhat hurting you Ryden—but if I had to guess, whether or not of the circumstance, she may be at peace with your disappearance by now... or who knows, maybe she won't even notice you're gone. Considering your current placement in time, you might seamlessly transition back to the life you've lived when time comes back into alignment.**_

 _That's what I'm hoping for..._

 _ **Come now master, is this really what you should be dwelling on when you have two beauties clinging to you? If these memories of yours serve well, then Sophia would be smacking you silly for ignoring such affection**_

Ryden sighed at _Fulgur's_ words before he made a point to ignore the clear banter going on between the two girls holding him. It was the typical teasing game of verbal tennis—the contestants being the sassy vixen of a woman; Rivia Abaddon, and the prideful Tsundere, Rosalina Phenex. If Ryden was being honest, the teasing tennis matches mildly bored him to some degree. Most of them merely being Rivia's teases to Rosalina's abrasive advances with simple symbolic words that 'assuredly' didn't affront to a conflict of romantic interests – it did – before she was countered by some innocuous excuse that was so preschool it hurt to hear at times.

By this point it was _very_ obvious the two liked him – all evidences standing as perfect examples to that – and Ryden couldn't be any more aware of it than anyone else; yet that didn't mean he was completely on board with the idea. Common opinion among the masses dictate that multiple partners didn't work at all – only in very rare scenarios – and was commonly received negatively among the masses as well. But then again, this was _devil_ culture – not _human_ culture – and in hell, the standard view on harems was just as normally received as common relationships were to humans. But sometimes regular relationships were even frowned upon when it involved a powerful male devil; a being whose roll involved the spreading of powerful genes.

Human morality and limitations didn't come close to even budging the devils view of this matter; as the dwindling numbers of powerful devils were staggering far too low for any sane noble devil to even _care_ what humans thought on it—hell, even female devils didn't find it much an issue, mostly because they'd be granted a powerful child to bear afterwards, so none of them really cared if there male partner possessed more woman—more woman being present meant the male involved was _powerful_ and that meant strong offspring—which also meant a big family in the end! And that's a win-win.

Presently, the only devil family to have achieved this massive state was the _Bael_ house—strictly due to Zekram himself. While a large majority of his harem of woman were simple mid-class devils or high-class devils derived from low to mid families, that didn't mean they didn't inherit the prestige of being with a _Bael_ lord. Any devil present within the harem of a strong devil was always received with respect and privilege, because it took strength to gain the attention of the strong.

However, without a noble background most of those women simply became heads of smaller branching families once their offspring began having their own children. Though they possesses the name _Bael_ , they don't however possesses the political power that comes with it—only the protection of it.

So the idea of harems in devil society wasn't strictly built upon a misogynistic agenda; no, it was strictly built to nurture and ascertain strength through breeding and tempered by noble standards.

Case in point...

Treat your harem well and you'll be respected—treat them negatively and you won't get much respect... though sadly, that's all that happens in that regard... Ryden guessed the system needed a bit of an update.

 _ **Seems to me like you understand this system through and through—so why the hesitation then? You've got several hours before you get to the Dragon's Territory; you're also all alone with these two and the room seems spacious enough for a steamy threesome...**_

 _You fail to realize that I'm not an eon old sword that's been blue balled for however long—sex for you is more of a personal release, not something you'd use to further a relationship_

 _ **Ryden, if I possessed a body, I'd be yours by now... like, 'literal property' kinda yours**_

 _Sexual lust and disturbing fetish aside, do you know why it's come to that? Why do you feel that way?_

 _ **Because you know how to get me going?**_

Ryden shook his head lightly, mindful to not interrupt Rosalina's lengthily worded excuse as to why she'd suddenly hugged his arm and quickly returned his attention back onto the female spirit.

 _No Fulgur... you feel that way because you_ _ **know**_ _me—you know the kind of person I am and the type of character I'm becoming—obviously the direction in which I'm heading gets your edges shimmering and your pommel wittering, and that's because you_ _ **know**_ _me... I_ _ **don't**_ _know them—perhaps more so for Rivia but I have only a slight idea as to what Rosalina sees in me and that's not enough of a reason to jump the fuck train... and that's not even factoring in I'm literally_ _ **human**_ _—morals don't mean shit in that statement because it's a literal present issue... two noble devils swooning over a human disguised as a noble devil—I bet they'll really enjoy that._

 _ **Well... why not tell them now?**_

Again, Ryden lightly shook his head.

 _Rosalina is too prideful—if she were to learn of my humanity, then she might cut all ties completely, or even worse... reveal my secret to the world at large._

 _ **What about Rivia? She's loyal to you—almost too loyal for her own good at times... do you think she'd run if you tell her?**_

 _I don't know for sure—but she's an older devil, I can't assume she'd take me in so openly due to her origin of birth—humanity might not be on her positive list. And besides, I hardly know her well enough to trust her with such secrets yet—though she is on the right track, I can't risk revealing my true origins without too much thought._

 _ **It's the smart move—devils have an unruly habit in reacting to humans; one second they could be all smiles and then the next second they'd be your enemies... petty little things they are. No, I think keeping your humanity from them until you're sure you can trust them is the best choice possible.**_

 _Exactly, and that means I'll be avoiding any sexual advances from these two until I've gotten to know them more then I have already—well, more so for Rosalina then Rivia, but I just want to be sure all the bases are covered..._

 _ **That's... gonna suck—but what happens if they lose control?**_

 _You mean if I become such an alpha male Chad – transcendent among the masculine gender – that both woman forget decorum and just try to sex me up like wild animals?_

 _ **Yes—and the reason I'm saying that is because you are very close to doing just that...**_

 _well i'd most likely wing it if that happens... what spurred this one anyway?_

 _ **Well what exactly do you plan to do when you meet face to face with this apparent dragon king? Roll a Nat 20 and seduce it with your manly wiles? Or try and negotiate yourself out of this one with you classic confident charisma? If it's any of those – surprised if you actually planned the former – then you'd be in for a rude awakening...**_

 _Ooook, uhhhmmm... what's this rude awakening?_

 _ **That you'd mostly likely be forced to fight whomever this alpha is—fortunately for you, that recording from before regarding this dragon king sounded male, if you were to be fighting a female dragon king well... you'd most likely lose.**_

 _Well thanks for the load of confidence Fulgur—mighty ball of optimism you are..._

 _ **Oh! You have mistaken me master, I never said you**_ **couldn't** _ **win the fighting part—due to your bond with both me and Ventus – and your unnatural abilities and durability – you'd ultimately come out on top through extensive and vigorous combat prowess... but, in order to gain the attention of a dragon king... well you kinda have to dominate it out of them.**_

 _And you're saying the female dragons possess far greater strength then the males?_

 _ **Hell no—male dragons are the worst case scenario, the true alpha's among the dragon species if not the whole supernatural world; they are the prime heralds of power only ever challenged by their female counterparts, but even then, the hierarchy among them is absolute—though Tiamat seems to be exempt from this... that one is an exception.**_

Admittedly, Ryden's heart slightly raced at the mention and sheer hyped energy within _Fulgur's_ words towards the might and power of the dragon kind; his own confidence regarding his plan slightly wavering by the minute.

 _That's...informative, but how does fighting a male dragon seem more fortunate then fighting a female dragon?_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _ **Well, Ryden... uhh? how do I say this in the most effective way possible? Oh I know! If I told you to engage in extreme sexual violence with Rivia – right now, no holds barred – until she was a graveling submissive mess on the floor, drooling excessively from pleasure and moaning out your name in a husked whisper... would you do that?**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _Do I even need to answer that question?_

 _ **My point depends on one, yes...**_

 _No Fulgur, I would not do that..._

 _ **Well there you go—defeating an actual female dragon depends on your willingness to truly dominate them after defeating them, and that means going to town on them – but not just 'to town' – I'm talking about going so far beyond town that you end up in 'humpback country'... that's what it takes to truly defeat a female dragon, cause if you don't do that—then your simply blue balling the poor thing.**_

Safe to say at that point Ryden was staring at the far side wall of the APC carriage, his expression slowly dawning to horror when he'd realized what he'd done with Tiamat way back when he'd issued his offer to her... the context of his brazen nature slowly resounding as he thought further on it—and his horror deepened when he remembered Tiamat's surprise as well. Now that he was thinking on it, the female Dragon's surprise was probably associated to _this_ rather than a simple fight for allegiance like he'd originally assumed

 _Why?_

 _ **That's simple, female dragons possess greater pride than any other dragon male; simply kicking a dragons ass is good enough in most of the males views, but females take it a step further—basically, if you can't knock her out and get her jibblies off right afterwards then it's no bueno for you, but if you can do both—then you've proven yourself the better, BUT ONLY IF YOU GET THEM OFF!**_

 _Bu—but why does this need to involve sex!?_

 _ **I agree on that part...**_

 _ **Seriously Ryden? Ignoring the ever prude wind virgin here, but why does this notion bother you so much? I mean fucking a dragon is a lot better than sexing up some random nameless chick that travels to Starbucks – whatever that is – 3 times a day, every day, and complains about some limp dick boyfriend either named, Jaden, Taylor, Bryce, or worst of all—**_ _ **ASHLEY**_ _ **... which by the way, who the fuck names their SON Ashley? Like, what kind of manly name is that!? I mean, when it's on a woman its perfect – that's a stone cold bitch's name right there – but when I imagine it on a guy, well... the image is so fragile it shatters just when it enters my mind! Or sometimes I see rainbows... the worst though is when the image of 'gay porn' enters my thoughts...**_

 _TMI Fulgur, I get what you mean..._

 _ **But do you though? You challenged Tiamat to a fight on your own accord and she seemed interested—very interested in the idea, which means YOU need to be prepared for the fight and what happens afterwards.**_

 _But this whole thing sounds like rape though—it's kinda fucked up_

 _ **To your feeble human moral compass it does, but you should know that most – if not all female dragons – only accept fights or start them when the opposing party catches their interest, or proves themselves to be a said interest... every female yearns for a powerful mate, but only ever accepts them if they are capable of being what they inevitably desire; so in the end, it's just like devils—strength means everything.**_

 _But—_

 _ **Oh give your balls a tug Ryden! It's not every day you get to literally taste a dragon...**_

 _Hey! Nobody uses the_ _ **letterkenny**_ _lingo but me! Don't be pulling that shit around me Fulgur!_

 _ **Oh yeah? What's gonna happen?**_

 _Three things; I hit you, you hit the pavement; and I go and make waves with Aqua's tits..._

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **...damn, your good with that**_

 _Fuck right I am;_ _ **Letterkenny**_ _is a Canadian national treasure, and anyone who has a problem with that has got a problem with me, and I suggest they let that one marinate..._

 _ **Hehehehahahaha! Well anyways—with the mention of 'marinating', I think you've let your two entourages marinate in silence long enough, go get 'em! And remember to think about this! You'll regret it if you don't...**_

With a simple command, Ryden was expelled from his deep conversation with _Fulgur_ **;** leading him to glance down to a small source of warmth along his lap. Admittedly, Ryden's expression slightly rose when he noticed Rivia's head laying gently along his lap—affectionately turning it into a generic _lap pillow_ for Rivia to enjoy to the fullest. Ryden's expression subsided after a moment before growing softer when he noted Rivia was soundlessly napping, her light breathing coming out in gentle droves that only seemed to accentuate the level of adorableness the woman was exuding.

Some time must have transpired while he was within his mental cloud because Rosalina was sitting quietly within the driver's seat some couple feet from him—soundlessly staring out the only observable window with a mild look of wonder and curiosity. There wasn't much need for a driver per say due to Abigail having linked their transport carriages together in order to create the perfect convoy disguise. If anything, Nyx or Abigail were the ones driving them—yet for some reason Rosalina was sitting in the driver's seat, staring out the small window like a child on a field trip.

Idly and without much thought, Ryden's hand casually began caressing Rivia's head before his lips moved on their own – his senses unaware of the quiet moan of pleasure from Rivia. "You don't travel much do you Rosa?" he asked after watching Rosalina's eyes stare out the window. Obviously, the woman's open curiosity was something of a secret to her, as the moment he spoke, Rosalina lightly squeaked out a yelp of surprise—cheeks flushing red and eyes widening in horror.

Her head whipped around to glare at him yet Ryden didn't even flinch, a reaction Rosalina found herself melting upon. He didn't look condescending or teasing – as he normally did when she'd show off to much of herself – yet presently, Ryden just stared into her eyes with a mild expression of neutrality and sad pity.

"I-I Do travel... it's just—"

"Not very far I'm assuming... I'm not presently informed where the Phenex house resides—Leviathia correct?"

Rosalina merely nodded, blushing all the while.

Ryden could tell the line of questioning placed her on the spot; he knew Rosalina wasn't the kind to be 'called out' on something and take it with a straight laced poise. Most of the time, the subject of which would lead to the standard noble retort – prideful snide remarks of course – or insane blushing when no excuse presented itself.

It was a clear sign of a deeply hidden inferiority complex—probably not once taking shape until recently and he could marginally tell what the cause of that was.

His eyes glanced down to a blissfully snoozing Rivia, her smile of contentment practically mocking anyone who looked upon it.

 _He honestly wondered if Rivia knew when to hold back..._

He felt a slight desire to pinch the woman's cheek but relented and merely stopped his idle caressing. Though he couldn't do anything about Rivia's extreme aggressiveness towards her competition, but that didn't mean he couldn't give subtle hints—passive aggressive smacks to a naughty competitor.

With his dirty thoughts aside, Ryden mildly smirked when Rivia's blissful expression subsided into a subconscious pout... the cheeky woman was aware of everything and he knew it; she was not winning this one—head pats were not a part of the bet!

"I see... I guess the large city framed by the long expanse of green fields, meadows and distant mountains were the only thing regarding _nature_ that you ever saw—well up until recently that is...heh, now that I think of it, I did notice you spacing out from time to time before, your eyes locked on a distant mountain or tree line... I got to admit, I never took you to be the nature type..."

"W-what _did_ you take me as?"

"Honestly? I took you as a woman faking who she was... and considering what I'm looking at, I'm more correct in that observation then I thought"

Rosalina's eyes slightly widened after a moment of hearing that brutal honesty, yet the topic wasn't new to her. She was aware of Ryden's dislike of her noble strictness, something that easily annoyed him to some degree yet she didn't know the full reason as to why. Maybe it was partially because of his back story, or perhaps his lack of noble upbringing lead him to view standard lines of speech among the lower-class to be more familiar to him then hers... yet the way he worded it, 'faking who she was' always stood out to her.

It wasn't the first time she'd heard it, but she never understood what he meant by it... she wasn't...

"What do you mean when you say 'faking who I am'?" Rosalina asked gently, her eyes remaining on the contents outside the window.

"I've seen the worst of it on someone I hate the most—the one that drives me to fight Rosa" Ryden replied with a long winded sigh.

"What do you mean? What does _that_ woman have anything to do with me?" Rosalina lightly hissed; the notion of being associated with the fiend only known as lady lucifuge was something that caused her blood to boil.

"Nothing of a personal relation—I'm just stating an example..."

"And what is it? What example are you referring?"

For a moment, Rosalina heard nothing but silence, but after a moment longer—Ryden's voice filled the quiet personnel cabin, but this time, his tone was solemn. "She never once expressed emotion—I only ever once saw anger before, but that doesn't show off ones beauty... rage isn't beautiful. No, nothing about her was beautiful—perhaps her figure could be construed as beautiful, but I known several others with bodies triple hers and all of them have the capacity to smile, making them all twenty times more appealing than her, because all she ever was— _was gray_... a boring, emotionless husk of a 'color' that never once showed off anything but coldness... like an empty canvas drained off all personality"

"At times I had wondered what a smile would look like on her—a radiant, joy filled expression of glee... it was a morbid idea, to place such an image on a monster, but I had found the image to be... heh— _beautiful..."_ Rosalina had at that point turned to regard Ryden, eyes wide in surprise before they were locked with a set of tired eyes.

Ryden smirked at her when their gazes met. "If I can see beauty in the one I hate most, then imagine what could be seen in someone I _don't_?—Imagine the shimmering brilliance I can find in someone with a free spirit? But yet imagine my annoyance when that very someone hinders it behind a dull facade..." the message couldn't be any bit more clear and Rosalina found herself twisting away from the man so viciously tearing at her pride... but yet... even with all of this, _was it really her pride?_

She wasn't aware of it, but Ryden smirked contently when he watched her whirl around—maddened blush fully conquering her features when his meaning finally sank in... Now all he needed was to finish his point completely... seal his point home.

"In the end Rosalina Phenex—a star cannot shine behind a facade..."

?!

Rosalina almost gasped out her lungs; a heavy dose of shock developing over her as Ryden's words fully impacted her resolve... again.

Just as they had before in the forest of _familiars,_ Ryden's words yet again impacted her greatly—yet this time, the meaning and intention of his words struck a familiar cord within her that caused her eyes to well up with raw emotion.

His words, meaning and intention... sounded almost... like...

" _Always remember, my Bright Star, that the flames of the Phenex burn hot with freedom—ever soaring high above the rest, and burning brighter then all..._

 _Let no fear cloud your heart..._

 _...And let nothing stop you from shining bright"_

Without much care, a lone tear trailed down Rosalina's cheek—released from a set of emotionally reminiscent eyes. She found herself swallowing down her sadness after a moment of light breathing – her heart burning hot with emotion – before the sight of the territories fake sun shone through the small window in front of her... barely even blinding her with its fake brilliance.

It was a sight that caused her to realize her own folly—her own fear of appearing weak to others had forced her down a path that she would have never taken before; And from what she saw in the sky before her, it seemed no different then what she'd been for the past several decades.

Radiance without brilliance...

A star without shine...

 _Nothing but a hollow flame._

Ryden idly stared at Rosalina's back for a moment longer, yet his continued observations only met a stone wall as the woman in question merely continued her long stare out the front window. Rosalina may have taken in his words – as evident by her prior blushes – but he could tell his long winded request for her to be less uptight was a lot more demanding than one could ever hope to comprehend. It's not as easy as a light switch to change ones personal characteristics with honeyed words, but the effort itself had its moments when something was amiss.

It was one hell of a discovery to see Rosalina's curious wonder of the outdoors, mostly of the more forested areas and mountainous environments then long meadows and green fields. Clearly, upon that discovery, Ryden knew damn well Rosalina was hiding something a part of herself.

The hints had been quite obvious since the first moment he'd weeded out her Tsundere side; but only afterwards did the hints start making a canvas – or an empty one at first – but soon it all started to paint itself.

Nobility was a curse only the rich could know of, but only the ones that desired a form of freedom ever saw it as such—Rosalina was one of those very individuals. Normally, a happy noble was a person fully committed and willing to lay down their personal desires for the family; the biggest example being marriages with neighboring noble families for strengthening purposes or financial empowerment.

Rare were the days those very marriages ever actually blossomed into true romance, and envy wrought those that witnessed such occasions—Venelana Bael and Zeoticus Gremory were prime examples of such a fairy tale coming to life. But to the majority, it was all business; a commodity that came with the curse – or privilege – and something that _must_ be done... _no matter ones feelings_.

Had Rosalina Phenex been such an individual then he'd have never been able to get along with her as well as he had. The woman would have been _bitter_ from the moment he'd have met her, a subconscious emotion all nobles possessed; it didn't matter what they had in their possession or what beauty level they were, but when it came to nobility – and the fact _everything_ was _handed_ to them on a silver platter – it created a very unhealthy mind set. Over time, the lack of _personal accomplishment_ creates a deep emptiness that warps one's mind in order to overlap that void.

 _Privilege_ became _self gain_...

 _Genes_ became currency...

 _Love_ became hollow... a facade... a means to an end...

And _family_... became _expendable assets_

No mind could live under these conditions without becoming bitter to the sight, a perpetual state of numb honor that only left them with a hollow goal in life.

 _Carry the family name... spread family name... repeat indefinitely..._

It was clear by that point that Rosalina's personality wasn't a true noble –in a sense anyway. However, ignoring the woman's perfect noble conduct thus far, Ryden had seen it time after time after time; Rosalina had a free side... and he knew where she got it from, or at least had a small idea who gave it to her.

Her dad... the literal Chad that said 'fuck you' to standard devil tradition and had only beheld a single wife... though it did cost him a shit load of respect and credibility—as well as a deeply close friendship that had been his second lover, but even with all that—that man had most likely been a beacon of freedom to her in some fashion.

Or she could just naturally be the exploratory kind with a bit of rebellion in her veins mixed with a large amount of noble obligation... you never know really. But even so, Ryden knew Rosalina had something within her that she refused to show off; he didn't know what it could be, but he was making cracks along the shell and that was all that mattered.

Ryden quietly sighed to himself while his hand casually caressed Rivia's hair soothingly—the action causing the sleeping beauty to stir slightly in pleasure, garnering his attention for a brief moment. It was a breathtaking sight to be sure; with Rivia's sleeping form lying comfortably on his lap, the image of her blissful expression of pleasure from his casual head pats almost painted the image of an angel sleeping peacefully upon him.

Ryden enjoyed the sight, yet he was confused as to why the woman had chosen _this_ to be her reward for beating him in a _blood race_ bet. Honestly speaking, he had expected something much more _aggressive_ from the woman, considering the moment they were in before.

He shivered, fully realizing the fact that Rivia had been aware of what he'd accidentally done with her demonic energy; yet his confusion only grew when Rivia neither displayed extreme lust or rage with what he'd done. With the full meaning of the event being revealed to him, he'd expected to have either destroyed their relationship by breaking a sort of boundary, or by pushing it so far over the edge that she'd be treating him like her legit husband.

Not that this moment contradicted that theory mind you, lap pillows were extremely intimate in nature... yet no lust was present.

Rage was all but forgotten by this point; had he pissed her off at that moment, then he'd either be wasting away in an abyssal rift or disposed off with a simple wave of her hand... yet all she displayed right now was joy, happiness even...

Ryden shook his head of those negative 'what if' scenario's and merely enjoyed the moment for what it was worth. It seemed he had a serious knack for accidental relationship building, yet how he managed to acquire that ability was all up for fate to reveal, yet he knew that would be wishful thinking. He sighed again... either way, the full meaning of Rivia's sudden interest in physical contact – non sexual contact mind you – would be questioned by her some other time, that notion having been already proven by Rivia's words already.

The only thing Ryden hoped for – more than anything – was that it wouldn't involve their apparent relationship status...

Please God let it be so...

* * *

 _ **[Several hours later]**_

 _[Dagger-1, this is Dagger-5... we've got... some kind of road block here]_

Ryden's eyes fluttered open when Nyx mechanized tone echoed within his ear, ripping him from his apparent snooze. He blinked away the fog in his eyes before he acknowledged Nyx a moment after. "Copy Dagger-5, what kind of road block are we talking about? The last checkpoint was a couple hours ago" Ryden replied, confused by the wariness in Nyx's voice. After a moment of no reply from Nyx, Ryden idly re-positioned himself within his seat and made double sure his movement didn't disturb the sleeping Rivia—the woman still gently sleeping away her worries with a still ever present smirk of bliss.

 _[This isn't a checkpoint Dagger-1... we had passed beyond the safe zone about an hour ago]_

Ryden blinked again at the news... he'd been sleeping for how long?

He shook his head after a moment, gaining his bearings. "Hostile contact?" he questioned after going through the theories.

 _[Negative Dagger-1, the road block seems... ancient—and I'm detecting a large amount of...'Energy'?_ _it's neither demonic nor draconic—it's not even divine energy, but its well beyond safe levels...I don't know Dagger-1, this seems like an ambush setting to me—what do you think?]_

By that point, Ryden was already waking Rivia...

"Time to wake up Rivia, we've got a situation" Ryden muttered while gently nudging the woman awake.

Immediately after he'd mentioned 'situation', Rivia's body lurched up as if revived from a long since dormant slumber, her eyes narrowed into her usual expression of disinterest—yet Ryden could see a very serious expression of annoyance within her golden eyes; her very same orbs staring longingly at his lap before she gently – and gracefully – wiped away her sleep fatigue.

"What's happening?" she questioned while Ryden got up and tapped Rosalina on the shoulder, the action easily waking the slumber Phenex. "W-Wha—? What's going on?" she questioned while still half asleep.

Ryden ignored the two for the moment. "Can you give me a description Dagger-5?"

 _[Its confusing, but the road ahead is bared off by the collapse of a large statue—it's completely blocking the road and it's far too heavy for any of us to move alone... the energy it's also giving off is completely unknown, and it's too dangerous for any of us to approach to study it]_

"Is it possible that its remnant divine energy?" Rosalina asked after having rubbed away her fatigue, the both of them having obviously tuned in on his conversation with Nyx.

 _[Negative Dagger-2, definitely not divine—the energy patterns are nothing I've ever seen before...]_

"Let me check it out, I'm the most durable one here" Ryden muttered after a moment of thought, surprising the two women beside him.

 _[I thought you'd say that—I'll stop the convoy here while you check this out... stay awake you ladies, this may be an ambush]_

None present argued his offer as neither of them felt the need to worry for him, yet both Rivia and Rosalina eyed him closely in still ever present worry. Once he spotted their anxious looks, Ryden waved them off after having smacked the rear drop doors. "Relax ladies, it's not the first time I've walked through the unknown..." he eased out as he stepped out the rear doors, closely followed by the others.

The area they now found themselves in was thick with forestry, far denser then what they'd seen before, and the only thing man made here was the very crude road they drove upon—everything else was nature's domain.

Ryden breathed in the lush natural air around him as he stepped around the rear of the Carriage, the distinct feeling of nostalgia hitting him as the multitude of smells that invaded his sense of smell reminded him of the Canadian outback. Nothing but nature surrounded them here; even the distinct images of white top mountains came into view over the vast landscape of trees on either side of them. It was an easy assessment to note that they were indeed located within a valley of mountains, as the dead silence of nature was all they heard.

 _Nothing but the gentle wind..._

As Ryden stepped around the carriages – flanked by the two vigilant blondes – he spotted the roadblock almost instantly, which shocked him with the sheer size of it. The statue that blocked their passage into the dragon valley stood roughly 30 feet tall had it been standing up right – a monstrous size that almost matched the statue of liberty, if not exceeded it – but its current state still placed it at 20 feet tall due to having fallen some time long ago.

Its make was that of some form of ancient stone that accentuated the craftsmanship of the statue by the sheer accurate cuts made upon it. The statue itself depicted a man of some sort, garbed in robes and exotic armor which mixed perfectly well to create the image of an armored man shrouded beneath a large hood. Ryden had wanted to know more of the statue and who it was depicting, but the status had fallen in such a way that the front of it was facing away from him, partially submerged beneath the earth due to its collapsing. Honestly, it seemed almost completely undamaged by its apparent fall some years ago, giving credit to its ancient builders and the materials they had used to create it.

As Ryden calmly approached the statue, he began to feel the same sensation of mysterious foreboding well up within him as he eyed the ancient ruins; the same feeling of gazing upon a long since forgotten story growing ever the more prominent as the sheer difference in size became more and more evident with each step. Then once he stopped just before the statue, the feeling disappeared – forgotten by the very person that had felt it – leaving Ryden in a calm state of awareness.

He could cut the tension in the air with a knife; the feeling of Rosalina's and Rivia's now distant gazes upon his back placed serious amounts of pressure on him, while the concealed gazes of Nyx and Abigail – coming from the small window slight that made up their windshield – also added to the mix. His heart rate was speeding up after a moment of tense silence – only ever calmed by his steady breathing – before he slowly raised his hand and grazed his figures along the statue.

Soft... the smooth glistening image of the statues back fell exceptionally smooth to the touch—a feeling that contradicted the usual sensation of rock, yet its make felt undeniably marble-like. Ryden was perplexed by the mystery of its design and the material of its make, yet after a moment of casually observation, _a chill_ raced up his spine when a small gust of wind blow through the area—a gust strong enough to tussle his hair.

 _..."Ryden"..._

?!

Ryden almost lurched back upon hearing his name. "What the hell?" he muttered after feeling Goosebumps rise along his arms and neck—a cold chill racing along his body as his mind rapidly tried to process what happened.

 _..."Ryden"..._

Almost instantly, Ryden's eyes glanced right—the feeling of the voice's origins coming from within the tree line, yet all he saw was a distinct pathway into the thick forest; the mystery of who it was that had whispered his name being completely unknown, yet it wasn't totally unfamiliar to him, but no matter how hard he tried, the feeling of familiarity remained as it was... unknown yet known.

 _[Status Dagger-1...]_ came Rosalina's own voice, the woman having obviously seen his reaction.

Ryden lightly shivered, the sensation of being _watched_ was prevalent all around him; yet for some reason, the sensation was non hostile, almost like it was someone unknown calling out to him—whispering out his name to garner his attention with the barest amount of effort.

"Did you guys call out my name just now?" Ryden asked over the comm's with a slight shake to his tone.

The others for their part only grew more nervous of the situation when his words came out in reply; none of them had whispered a thing, as they were all keeping vigil of their surroundings. It came to no surprise to Ryden when all of his allies reported a negative to his question... thus proving his theory.

Someone was within that forest... his instincts practically soared with that thought, yet with this feeling in mind, Ryden felt slightly anxious with how _vehement_ his instinct was. The sensation felt so assured of his gut feeling it felt no less then fact, leading him to believe some form of supernatural entity was within that very forest—calling out to him specifically.

Thus far he felt no malevolence in the area nor did the voice express it—it felt almost as if the voice had whispered his name out along the gentle breeze itself. _Ventus_ apparently had the ability to dissipate illusions and thus far, no illusions were disabled... what he heard was genuine.

 _His gut feeling wasn't lying..._

"Dagger team fall in... there's someone in the forest"

?!

Ryden could feel the shock well up around him due to his enhanced senses, yet he dared not turn away from the path in front of him. Soon, his eyes slowly began to shine emerald green—tuning in with the flow of energy around him; along the presence of _Ventus'_ influence, his further enhanced senses gave him an even sharper assessment of the energies in the area, dismissing illusions and highlighting abnormalities for him to see, yet nothing stood out but the statue beside him.

Black and white energies condensed and followed along the contours of the statues detailed design, giving it the image of a shadowed figure with white energy that accentuated its forms perfectly—giving it almost an ethereal shine. Along with its physical details, both energies released a slowly flowing plasmatic energy that mixed and formed a bright silvery glow... it even possessed a degree of _heat_ to it as well, a heat that warmed his senses and not burned him to ash.

It felt... _familiar?_

After a moment of processing, Ryden idly caressed the status again as the others formed up around him—the lot of them appearing nervous of the statue's imposing visage. Ignoring that for now, Ryden idly watched as the energy parted from where he touched, as if it was avoiding him completely. Confused by the reaction, Ryden chased the energy around before he gave up with a huff when no progress was made at all; no matter how fast he moved the energy parted as if he was almost _unworthy_ of even touching it.

"Ryden... what are you doing?" asked a confused Rosalina as she watched Ryden race his hand along the statue.

He shook his head after a moment of continued chase, frustration mounting before ultimately being dismissed with a sigh. "Nothing... just trying to study the energy is all" he replied before turning from the statue.

Nyx idly fiddled with his crimson spear for a moment before shrugging. "Well? Got any idea what that is and what you heard?" Nyx pressed with still present look of nervousness.

Ryden shook his head before he glanced over to the pathway. "I have no idea what the energy is, it won't even let me touch it—but I do know _where_ that voice came from" he replied after a moment, confusing the others and surprising Nyx with his words.

"A voice?" he questioned, doubtful of his words validation.

"Yes... it said my first name _twice_ —both equal in tone and ever since hearing it my guts have been screaming at me to follow it" Ryden argued back before glancing over to Rivia. "It sounded as if the voice traveled along the very winds itself... any idea Rivia?"

At his question, the eldest devil shook her head. "My knowledge regarding the _Infernum Armis'_ doesn't always link to distant voices Ryden" Rivia commented while glancing over to the pathway.

"That's obvious, what I'm actually asking is—is it normal to hear your name in the middle of nowhere, from a voice you know yet you don't?" Ryden clarified cryptically, confusing the older devil greatly.

"I'm not sure I follow your meaning—you're saying you recognize the voice but can't place its origin?" Rivia tried to clarify while the others nervously continued to eye the pathway, critical of every source of movement.

Nyx lightly chuckled nervously as the sheer silence of the area started to sink in. "Does anyone else feeling like their being watched right now or is it just me?" Nyx questioned while making sure his spear point was closely facing the tree line. "Though to be honest, this feels a hell of a lot like karma rearing her bitchy head—all that stalking and hunting those oldies must have pissed someone – or _something_ – off"

Abigail lightly elbowed Nyx in the ribs. "Shut it Nyx" she hissed before returning her gaze back to the pathway. "Bad enough I feel like I'm being hunted, but it'd be worse if I have to listen to your whining all the while" added Abigail as she pulled out her bow and nestled a crimson arrow upon her bowstring.

Nyx nervously waved her off. "Glad to know my voice brings you worlds of comfort Abi" he stated sarcastically.

Rosalina shook her head at the twos bickering before she glanced over to Ryden; the man having finally explained his previous words to the older devil—yet upon inspection, Rivia seemed to be even more confused on the matter, clearly not comprehending Ryden's odd feelings towards this mysterious voice.

"While it is concerning to comprehend the origin of this voice, are you so sure it's wise to follow it?" Rosalina asked suddenly, voicing the question of the day... kinda.

Ryden nodded, firmly. "Absolutely—the sensation I got from the voice almost spiked my instincts to follow it; everything I feel towards _objection_ almost hurts to even consider... whatever called out to me, it _really_ wants me to come to it"

Rosalina and Rivia glanced at one another – briefly counselling the idea – while Abigail and Nyx eyed the three as if they were insane. "Are you three insane?" Nyx questioned – spiking a brief moment of redundancy – upon hearing those words and _seeing_ consideration on Rosalina and Rivia's faces...

Rivia shrugged. "I feel no ill will in the area lord Nyx—nothing malicious permeates the area so I see no foolishness in at least humoring his curiosity. Though Ryden may have been charmed by a possible _nature spirit_ —it's not as if we don't have a cure to its affects" she remarked calmly before she suddenly smirked and rest a hand on Rosalina's shoulder, gripping the woman's attention instantly. "and I'm sure we could indulge in a minor _adventure_ before we journey further into the Dragon's territory, take in the sights around us...don't you agree, _lord Nyx_ " at the final portions of her words, Rivia's smile seemed almost motherly—yet the aura clouding her visage demanded nothing but obedience from the raven haired devil; evidently, the woman's words of _motherly encouragement_ – if Ryden could call it that – easily bypassed Nyx's nerves, leading him to nod along with her after a moment of staring into the woman's golden eyes.

 _Looked as if he'd found a new form of fear..._

 _...Understandable_

Right afterwards, Rivia seemed to almost uncharacteristically beam at Nyx's surrender. "Excellent..." she approved before she glanced to Ryden. "Well I suppose you should take point since you are the one sensing this voice" she stated before her eyes – very briefly – skimmed over Rosalina's... a very subtle hint being sent towards the younger woman.

Rosalina blinked upon seeing the brief glance, her reaction causing Rivia to smirk ever so mischievously before the woman eyed Ryden expectantly.

Ryden for his part looked on towards the pathway with a narrowed gaze. "A nature spirit huh? Never heard of a nature sprite before... unless you count the _Infernum Armis'_ as such" he stated to himself, clearly confused by the choice of culprit. Due to his deeper confusion regarding the forest sprite, Ryden had never noticed the small interaction between Rivia and Rosalina. Aside from that however, Ryden found himself lightly smirking at the idea of a forest spirit being the culprit, a very slight chuckle escaping him as he forged on ahead towards the pathway. "This is getting ridiculous... from ancient weapons of hell to Dragon kings—my apparent presence for some reason garners the attention of anything near by... it's almost starting to get to my ego" he slightly drawled out with heavy amounts of feign narcissism.

Rosalina shook her head, following the man as he trekked into the pathway—flanked further by, Rivia, Abigail and Nyx, in that order.

"Don't let it get to your head" Rosalina lightly jested with a mildly carefree tone—a tone that Ryden idly noted. A smirk soon followed along his lips as he further noted Rivia's distant smile from behind her... _that woman_ , he should have known she was tuning in to his and Rosalina's earlier conversation, yet her consideration to Rosalina's true side was duely appreciated.

Dropping that thought for now, Ryden continued along with his banter. "I shall take heed Rosa...however... if a forest spirit wants her cheeks clapped I ain't one to dilly dally—I mean that is a great opportunity"

Rosalina shook her head at his words. "I'm sure it would be a great opportunity, but honestly, what does ' _cheeks clapped'_ even mean?" she questioned, sounding almost innocent to the phrase.

Ryden nearly lost it there, yet he found himself noting Rivia's knowing smirk in passing and almost tripped along a tree root right then and there. That woman knew too damn much of his lingo!—he didn't know _how_ she knew, but that damn expression almost radiated knowledge of degeneracy.

Something he had to make sure Rosalina never learned of until she was 'older'.

With that being said, Ryden pressed his banter onward—focusing his barbs and comedic charm towards Rivia, who responded in feigning ignorance to his jesting accusations, which in turn garnered slight comments from Nyx, Abigail and Rosalina. Soon enough, the light banter included the whole team, filling the densely thick and silent forest with light chuckles, sophisticated jokes and degenerate undertones for all of _no one_ to hear...however.

Unbeknownst to them, as they continued their now upward climb along the pathway, they missed a few key details behind them when the forest trees lightly gave way to the _opposite side_ of the fallen statue; yet due to their preoccupied banter, none of them took notice and none of them spotted the clear view of the statues full frontal visage—the statue now easily painting the image of a hooded knight wielding _a very familiar bow..._

* * *

 _ **[Within the interest of time...]**_

* * *

"Well... that nature spirit must have one hell of a voice..."

"Why do you say that, Nyx?"

"Well uh... I mean, we've been walking for an _hour_ at least—I kinda feel like we'd have found something by this point _..."_

"It makes kinda sense to me—where else do you think we'd find a nature spirit?" Abigail argued with a slightly serene expression on her face. "But even still, the calmness sure is welcoming—kinda reminds me of the hunting grounds back home"

"...everything reminds you of home" Nyx lightly shot back, tone somber from mild fatigue.

Abigail simply beamed at his reply. "I don't believe that's a bad thing...if anything, hunting some prowlers would really help ease my nerves" she cooed, causing Rosalina to lightly sweat drop at the prospect of hunting one of the most dangerous hunters in the underworld.

"I don't see how that could put your nerves at ease..." she stated with a doubtful and mildly disturbed expression laden on her features.

Abigail simply waved off her words like they were nothing. "Ha! As if those greasy cretins can hold a candle to me; I once picked off a whole pack of prowlers without once being noticed, I even managed to attract the broods Primarch with all the blood I'd spilt—have its nicely polished skull hanging over the fire place back at my vacation estate, neatly surrounded by all of its kin... good times" Abigail boasted with a look of reminiscent bliss.

Nyx lightly hummed at the story. "Hmmm... if I'm not mistaken, you had asked me to help lure out that very Primarch" he stated before Abigail boisterously slapped his back.

"Don't forget, you also helped me mount the damn thing on my wall—but the kill was mine, though I do suppose I wouldn't have been able to lure the damn thing out into the open if it wasn't for your ugly mug pissing it off"

"Wow, your appreciation and flattering nature is _sooo_ profound... _it's almost nonexistent_ " came Nyx's none enthused reply, gaze drooped low in a sweat drop.

Seeing Nyx's mildly hurt expression Abigail lightly laughed it off while playfully patting his head. "Your words cut deeply Nyx, surly you know I only accentuate the stories events—I haven't even mentioned the time you single handily uprooted an imp nest _before_ coming to my rescue..."

Nyx clicked his tongue at that. " _'Rescue'_ she says, hardly a _rescue_ —more like a small errand... and would you _please_ not patronize me!" he replied while lightly cracking his neck – a loud pop of his joint resounding from the action – before a mildly grumpy expression over took his features. "Honestly, if I had a silver coin for every time you'd call me up for _assistance_ , I'd be able to buy my own vacation estate and an entire legion of maids on the side!— _with enough money to spare afterwards..._ " he all but stated with sheer vehement facts.

Abigail playfully swooned at Nyx's words, though a small blush of embarrassment was seen on her cheeks regardless of her teasing nature. "My my—to say luring out a Primarch was a simple errand, have I been using you wrong this whole time?"

"Womaaaaan..."

Abigail chuckled at his warning tone before she eased him down with a surrendering gesture. "I kid, I kid...honestly—you can get so worked up Nyx, try and live a little"

"Tsk, you know very well why _that's_ an issue for me..."

"...sorry"

Ryden mildly blinked in surprise at the awkwardness that had trailed after Nyx's final words to Abigail, leading to the woman to almost uncharacteristically apologize for crossing some form of line.

Let it be known, Abigail was brutal when it came to teasing, though her form was immensely different from Rivia's more sexually oriented barbs and innuendos. Abigail on the other hand was brutal in a form of verbal savagery, she'd cut at your pride like it was _wheat_ – her words themselves being the proverbial scythe – leaving most of her victims honestly bullied into submission.

Though it wasn't the kind of bullying that Ryden found _extremely infuriating_ ; no, her choice was more _playful_ and _harmless_ then simply being a massive cunt for whatever reason. Abigail's was actually a lot like a sort of _humbling roast_ , to cut away at excess pride and small bouts of arrogance. And usually, by the end of her little teasing session – or _roasting_ – she'd shower the individual with under toned compliments and light hearted jokes to ease the expected annoyance that would no doubt creep up along the way.

Yet right now, there was no such moment of complimentary jokes—only awkwardness reared its weird head, and it was almost palpable... _for a time._

"Well?" Nyx questioned

"I said I was sorry..." Abigail defended quietly, yet Nyx shook his head.

"Not that—I'm asking if you're going to ask him about it, you said you were curious about _that_ way back when he introduced _it_ "

"You think now's the best time?"

"For sure... I'm surprised you actually waited this long to bring it up"

"Well... I guess it couldn't hurt... hey Ryden?"

Ryden didn't' pause in his hike, yet he lightly hummed out his acknowledgement to the question after stepping over a particularly large root that encroached along the still persevered pathway—Ryden even noted the pathway had hints of... what looked like... _stone tiles._

 _Odd..._

"Is it true you invented the term _Prowler Warfare_?" Abigail questioned inquisitively, surprising Ryden by the actual topic he had once expected to be a bit more controversial.

He idly nodded. "I guess you can say that—General Gremory and General Astaroth seemed particularly interested in the topic upon revealing it to them way back when Rivia, Rosalina and myself had to defend _Harbingers_ monolith"

Abigail hummed in mild confusion. "It's strange though... do you have any formal training in the art of the hunt? Such tactics and strategy seem only possible to come from someone who knows their way around hunting prey" she pressed.

"No"

Abigail blinked – same as the others even – at Ryden's blatant response. "You— _don't_ have _any_ experience hunting?" Abigail questioned confusedly – disbelieved – as they all continued their trek along the now even pathway.

Ryden glanced over his shoulder, smirking knowingly towards the red headed hunter. "Tell me Abigail, what equates to formal training towards the art of the hunt? Is it field experience? Or is it weapons training?" he asked cryptically, causing the woman to mildly pause in her answer.

After a moment, she replied evenly...

"Both have an equal part in the art, but only the first one can be truly considered a formal requirement towards becoming a hunter—weapons training is expected"

Ryden lightly smirked at her after giving her a brief glance. "Very true, but that's more of a _traditional_ form of training—to forge ones skill through experience; a _crucible,_ if you will... _to forge in fire_." He explained while walking. "However, that method is only traditional as I stated before. The type of training requirement that I'd look for is _knowledge_... can you tell me how important _that_ is?"

Her reply was instant. "It's _very_ important...To know the lay of land, the conditions presented within it, and to know and acknowledge ones enemies...every detail must be studied completely, otherwise the hunt would end in complete failure"

He found himself shrugging at her instant response. "One hundred percent correct Abigail, knowledge forges and holds the hunt together—everything else is merely secondary. So with this in mind, tell me... how effective do you think you'd be if you knew everything about your prey? From emotional responses, to predicable reactions to stressful events or even traumatic... say you know everything about these three things and could fully manipulate your prey by strategically picking your targets, how effective do you think you'd be?"

Once his words left his lips the others mildly felt a cold chill rise up their spines—minus Rivia, before they all eyed the man closely, unnerved by his cold demeanor to the subject. "Ryden..." Nyx began, unsettled. "...You sure you're not a sociopath? I mean you sound as if you enjoy it"

"Oi...that's a bit harsh—for your information Nyx, I happen to _actually_ consider the lives of those around me – as futile and unnecessary as that idea may seem, all things considered – _but_ , unlike the typical definition of sociopathic behavior, my enjoyment stems from the effectiveness of my past _education_ in my current point in life... _neural studies_ – the academic study of _brain functions_ – was one of the things I studied, or more accurately, I studied _psychology_ as a branching term... _that_ study helped me identify personal behavior patterns and habits by casually studying expressions and contextual dialogue"

Nyx seemed completely floored by his response, evidently causing his left eye to twitch out of sheer confusion. "R-really now, w-well that's something I've never heard of before..."

"Clearly, but not really that surprising... the one who taught me is long since passed on, so it wouldn't be at all surprising if I'm the only one around – besides big brain Ajuka Astaroth – that could probably pass on that knowledge to others" Ryden replied, erecting several intrigued glances from the party of devils behind him.

Abigail however, refrained from digging into that subject and pressed on with the previous topic. "So your take on the key of hunting is to know your enemy first and foremost correct? If that's the case then the term Prowler warfare merely builds upon that foundation easily" she stated while rubbing her chin in contemplation.

"Affirmative—knowing your enemy and how they'd react to certain scenario's can help in manipulating the flow of the hunt; mix in my preferred tactics when fighting a superior force and you got prowler warfare... it's all about committing to the right battles as well, over committing to a fight you know you can't win is fool hardy and pointless— I don't really give a shit what your _glory gut_ tells ya, _prone gets you home_ as I say, but what _doesn't_ get you home, is running in head first like a jackass... that gets you killed"

Abigail lightly chuckled at Ryden's way of explaining, yet Rosalina and Nyx glanced at Ryden as if he was a hypocrite. "Wait..." they both started in unison. "Don't you run in head first?" they both finished in unison.

Abigail's laugh slightly increased at the apparent collective observation from Nyx and Rosalina—even Rivia found herself smirking at the twos collected callout.

Ryden however, waved them off. "Prowler warfare only applies to those who _aren't_ considered impervious—I can run in head first because unlike most people I will actually _keep_ my head intact afterwards... and to be fair, I never said I _wasn't_ a jackass" he shot back with a comedic smirk.

Surprisingly, Nyx and Rosalina lightly laughed at his words, neither of them expecting his reply. As the two snickered, Ryden idly smirked at the looseness within his team; about an hour of hiking and Ryden had noted most of his team had been rather uptight with the mystery behind the mysterious voice, yet after the thirty minute point the tense defensive atmosphere his team exuded dwindled down and they all went back to tossing banter back and forth.

After that, it was a relatively good hike through the forest—yet even still; Ryden continued to feel the overbearing pull from some form of unknown origin that seemed to originate along the stone pathway. He couldn't specifically tell who or what it was, but it had a undertone feeling of _familiarity_ that he honestly couldn't quite comprehend; no matter how hard he tried to place his finger on it, the feeling refused to change, as if something was blocking him from realizing who it was, or what it was. All he could feel now was a slow build up of relief as he continued his trek along the path.

After some time, the scenery thinned considerably as the minutes clocked by; from dense forestry, Ryden and the others suddenly found themselves walking out towards a large open field that spanned several hundred meters all around them—the last bit of forest and pathway being only a couple feet behind them, which visibly stretched out further then the actually tree line on either side of it. Ignoring the oddness behind them, Ryden quickly noted the new sturdy surface that replaced the previously soft soil that made up the pathway, yet upon inspection, the ground itself was covered in dense grass and overgrowth—blocking whatever lay beneath them. Whatever it may be, Ryden could feel the sturdiness with each step and felt no source of energy in the area besides the calmly flowing energy that pulled him forward, so whatever the ground may be – as odd of a worry as it may seem – was most definitely not alive.

"Well this is sudden" Abigail noted while Ryden scrutinized the ground.

Nyx calmly nodded along with Rosalina as they both eyed up the sudden expanse around them. "I'll say... never knew a forest could just end like that" Nyx stated in mild bewilderment.

"That doesn't seem very normal though" Rosalina intoned before she spotted something in the distance. "What... is that?" she questioned as he eyes locked onto a solid structure some couple hundred meters away.

For Ryden's part, all he did was glance over to what Rosalina had spotted and immediately identified the mysterious structure to be a _castle tower_ poking out from the earth below. However, the moment Ryden's eyes locked with the towers entrance way – which seemed to be clearly open for anyone – immediately gave off this insane pull to his being...

 _..."Ryden"..._

Again, Ryden's skin crawled at the voices soft return, the pitch of the mysterious voice causing a series of goose bumps to array along his arms and neck—heightening his adrenaline and thus enhancing his senses by default; yet once his senses spiked, he saw _someone_ —clad in _white and gold_ —standing within the towers entrance way. The feeling of the mysterious individuals gaze landed soling on him – how Ryden knew that was strictly up to instinct – yet nothing could be discerned from the brief exchange before the being vanished, gone with a blink of his eye, yet what really bothered him was the fact that directly after the being vanished—he could easily make out the inner workings of the castle tower; every detail was easily scrutinized down to the very crack, every shadow was defined perfectly.

 _Whatever it was... it had disabled his enhanced vision_

"Ryden? What do you see?" Rosalina inquired after seeing the man in question stare silently at the distant submerged tower.

Shaking his head, Ryden glanced over to the rest of his team with a look of seriousness. "Nothing solid, but I could have sworn I saw someone—even that voice from earlier called out to me again" he reported with a slightly strained expression... the instinctual pull towards the towers entrance was actually a lot harder to ignore then he expected.

Clearly his expression of strained effort was caught on by the others, leading Rivia and Rosalina to collapse in on him, worried about his new condition.

"Is everything alright Ryden? You look... in pain" Rosalina stated with a look of worry. Ryden simply waved off the unnecessary anxiety before he started to carry on ahead of them.

"I'm fine for the most part, it's just I feel this insane pull coming from that tower" he started before glancing over his shoulder. "I don't know about you guys but I'm heading in before I officially lose it" with his words set in stone and distributed for his team to chew on, Ryden pressed onward towards the structure—his pace being more of a speed walk then a cautionary approach.

There was a moment of hesitation in the others, half – if not most of them – being slightly unnerved by the oddity that was happening in front of them. Clearly something was at work here, but neither of them knew exactly what it could be; they all knew Ryden's abilities – well at least understood them to some degree – but never had they expected to see Ryden to be on the receiving end of a clear special allure.

Someone – or _something_ – had managed to grasp a hold of Ryden's senses, powerfully so if his expression of pained annoyance was anything to go by. Yet even with all this in mind, even if Ryden had been somehow allured by something unknown, none of those present would dare let Ryden face it alone— _especially a certain blonde duo_...

As Ryden closed in on the tower, it became impeccably clear that the structure was connected to some form of subterranean castle that had somehow been completely overwhelmed by the earth at their feet; or it had somehow been buried beneath them by an extreme case of erosion. Now that Ryden thought on it, the sturdiness beneath his feet could very well be the castles roof... at least, he _hoped_ it was the roof.

 _Could be damn well anything at this point..._

The tower structure was leaning slightly off kilter, clearly having sustained immense damaged during whatever catastrophe that had besieged the area, yet just in front of him was an easily accessible archway entrance that seemed more like a opening within the tower then a simple entry way; Ryden even noted the presence of some foot prints—a single set for that matter.

 _Interesting..._

Silently, Ryden stuck his head inside the tower opening, taking in the view of the slightly cluster phobic spacing within, yet even so, Ryden could easily make out a set of solid stone spiral stairs to his left – NOT made out of wood – leading downward towards something he couldn't see.

With a sigh, he stepped inside and glanced over his shoulder casually only to see Rosalina and Rivia standing behind him, practically looming over his shoulder. Ryden found himself briefly jumping at the twos sudden arrival; he had expected them to not be too far behind him – for obvious reasons – yet he didn't expect them to be this aggressive. Though regardless of their speed and his surprise, Ryden merely tossed a playfully coy smile towards the youngest blonde—an expression instantly noticed by the aforementioned woman.

"W-what?" she blushed, eyes glancing away after having gazed at him for a little longer than necessary... so adorable.

Ryden merely held his smirk. "Nothing... I just couldn't help but notice your intrigue a moment ago—I guess this little excursion can count to a bit of exploration, eh?" he pointed out, having – for the briefest of moments – spot Rosalina's expression of wonder a couple minutes ago.

The woman blinked at his words, clear confusion present. "Do you really think now's the time to worry over exploration?" she retorted back.

He waved off her response, neither annoyed with her response nor disappointed. "Aw you're no fun!" he laminated lightly before pressing down the stone stairs, leaving behind a pouting Rosalina and a bemused Rivia Abaddon. For a moment, Rosalina idly watched Ryden trek down the derelict stairway—her eyes trailing after him with both a hint of confusion and a light blush to follow; however instead of continuing on in her own path, Rivia found a rare opportunity to catch her.

"You know he was trying to loosen you up right?" Rivia commented with an ever present grin, much to Rosalina's annoyance.

"If that's the case, then he picked one odd moment; I mean we got odd voices that only he can hear, sudden unexplained geographic discrepancies and now an underground castle, and he's trying to loosen me up?" Rosalina countered back with a moderate snap, yet her response only further amused Rivia.

"I don't know, it sounds like he's not at all worried about it if he's engaging in small talk" Rivia stated before stepping passed the woman, her eyes lingering on Rosalina for a scant second longer. "I mean, if I was him—odd voices and subterranean castles would be the least of my worries when it comes to trying to get you to smile... _wouldn't you agree?"_

Almost instantly, Rivia's teasing words caused Rosalina to freeze up the moment she heard them—leaving the older devil to advance further away without pause.

"Y-you... he-heard all of that!?" Rosalina practically challenged with a sharp tone—more shocked then forceful—before she stepped up behind the woman.

Rivia paused and glanced over to her, her ever present smirk of mirthful bemusement still taking a hold of her lips. "What? Did you honestly think I was sleeping?" Rivia laughed lightly into her hand, the action seemingly more sadistic than normal. "How naive—you think I'd be sleeping when I had such a wonderful lap to enjoy? No-no-no-no, such a moment needed to be completely savored and sleeping would have merely whisked away the moment faster than it had; and my, was it worth it... to think that man would be so bold—he must see something truly captivating in you to put in all this effort... what did he say again? – Oh right! – _'A star cannot shine behind a facade'_ ". Upon Rivia's reply, Rosalina was practically scarlet from her embarrassment, having been completely caught flat foot by the elder devils teasing words. However, whether it was beyond Rosalina's judgement or not, Rivia's words almost sounded encouraging in some way.

Yet before Rosalina could fret on her words further, the older woman was already in front of her—poised and serious. With a delicate motion, Rivia's finger lightly lifted up Rosalina's chin so to force the woman to lock her young eyes with her experienced ones. Surprisingly, nothing within Rivia's golden orbs shone with her usual smug attitude when it came to Rosalina, as instead, her expression resembled closely to the moment when they were pinned down in the foxhole way back in the Rose Garden. At that time, Rivia hadn't expressed nothing else but calm serene control and mutual respect for her, as if a vast untold amount of knowledge had been held behind her eyes at the time—and the same could be said now.

Rivia had enough time to express her advice before Nyx and Abigail arrived at the entry way, and Ryden had already pressed onward—now long out of ear shot, leaving her free to speak without embarrassing the young pup in front of the others; only then would she truly take heed to her words.

"Let it be known Rosalina Phenex, what you seek cannot be found beyond the realms of nobility" Rivia started, briefly shocking Rosalina; yet before the younger woman could retort Rivia persisted. "The feeble nature of persisting towards both true freedom and complete responsibility can only go so far before one must sacrifice either of those two ideals; so all I ask is this _... what do you desire most?_ Is it the responsibility of carrying your family name? Or is it the freedom you so deeply hideaway, yet indulge all the same?"

The moment had gone serious in almost a heartbeat at those words, leading Rosalina to sharply breathe in her rushed reply before she pushed Rivia even further. She had originally been embarrassed by Rivia's knowledge of her conversation with Ryden all those hours ago—seeing it as a simple moment of teasing on her part, yet now it seemed the moment was much more 'important' then simple mockery from the older devil. It was a testament to the familiarity that had been forged in all of them, a bond that led Rosalina to have completely forgotten the age gap between her and the woman confronting her. Odd were the times when she found herself receiving childlike comments and smug grins whenever Rivia successfully pushed her advances; from an extremely aggressive engagement present to now physical affection—Rivia Abaddon was creating an incredibly large amount of progress towards something that Rosalina honestly couldn't remember joining... yet here she was.

Her thoughts were garbled and chaotic, her ideals – a mix between two contradicting choices – while her actions could be construed towards a matter that didn't fit her personality.

It took all of her will power to push aside the moment when she had stumbled into gripping Ryden's arm for support; such an action on her end was beyond her normal conduct and she should've let go the instant her balance was restored, yet she had for some reason persisted in continuing to hold the man.

All of that should have been the true reason of her embarrassment, yet what truly embarrassed her was the fact that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find herself regretting it.

"Even now I can see the turmoil within your eyes..." Rivia commented after a moment before lightly chuckling. "Sometimes I forget how much older I am to you; it's hard to believe I'm competing with such a young little girl who hasn't even chosen what kind of woman she desires to be" Rivia lightly teased with a hint of mirth.

Rosalina narrowed her eyes at that. "Little girl?" she questioned with a growl.

If Rivia felt regretful of her previous words, she either didn't notice or simply didn't care, as after a moment of light chuckles Rivia replied evenly—her experience and wisdom returning fully with a hint of aloofness.

"Indeed—every little girl that I've seen has always been preoccupied with the responsibility of their families; always being raised with the weighted expectations of nobility. Such an environment only creates a rift between _individuality_ and _family commitment_ " Rivia explained with a sardonic expression before it shifted towards a more positive one. "Have you ever wondered why my generation – as small in number as it is – seem much more 'alive' then those that came after us? Zekram for example – even with his manipulative nature – seems much more 'open' then the likes of Sirzechs Gremory or Ajuka Astaroth... If you are interested on why this is the case, you need not look no further then whom they live with, or the upbringing that they were forced to go through" Rivia added before she lightly poked the woman's collar playfully.

"The reason you are still a little girl in my eyes Rosalina Phenex, is because you are not capable of choosing who you wish to be without worrying over something that will always be there no matter the choice made...in the end, all I see is _hesitation_ , _fear_ and _doubt_ —none of those qualities fit the man that was your father"

Rosalina's breathed hitched at those final words, her blush of embarrassment having completely dwindled down to a light shade of pink while her wide eyes quickly locked with Rivia's golden. But without another word, Rivia twirled around and carried on down the stairs, intent on catching up to the man below... yet she didn't get far.

"You knew him didn't you...?"

Rivia paused but didn't turn towards Rosalina.

"Your father was a man that I looked up to in a way..." Rivia's words slightly shocked the woman behind her, yet she carried on before being interrupted—she could sense Nyx and Abigail's approach coming, she didn't have much time. "Though my age dwarfed his at the time, I had been much the same as you are; everything I did then was for the betterment of my family, to honor my mother _**Abaddon**_ with as much ' _glory'_ and ' _honor_ ' as I could achieve while protecting my sisters, yet I had found myself yearning for something... all the years of killing and waiting had led me to search for something more beyond the realms of my little bubble I had believed to be my one sole calling."

After a moment's pause, Rivia found herself smirking at a fleeting thought; her mind being over taken by remnant memories of a time long since passed. "Oh how cliché it was when I stumbled upon your father—a young hot bloodied brat with a bigger mouth then any; possessing a roaring blaze of white flames that none could tame or counter, yet he had something none else possessed. I couldn't understand it at the time but after a while I came to realize something about myself compared to him; while I festered in fear of failure and lose—your father faced _**forward**_ without _hesitation_ , _fear_ or _doubt_ ; like a blazing pyre that dared the world to try and snuff it out" after speaking her words of praise towards the late Phenex lord, Rivia glanced over to a stone silent Rosalina; her eyes wide with shock and awe.

"The person I am today – while still loyal to my origins – is all thanks to that man... he showed me what a free spirit truly looks like; to stand tall in the face of adversity and responsibility... and I have this inclining feeling that _you_ have also felt it." at Rivia's assessment, Rosalina stepped back slightly upon remembering something important—something that she herself had expressed some time ago.

As if sensing her own thoughts, Rivia smirked playfully at Rosalina—knowing fully what had caused that reaction. "Were you not in favor of challenging that arranged marriage of yours? I had looked into that little bit of info after our return from _Lucifaad_ and I'm slightly shocked to see some inconsistency in you... Had you truly been inclined to uphold your family's responsibilities as vehemently as you do now, then you wouldn't have rebelled as hard as you had then—why is that?—and why is it that when someone that compliments that hidden will of yours, you tip toe around it?—where is that fire you showed before? Where did it go?—out of the two of us, I had expected to be chasing after _you_ yet you're the one following behind _me_ "

"I-I..."

Rivia glanced away before she could reply, a light huff escaping her lips. "Answering that question is pointless, I already know the answer and you already understand the weak foundation such an answer is—you are smart enough to realize it, but too prideful to admit its falsehood so I shall spare you further embarrassment."

"W-why are you telling me this?"

For the second time, Rivia glanced over to a silent Rosalina, yet in this case—the woman's eyes were locked with the ground beneath her, clearly conflicted with a turmoil that Rivia was all too familiar with. A small smile crept along her lips, yet instead of mirth, Rivia's expression expressed sadness that Rosalina didn't notice.

"I say this because I never once got the chance to speak with your father, yet I have at many times in the past witnessed the loss of dreams and the disparity that follows a lost hope... I can't count the amount of times I've seen young ones, like yourself, lose an opportunity that had been so close in the making yet ignored due to _pride_ or some pointless notion of failure towards _responsibility_ ; I cannot stand to see it again—so I guess this is a bit of advice. While I never did get the chance to express myself to your father, I can at least make sure his daughter doesn't lose her chance at something she clearly desires..."

Rosalina was almost speechless, dumbfounded beyond words. From every waking moment, Rivia had been beating her at every opportunity yet now she was helping her? Such a thing seemed almost impossible to consider...

Again Rivia's eyes shimmered with mirth, bemused at how easy it was to truly read the young Phenex heiress. "Heh, I can see that look of confusion in your eyes..." she stated before her lips curled into a playful grin... challenging even. "This may disappoint you, but this isn't some form of assistance on my behalf—don't forget what we're fighting for, cause I won't be holding back in the slightest, but now I expect to at least get some form of a challenge from you from now on... so what do you say? – Daughter of _Nocris Phenex –_ will you finally inherit that unyielding resolve? Or will the white Phenex finally peter out?" Rivia's challenging tone was only loud enough for the two of them to hear but its effect had its intended purpose...

Rosalina had heard everything—however, her shock regarding Rivia's sudden counselling had long since dwindled down to a new respectful view of the woman, rather than the previously perceived annoyance she had expected the older devil to be; yet now it was clear she was different. Perhaps her sudden advice may not have come had it not been for her father's actions in the past—yet Rosalina had this feeling that Rivia would have helped her anyway even if she had not known of her father. Foolish in nature to believe such mercy from a woman whom had already taken the step to place her engagement agreement to Ryden – now only merely awaiting a response – but it didn't seem as though Rivia was the kind of woman to tramp on the realms of the younger generation as callously as she had first expected.

It was in her history and blood—she had been the eldest Abaddon daughter, first born from _**Abaddon**_ herself and had been known as the one to always care for her siblings more often than herself. Rosalina couldn't even begin to understand the pain Rivia must feel at having lost almost all of them... now only left with the youngest of them all; last born of the Abaddon family line...

All of that sibling love doesn't just vanish into thin air... it _boils_ deep inside and builds up—leading to involuntary actions – perhaps even _voluntary_. Whether Rivia had chosen to or not, she had stopped in her sprint to the finish line in order to help someone younger than her; by all rights she should have easily beaten her in their 'race' but yet here was Rivia—helping out her competitor.

As the reasons started to formulate in her mind, Rosalina had forgone her pride when her rational side stone walled her usual response to what should be an infraction to her as a woman. Independence was the core value of nobles, help was almost completely viewed as a dishonor—but the realms of assistance didn't mean it couldn't be accepted towards a personal... _indulgence._

This just so happened to be one of those very indulgences...

 _Yeah, that's what it was..._

Rosalina's eyes locked with Rivia's—surprising the elder devil with the sheer challenge within them. "I shall take heed of your words of advice, Rivia Abaddon; from this day forth, I, Rosalina Phenex, shall respond to your challenge in full"

For a brief moment, Rivia eyed Rosalina for any form of hesitation—and while she _did_ observe a few hints of such within the young women's azure blue eyes, she also saw the determination that had only been a mild hint before, yet now, that previous spark of determination seemed to be more pronounced then her earlier hesitation. Rivia knew such a pep talk like this couldn't change a person instantly, but with every moment came a series of sparks that could ignite a passion—a foundation towards a dream; fueled by either _ambition_ , _lust_ , _greed_ , _envy_... or a _**tragedy**_.

Rivia knew Rosalina wasn't fueled by either of those; there wasn't lust in her eyes – _yet –_ and Greed and Envy hadn't corroded her young heart. And while tragedy did indeed run within her heritage, that didn't fuel her desires as much as _ambition_ did.

Rivia had read her character long ago; she seen the same type more times than she could truly count, but the one woman that stood out true to her was _Venelana Gremory._ Venelana had been a prideful and prudish woman in her younger years; stubborn to a fault, and lacked any sort of desire to expose what she considered a 'weak' emotion... _love_ had been one emotion deemed as such...

But she had still remained at Zeoticus' side... regardless of the man's seemingly childish advances; Venelana hadn't been repulsed as one had expected her to be. Rivia had known everything with but one glance back when she had graced a very rarely ordained gala—a rarity in times of the Great War, yet it had been surprisingly encouraged by the demon's Bael and Gremory. Rivia knew it was a mere breeding ploy on the demons part—to watch their underlings indulge in scandalous affairs and provocative intercourse.

No one said the Demons weren't fools at times – most of those aware of such a fact didn't exactly speak openly of it – but there hadn't been much of anything besides the odd rendezvous in the gardens from the more 'susceptible' devils...

 _Looking at you Lady Stolas..._

So most of the time, it was an unwind period between the long years of constant battle and chaos—something that Rivia had taken a brief liking to, until things became more _political_ rather than the usually relaxing getaway that it had been before. Instead of conversing with her distant allies from other houses, she had begun to actively employ her combat skills in order to dodge these 'suitors' that her allies had come to call them... glorified _prostitution_ was the better term for it... _bloody imps._

Yet aside from her own troubles in those times, Rivia had seen something happen between Venelana and Zeoticus that had become something of an example, to show exactly what Rosalina Phenex was to this day...

 _She was scared... Terribly scared..._

It had been one of her more pressing encounters with the infamous _suitors_ that had led Rivia to hide herself within the deeper confines of the Gremory estate— which happened to be a glorified _closet..._ though the mighty had yet to fall at the time, Rivia felt as if she was... _testing the waters—_ so to speak.

Not her proudest moment... but it was informative...

Rivia Abaddon wasn't the type to eavesdrop on personal matters, yet when she had found herself situated within a closest – which was located within a more luxurious room then she had any time to truly ponder on – she came to realize that she had hurriedly rushed herself into the very confines of Prince Zeoticus Gremory's room... the soon to be heir to the Gremory house.

Why _**Gremory**_ had chosen to install that system was beyond her, but every devil knew _that_ demon had a thing for knowing about the past, present and future...

 _Yet the fool couldn't predict his own future... how poetic_

At that time, before Rivia could relocate herself before things became awkward or _violent – had she been caught –_ yet before she could make her escape, both the Prince and Venelana Bael stumbled into the room... making out... _furiously..._

' _Shocked'_ wouldn't' have been able to truly describe her reaction at seeing Venelana Bael making out with Zeoticus Gremory as furiously as they were. Normally, it would be Zeoticus lying out to dry after one of his more flamboyant advances—an advance that usually possessed a fuming Venelana Bael slowly walking away afterwards.

Yet this picture was obviously different—for obvious visual reasons; however the scene itself didn't carry on as long as she expected it to. By all rights she should have made her escape through her rifts before things became a little bit more personal and intimate, yet doing so would have been far too obvious for either of them to not notice, so Rivia had begrudgingly remained silent and frozen...

Not for long however...

As the passion between the two grew more and more, the mounted emotions that had been bottled up within Venelana suddenly spewed out without control, just as the first articles of clothing were removed. From then onward, Venelana was a crying wreck of a woman held in the arms of the one man that she had found solace in.

For Rivia, It was a sight that had engraved itself in her mind that day—at seeing a proud woman reveal all her misgivings, fears and doubts; everything she feared, all lay bare... and all that was truly needed for this, was a simple connection with another.

 _Just like what she'd done with_ _ **him...**_

Yet what really surprised Rivia was not Venelana's horror stories, but rather Zeoticus' absolute resolve in listening to all of the woman's woes without interrupting her, or voicing empty words of comfort like so many devils did just so they could get on with the pleasure; No, Zeoticus remained silent and ever listening—and with every new story or fear from Venelana, his grip simply tightened protectively—as if all the world itself had fallen away, damned by him completely just so he could focus on her and only her.

Rivia was moved by the man's clear show of affection – _his true affection_ – for the obviously terrified woman in his arms.

It was a deeply compounding moment for not just the two of them, but for Rivia as well. Being amongst the oldest of her kind—practically standing shoulder to shoulder with that weasel Zekram Bael, Rivia had been the absolute prime image of strength for her female allies; her resolve was that of myth and her leadership was nothing that could be discounted. Even those from other families had found themselves adhering to her commands from just a glance alone; a glance that spoke not of a disconnection between rank, but a familiar glance usually shared between allies in arms... all that had served under her had known without clarification that Rivia Abaddon had fought _with_ them—not _behind_ them like all the others.

So it was with this knowledge of her position amongst her brothers and sisters – as the idle role model and leader amongst them – that led her to step out of the confines of the closet and approach the duo without any source of hesitation.

It was a small source of amusement to her when the two of them finally noticed her after having been standing at the edge of their bed for a moment, but when they did finally notice her, Venelana seemed mortified beyond description and Zeoticus – in a very rare instance of rage – rounded on her protectively, as if he saw her as some sort of threat to their future.

She was no whistle blower—she was several hundred years beyond that; but when Zeoticus rounded on her – clearly intent on silencing her – Rivia merely side stepped the thoughtless hay maker and quickly pulled Venelana Bael into a tight embrace before anything else happened.

In the end, it was all that was needed; so many devils had fallen short of their desires due to _fear_ ; or the apparent lack of control of their own destiny because of a responsibility to their families—only those that stepped over the line and took what they wanted at the expense of another truly got everything, but even that was hallow. It was a stigma that Rivia had only began to notice at the time, but that moment had been the final nail in the coffin.

Since then, Rivia had understand what it meant to be free of fear—but that came at the cost of a small amount of dignity in certain areas. To get what you want, it means you must be willing to bend the rules of your own reality in order to obtain something that you deeply desire.

Like history repeating itself for the millionth time, Rosalina Phenex was just the same... she feared weakness, but yet yearned for something that she had mistakenly branded as weakness—a mistake that had formed her own sources of excuses whenever she found herself leaning towards it.

Rosalina knew what she wanted, but refused to admit it openly...

Venelana had known what she wanted for a long time, yet she had refused it because of her fear of exposing her 'weaknesses'.

But the thing was... Venelana got what she wanted because she finally admitted it on her own—all Rivia had done was solidify her choice with her own words of encouragement.

And the same could be said now...

Rivia's eyes hardened in the face of Rosalina's own challenging stare before the older woman found herself smirking when Rosalina hadn't so much as twitched under her gaze, at that point her response had been formed accordingly. "I expect a challenge from you Rosalina Phenex—or you may find yourself addressing me as your superior..."

Rivia had to give it Rosalina—though the woman was stubbornly dense in this department, she didn't however lack a sense of quick wit...

"The only one that will be addressing anyone as a superior is you lady Rivia—I rather enjoy seeing you below me" Rosalina countered with her own teasing smile.

Rivia smirked, both at the confidence and at the slight expression of dominance on the woman.

"We shall see..." Rivia replied simply before turning around to carry on down the tower stairs

"Indeed we shall..." came Rosalina's own response before she followed suit.

After a moment of silence and unbeknownst to the two blondes, both Nyx and Abigail calmly emerged from their spots near the entrance of the tower, having been hiding there since the very beginning.

Nyx calmly stared at where Rosalina and Rivia had been, his eyes drooped in disbelief at what he heard. "Well... this is getting interesting—I didn't expect that..." he stated before glancing to an equally disbelieving Abigail, yet in her case, she found herself pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I didn't expect Rivia to actually help Rosalina open up... What's up with that?" she asked in confusion

Nyx shrugged with a quizzical expression. "Might be that small bit of history they got—who really knows for sure. All I know for sure is one thing... Ryden's in for it"

At her old friend's words, Abigail smirked lightly at the thought before a small snicker escaped her lips. "That's strictly up to Rosalina though—we can't know for sure if Rosa's actually gonna start taking this seriously, that girls to prideful for her own good so it may just be all talk on her end" she stated with a follow up snicker yet Nyx rounded on her with a challenging glance of his own.

"Bet you two gold and five silver's Rosalina starts getting aggressive..."

For a moment Abigail stared at her old friend before her own expression of challenge ignited. "With your track record so far... you're on"

* * *

 **[Further down below]**

* * *

Ryden didn't know why exactly, but after some time traversing down the towers stairs, for whatever reason, he suddenly felt very very cold. Now normally, the sensation would affect him physically, yet rather, this cold sensation felt more akin to a primal fear of some kind, then some form of draft. And even if that was the case, a slight breeze wouldn't affect him as much as this feeling did.

Yet regardless, after a few abated glances around the area—he found nothing out of the ordinary that could inspire such a reaction from him; perhaps it was the scenery doing that...

As stated, the new area Ryden had found himself in directly after emerging from the towers bottom entry way was somewhat breathtaking to witness. Earlier, his theory regarding the foundation of the earth below them being the castles actual roof stood perfectly true, as just in front of him stood a mighty castle/monastery that seemed to merge with the rock above it—as if the structure was either carved from the stone itself, or nature itself had decided to merge with the castle... either way, the image in front of him didn't at all detach from the sheer amount of time the monastery had been present.

It was old... **very old**...

The design of the monastery seemed almost Greek in nature, yet it also possessed varying design characteristics from several other mythologies—something that heavily confused him. The entire main outer portion of the monastery was filled with Corinthian pillars that stood 50 feet high, the tips of each pillar seemingly melding with the roof above it—supporting the foundation above, yet even so, Ryden could make out a fair amount of overgrowth and decay in the expertly carved and chiselled rock, which easily reminded Ryden of its vast age.

He found himself whistling at the sight – the sound of which carrying in a feint echo all around – before he slowly descended down the remaining tower stairs that seemed to deposit him into a central courtyard area, framed all sides by even more Corinthian pillars and three other towers that had sadly collapsed in on themselves. Within the central courtyard however, was what looked to be a smaller – yet ancient – _Egyptian_ pyramid; yet the thing that caused him pause was the varying jewels and riches that sat at the base of the pyramid—the items themselves ranging from faded gold coins, pottery, faded paintings and old weapons that matched in moderation to every human era...

Ryden didn't know why, but the sight of a literal _M1 Garand_ sitting at the base of the pyramid right next to a broken _katana_ and rusted _long sword_ didn't feel right at all. The ruins themselves felt human in construction, but the sight of the advanced weapon reminded Ryden of his current location; it was clear now that whatever – or _whoever_ – had lived here before even the devils, stood somewhere outside of time itself...

Cause it sure as shit broadened his view of the world...

With his curiosity peaked, Ryden stepped down the marbled stairs of the outer walkways and into the courtyard without looking, yet he quickly found himself staring down at a soft streaming pond; ordained and decorated in a similarly oriental fashion to that of Japanese style. Ryden couldn't believe it, yet after a moment of processing, he guessed his distracted senses had led him to ignore a good majority of _his_ side of the courtyard.

And even some of the others...

He glanced back at what had led him down into the courtyard, and surprisingly, he found himself staring at a literal _Iron Pagoda_ – a Japanese fashioned tower that derived from India – yet Ryden had found himself wondering why the feature hadn't matched that of the tower he'd originally entered.

Even so, the varying details of each tower suddenly became more pronounced after noticing his method of entry. With his location to the south side of the courtyard, Ryden quickly noted the Norse styled knots decorating the section of pillars and tower to his right – marred in blackened iron – while bleached white marble decorated the section to his left, denoted its reference to Greek majesty. Directly north of him, however, stood the most intricately designed section of the lot...

Each pillar and section of wall on the northern side of the courtyard depicted war and destruction, peace and prosperity, and finally... creation directly in the middle of the two.

 _Hinduism..._

"What the hell..." Ryden mouthed slowly, eyes wide as he took in the sight before him. However, before he could continue onward, he glanced over his shoulder to see Rosalina and Rivia emerge from the tower, the both of them also going silent in shock.

"What is this?" Rosalina mouthed before she spotted Ryden.

He shrugged. "No idea Rosa... I'm just as surprised as all of you" he answered before eyeing a calmly surprised Rivia. "And I take It we won't be getting any answers from you now will we?" he stated, catching the woman's attention easily.

Rivia simply shook her head, a form of ghostly confusion taking hold of her. "This doesn't make sense... the pantheon to the north never set foot into the underworld before because of their own discord and war, and neither did those of Olympus... and those of Egypt and Hinduism—" Rivia shook her head. "Impossible... none of those two pantheons would ever dream of coming into our section of hell—let alone share cultures and build a monastery together... this—this is beyond me Ryden, this shouldn't exist"

Ryden could tell Rivia was slightly spooked by the image in front of her, yet even so—disavowing reality wasn't her style, so he reminded her. "Regardless of your observation, it seems this – _abnormality_ – exists anyway" he reprehended calmly before he glanced behind the two blondes. "Where are Nyx and Abigail?"

"Right here!" suddenly came Nyx's response as he and Abigail stepped out of the Pagoda towers base. "We just got side tracked by two of our own issues before we could—woah! What the hell is all of this?" just as Nyx started his long winded excuse, his eyes almost bugged out at what he saw—closely followed by Abigail, leaving Ryden to sigh loudly in exasperation.

"Long story short, history is fucked and apparently five normally independent pantheons actually already knew each other" Ryden stated before he suddenly flung out his arms flamboyantly. "Now that's what I call a twist!" he stated with a wide smile before he twisted around and pointed towards the peak of the central pyramid formation. "Now enough gawking, imma climb that bitching pyramid"

Before any of them could protest, Ryden stepped out and traversed along the neatly arranged stones along the Japanese pond area and quickly made his approach to the base of the pyramid to his left side... yet he paused briefly before climbing it for an obvious reason—mostly associated to his America heritage.

"Now how authentic are you?" Ryden whispered as he gently raised the M1-Garand sitting amongst a selection of ancient weapons to eye level. From first initial glance, the M1-Garand held within his hands seemed every bit as authentic as one would be from its associated time period, yet considering the circumstance—it was obvious _something_ was out of place – mostly with its chronological appearance – but even so, the weapon sported a extreme bout of wear and tear that attested to the prospect of its possible use.

The weapons make was built using supernatural materials; black iron was used as the internal mechanisms and a large amount of terranite ore was used as the exterior grip—giving the weapon a more blackened appearance, rather than the wooden appearance Ryden knew of; however its condition was well beyond the prospect of usage as the black iron was rusted down to a flaky grey, and the terranite ore was warped in some areas around the cheek rest, barrel, and trigger handle—the three key areas of usage.

Ryden was curious of its internal condition and surprisingly found the weapon empty of a clip, but unfortunately, the internal condition – based upon a simple glance – was clearly unfit for any form of strenuous use, as the rust seemed more prevalent within the weapon.

As Ryden continued to study the weapon, his grip idly slid along the rifles handle before something flaky caked his hand—catching his attention just as the others caught up to him.

"What the... is this?" Ryden found himself muttering as he stared at his now dirty limb... which had now been caked in a deep brownish red.

"Blood..." Abigail finished for him upon seeing it, her eyes now regarding the mere 30 foot tall pyramid with slight agitation. "Not a very good sign to see when there's Egyptian architecture present—those creeps love their sacrifices" she added while casually thumbing her sheathed bow.

Ryden shook his head in disagreement. "I doubt it was a sacrifice Abi—the bloods situated on the handle of the weapon" he added without thinking.

"Oh? How would you know that? That weapon you're holding seems ancient by its appearance—and its design is something I have never seen before..."

Abigail's pressed question came out inquisitive, yet Ryden knew it was a minor mistake on his part—yet fortunately for him, he had already made that mistake—the only difference is that no one had asked him about it yet...

With that knowledge, Ryden pulled out _Cerberus_ and held it up for her to look at—and as she studied his weapon, Ryden made sure to continuously thumb the trigger of the hand cannon while also doing the same thing with the rifle in his other hand.

She didn't take long to notice...

"So what does this mean then?" Nyx started after eyeing the similarities between Ryden's weapon and the unknown one.

Ryden sighed. "No idea" he said before he placed the weapon in his dimensional pocket for later study. "All I know is that I wasn't led here just to find some old weapon of some foreign design—there's something here someone wants me to see and I have this feeling were not looking hard enough" Ryden stated before he noticed Rivia looking off in the distance towards the peak of the central pyramid.

"Then I believe _that_ should be our first step in finding it" she proposed while pointing at a single ornate mirror at the top of the pyramid.

Ryden nodded before he looked upward towards the roof of the inner chasm after having spotted the mirror, his eyes quickly locating a few beams of sunlight piercing through several small cracks-partially giving them some sources of sun light to help fuel their natural night vision. For the most part though, the majority of the inner chasm was pitch black, yet due to natural design, devil night vision only worked its magic when there was a small source of light to help establish it—just like human created night vision.

It wasn't hard for Ryden to notice the sun beams with that knowledge at hand—and it was even easier to understand the mirrors usage when a single sun beam was seen reflecting off of the mirrors dilapidated surface, forcing a focused beam of light towards a random location.

The Norse and Greeks had their gimmicks, but the Egyptians had a more renowned gimmick that not many could say they _DIDN'T_ know of... so to put it simply—

 _They sure as shit loved using the sun for everything_

Ryden smirked suddenly, a small snicker following his amusement as he studied the mirror a little closer. "You guys wait here..." He said definitively. "I think I know what our next move is"

Stepping towards his intended destination, Ryden easily skipped over the pyramid's steps with one telekinetically infused leap; and surprisingly, upon landing on the surface of the pyramid, Ryden quickly noted that the entire pyramid itself was fashioned out of an unknown metallic material that shone within a golden beauty – that which was obviously rusted beyond physical prime – but yet beyond its material composition, the pyramid emanated a very subtle energy source that seemed to derive from _within_ the central core.

That's where he needed to go... the energy – though subtle and weak – spoke to him in a magnified manner that he couldn't honestly explain. Normally, such a feeling would inspire him to use brute force in order to get to whatever was awaiting him below; it would be an easy effort with his applied strength—yet whenever he thought of such actions, his instinct would flare out in protest, as if doing so would damage or dissipate whatever was awaiting him.

In any case, Ryden's attention shifted back to the mirror and its offset position and continued on what he'd originally planned to do. Due to the clear decay of the monastery, most of everything was slightly displaced by fallen rubble, or outright destroyed entirely; yet for the mirror's case – which was a simple double sided mirror situated in a Egyptian styled frame of gold metal and ivory blue marble – it's entire composition was almost entirely pristine, yet even still, the base of the mirror's pedestal stand was slightly bent—causing it to miss the small stream of sun light coming in from above the Norse side of the main courtyard.

 _A simple fix..._

"Do you even know what you're doing!?" Nyx yelled out while Ryden bent the mirror back into place.

For the most part, Ryden ignored the doubtful question from Nyx and instead found himself staring right at a smaller mirror that sat right above the Norse pantheon door way—as a matter of fact, Ryden had noted the other doors seemed completely inaccessible due to either being blocked by fallen support pillar's, or the mirror's above them were shattered completely... and even if they could salvage some broken shards, the insides of the Shinto and Hindu entry ways were blocked as both of their monolithic doors were destroyed from within by fallen rubble.

It seemed the only door available was the one in front of him... The Nordic Pantheon.

The effect was instant; the moment the support stand was realigned, the mirror instantly picked up the sun beam and redirected it towards the smaller mirror just above the Northern door, and upon connection—a loud 'clang' – only ever heard from a hammer over and anvil – resounded all along the entire area, a rather symbolic sound to the more brutish ilk of the northern people.

Ryden glanced down to a stunned silent Nyx, smugness radiating off of his smirk like a tsunami. "You wanna run that question by me again!?" he asked teasingly, to which Nyx merely replied with a lazy wave—obviously to embarrassed and shocked to really formulate a response.

Ryden shook his head before he suddenly heard the northern door slowly groan open, the old metals howling agony before the door stopped a partial way open—giving them well then enough room to entire.

"I guess that's progress" Abigail stated as the others moved towards the door.

Rosalina found herself nodding at that, her engaged curiosity spiking as they approached the door way. "Indeed—I'm just curious as to what this all is..." she stated while eyeing everything in view.

"It is rather mysterious... for these four pantheon's to have a form of presence within hell only mounts more questions onto my list of even more questions" Rivia added just as Ryden hopped on down to join them.

The man himself had a slightly beaming smirk that eerily annoyed Nyx to some degree, yet thankfully the man continued on in his pace along with the others in silence; either ignoring his chance at rubbing it in, or merely not carrying in the face what stood before them.

Deep within the Norse styled door was a heavily detailed hallway filled with various carpets and tapestries that decorated the interior heavily, filling it all with depictions of varying scenes that none of them could at all distinguish—not even Ryden.

Before they continued onward, Rosalina snapped her fingers and flung a small orb of fire towards an unlit torch leaning alongside the wall to their right and then carried on when even more torches came into view. Soon enough, the once pitch black hallway now shone with a warm orange glow—the soft crackle of fire enticing the ever present feeling of hospitality and mystery.

No such energy signatures could be felt in the immediate area, and no such tracks could be seen upon the multiple carpets decorating the floor. Nothing was present to interfere in the brief moment of investigation and none of them seemed to question it at all... the history that was deciphered off of the tapestries and murals... was beyond ancient.

"I think I'm starting to see a pattern here... yeah definitely a pattern" Nyx opened up sarcastically while staring at several tapestries and murals depicting yet another similar scene; The context of the depictions was hard to read or understand, but it all depicted the same scene... _**War.**_

"Yeah... I think I can see it to" Ryden agreed with the same tone of sarcasm before he shook his head in exaggeration. "These guys love telling war stories..." he frowned after a moment. "Any idea who their fighting? Most of the image is decayed—and I hope I'm not the only one aware of the rather _convenient_ placement of the decay right? Like you guys are noticing this as well right?" Ryden called out in mild apprehension, yet a small grunt of annoyance from Rosalina was enough to gather his attention.

The aforementioned woman grumbled for the third time when – yet again – the full scene of the depicted conflict alluded to the antagonist with either burn marks or scratch marks—or even more prominently, when enemy lines were easily noticed, the entire section that supported who the enemy was—was entirely ripped from the scene completely, neither displayed on the ground or spotted at the other end of the room.

"Tsk! No—I'm noticing that as well" Rosalina replied with a sour expression of frustration.

"Yeah... nothing's really making sense right now" Abigail exclaimed as she lightly felt along the edges of her chosen tapestry. "Nothing seems to have been ripped away—it's almost as if someone had purposely cut away key points—all I'm seeing right now is _probably_ a bunch of Einherjar fighting off... something—not sure what"

Rosalina slightly round on Abigail. "You know what their called?" she asked, surprised by her friends knowledge of a foreign pantheon.

"I do..." Abigail confirmed without looking away from the image in front of her. "From what little information we have on them—the Nordic pantheon possesses a male and female military force—at least I think so, knowledge of their tribes is limited." Abigail started while lightly wincing at the choppy nature of her information before pressing on. "The males are as stated before—while the female warriors are known as _Valkyries_ ; any more info after that is a mystery"

Rosalina found herself slightly beaming at Abigail's reveal of information, momentarily jumping off character in awe. "Interesting... do you know anything else?" pressed the blonde Phenex with a beaming light of curiosity in her eyes.

Abigail shook her head. "Afraid that's all I know of them... my ancestor— _Valac_ —did some exploring during the Great War and somehow came across traces of these beings in his distant travels of the world—he even stole some souvenirs from one of their treasure houses" Abigail admitted softly.

Ryden noted the odd reminiscent tone within Abigail's words while he carried on his own search for clues. He could tell the red headed devil had some form of personal knowledge of the late demon – possibly having known it herself – yet he could just be misinterpreting her tone.

Either way however, the small bit of information revealed by Abigail was enough to spurn on the interest of the others—leading them to delve even further in side until they came across another set of spiraling stairs that led downward, the outer designs of the decent marred in even more tapestries that slowly began telling stories Ryden was partially aware of.

At first, Ryden's interest in the history of the ancient Nordic pantheon was something that both intrigued him due to the sheer mystery of what they had faced, yet at the same time he was also _detached_ from it. Though they had discovered intriguing information about a possible alliance between the four most notable pagan religions, the murals and tapestries however didn't correlate with already known Nordic legends; there was nothing regarding Thor and his blood bath against the giants, nor of the Vanir and the Aesir, or anything he knew of. It was bad enough the language inscribed on the paintings hardly correlated with known Germanic history, but it was even worse when the paintings made no identifiable sense...

Well that's what Ryden first thought...

Once they reached the bottom floor however... things became... _complicated_...

 _ **Really**_ _complicated..._

* * *

"Well he's a big guy... wonder what his name is?" Nyx idly questioned as he eyed a tapestry painting of a massive hulking behemoth of a man—or _woman—_ that was seen standing amongst several other beings of varying design and status.

"I haven't a clue..." Ryden lied softly as he stared at an image that no doubt depicted the primordial Giant _**Ymir**_ standing amongst other beings that bore similar artistic designs from their own respective pantheons.

"They seem important... and there characteristics seem to denote them well enough... perhaps it was a final painting, an exodus or rather" Rivia theorized while Ryden continued to eye the mural with clear evident shock.

The beings stood in a circle, all of them staring at an unknown source of importance that had unfortunately been ripped off an unknown time ago; yet even still, the individuals represented within the tapestry were heavily detailed—and possessed deeply intricate characteristics that helped depict which pantheon they derived from.

The first notable pair of beings was a black haired man and a black haired woman adorn in simple Japanese attire; the male wore a yellow kimono that was paired with a traditional Japanese sword that hung on his left side, while the woman stood unarmed and fashioned in a similarly designed kimono except colored white—And as an addition feature that helped seal the identity of these two beings, the man was seen holding a spear... a spear that would apparently fashion the island of Japan.

 **Izanami** and **Izanagi**... the first Shinto Gods

The next being was a tall woman fashioned in simple white robes that left nothing to the imagination; the style of the beings artistic depiction was unmistakably Greek and Ryden found no issue in identifying the woman's name...

 **Gaia**... the first titan

Within the woman's arms was a child that was similarly fashion as her apparent mother and just before the two was another being that couldn't be described by feature or appearance—yet even still, Ryden knew who it was.

 **Chaos**...the creator of the titan race... _and_ the apparent creator of the universe, **BUT!** It didn't seem that way at the moment... phish posh.

The final two individuals were the most flamboyant; at the forefront stood a man that possessed literally five heads – _yes, five heads_ – and four arms... you read that right – _FOUR_. _ARMS_! – And was adorned in fashionable robes and golden chains. It took Ryden a brief pause of study to remember the beings name, but after a moment of processing he found his answer.

 **Brahma**... the Hindu god of creation

And behind Brahma stood his partner – or something along those lines – **Saraswati** ; the goddess of knowledge. She wore a more refined and proactive outfit that help cover her feminine figure—a figure that – by statistical theory – had been the sole reason Brahma possessed five heads... because she was _**hawt**_.

For a god to sprout four extra heads she damn well better be...

Nyx idly skimmed over the central portion of the mural—the exact place the very gods in the mural were staring at in what looked like reverence, yet after a moment of deeper study, Nyx pulled back with a grumble of continued annoyance.

"There's definitely something mysterious with all of this; unknown figures from four – _no_ – _FIVE_ different pantheons and some unknown enemy facing off against them for who knows how long... this is deeper than I expected" Nyx lightly laminated while eyeing the rest of his team.

"Agreed... though I'm more interested in why our present Gremory had been led here; 'who was it?' and 'why?' are my top two questions of the day" Abigail added in while glancing at Ryden.

The man in question shrugged in equal confusion before he remembered something about that pyramid in the middle of the courtyard, causing his eyes to light up slightly.

"I may have figured out what it is..." Ryden announced while glancing further down the hallway; if he was mapping this right, then the pyramid would be right above them if they go a little bit further.

"What did you discover Ryden" Rivia questioned with a resolute expression; the others also collecting themselves in a similar fashion.

Ryden glanced back to her. "Nothing truly definitive, but I think that pyramid was containing something inside of it—before when I was affixing the mirror, I felt a small subtle source of energy within the pyramid itself"

"I see..." Rivia muttered before realigning her gaze onto him. "Then let us carry on—our answer seems to be awaiting us"

"Well I'm definitely curious as to what had caused this whole excursion, so let's go pay whatever this voice is a visit" Nyx added with a determined smirk.

Ryden shook his head at the man's newfound enthusiasm, yet never the less he led on deeper into the hall of apparent history.

It was a simple jaunt – roughly a 3 minute walk – before Ryden could make out what looked like glass barring their way forward, however—it became clear to them all that it wasn't a barrier that had been erected to seal off entry to their intended goal, no...

It was a window...

And directly before the window was a pedestal, black metal decorated with silver Nordic knots...

"Well that's... anticlimactic" Nyx began before glancing to the rest of the team. "Anyone got an ancient key on them?" Nyx questioned with a mild look of disappointment when no one made a move—admittedly it was expected, but Nyx had his hopes.

Ryden ignored the raven haired devils words and idly studied the pedestal before a certain someone filled his ear.

 _ **Condense my element into a sphere and press it onto the pedestal...**_

Ryden paused; surprised by the voice of _Ventus_ suddenly surfacing to his mind after having been silent for some several hours—even _Fulgur_ had been silent. Yet what really took Ryden for a loop was the tone in _Ventus'_ voice, on a normal day _Ventus_ would come across as serious and slightly annoyed with all the constant perverted banter _Fulgur_ would say—yet presently, Ventus' voice possessed a somber and commanding tone.

There was a nature phenomenon one could feel behind a tone if spoken correctly; like a natural intimidation factor in some people, while a natural comedic edge could be found in others. Yet beyond this, it was possible for some to possess _two_ varying tones—to switch between them without any sort of mistake.

 _Ventus_ was one of those people...

The spirit of the wind felt older – ancient even – a complete contrast to his normally stoic demeanor that hardly fit the image of a ancient being, and Ryden couldn't find it in himself to truly question the change... he honestly expected it.

Lifting his right hand, Ryden mimicked the same procedure that occurred whenever he formed an arrow along _Ventus,_ yet instead of forming it into a thin streamlined point—he instead stretched it out and filled it with twice as much condensed wind than usual, forming a sphere of Jade energy that illuminated the room and partially illuminated the room dwelling behind the glass in front of them.

For a moment, Ryden noticed an odd shape dwelling within the darkened space beyond the glass—the shape itself seemingly tall and smooth, like a smaller variant of an obelisk that situated itself upon a platform in the central most point of the sealed room.

 _What is that?_

Ryden couldn't help but question the spirit as he really didn't have a full motive to comply with the spirit when both it and _Fulgur_ had been dead silent ever since he'd heard that oddly familiar voice... if Ryden had a word for the entire situation, then ' _Ominous'_ would fit that bill just perfectly.

 _ **I cannot answer that at this current time as I myself do not know what it is—however, I'll have you know that it's been calling out to me for some time now...**_

 _Little ominous don't you think?_

 _ **Not at all, whatever it is, it seems to be heavily associated with my elemental origin— so I doubt its some kind of weapon.**_

Ryden lightly jerked his head back and forth while holding the jaded orb of energy, hardly noticing the others watching him as he stood there hesitantly.

 _Yeah, fuck it..._

Instantly upon dropping his internal words, Ryden pressed the sphere of energy against the pedestal, which – surprisingly – worked like a damn charm, as the moment the elemental energy met the pedestal—it absorbed the energy down the small hole like a funnel, channeling _Ventus'_ energy signature all throughout it and then sending it into the room beyond the glass barrier.

In an instant, the entire area became active—as if the entire monastery was one massive machine, yet after a small period of chaotic churning and groaning, the interior of the mysterious room suddenly sprung to life when the pyramid directly above it suddenly began to glow a brilliant orange; perfectly illuminating the large obelisk within. After what felt like eternity, the brightly shining pyramid from above suddenly vanished into thin area—giving Ryden and co. a perfect view of the underground monasteries ceiling.

"What the fuck?" Nyx found himself mutter while the others stared on in equal surprise.

 _ **It would seem that pyramid was an illusion—and with my passive ability to nullify illusions it's no surprise it was dispelled when you infused that pedestal with it... interesting, it would seem the architects that built this place had incorporated my natural affinities to be the key in order to access its inner secrets**_

 _Let's just hope this 'secret' doesn't kill us..._

Just after Ryden voiced his worry, the loud groaning and rumbling returned with the vengeance before what seemed to be the impossible took place right in front of them.

From within the sealed off room, the central pedestal began to slowly rise up from its position and ascend to the surface above—replacing the pyramid itself after a few minutes.

Ryden stood there for a moment, perplexed by the sheer advancement in whatever the hell it took to make something like that happen, before he glanced to the others when everything settled down again—the light from the surface having been snuffed out by the risen platform possessing the obelisk, leaving with the simple torches as there only source for light.

"Well... was _that_ anticlimactic?" Ryden questioned with a small smirk directed towards Nyx.

The man in question just shook his head before sending Ryden a thumbs up. "No—t-that was better, all the loud crashing and groaning seemed to really liven up the moment"

Ryden chuckled at Nyx's banter before his eyes met Rivia's—the woman having obviously seen him use _Ventus'_ power in order to activate the pedestals magic system.

"I just spoke with _Ventus—_ apparently the energy signature that I felt within the pyramid is heavily associated with his own elemental affinity and has apparently been calling out to him ever since we stopped along the road" Ryden disclosed, surprising the elder blonde woman and the others—yet Rivia's reaction was far greater.

Rivia was silent for a moment before she slowly began taking in her surroundings, as if everything she had originally seen was suddenly vary more appealing than it had been. "Then this place—" Rivia began slowly before her eyes widened after a moment. "It's all true then—all the texts were right" Rivia muttered after a longer moment of pause.

 _ **Texts? Can she clarify what she means by that?**_

Ryden glanced down and frowned when _Ventus_ suddenly surfaced to his mind, his curiosity practically leaking into his own thoughts. Blinking momentarily, Ryden refocused his gaze back onto the now reverent devil. " _Ventus_ just asked me if you could clarify that—he seems rather interested" Ryden inquired seriously.

Rivia wheeled back around, a clear light of awe in her gaze before it was whipped away with a momentary blink—completely masking her enthusiasm with her usual stoic gaze, yet even still a small smirk remained on her lips.

"Several millennia ago, my mother discovered an ancient store room within the region now known as the _territory of Leviathia,_ which contained remnant catalogs and tablets depicting both a _**sword**_ and apparent transcripts that told stories of a woman that _hailed_ _from_ _the_ _sky_ " Rivia paused when Ryden's eyes slightly widened, yet after a second she pressed onward in her explanation. "The store room itself was mostly barren of other utilities, but its affinity seemed to honor _Infernum_ _Fulgur_ by design and construction—as the inner workings and murals within depicted the chaotic storms that hailed within the underworld, and a guard-less glass sword – crimson in color – would always be at the center of them"

"The texts that my mother found spoke of a rumored monastery that she never really managed to find... until now that is—this can only be what she spoke of" Rivia found herself eyeing the tapestries and murals around her, oddly noting some of the images depicted on the walls were now _chiseled_ into the stone walls rather than the usual painting that dominated the floor above them.

"What else did the text say?" Nyx questioned while Rosalina and Abigail waited patiently for her answer.

Rivia suddenly paused after hearing the question, her mood idly growing nervous after a few minutes of added silence.

"Well?" pressed the raven haired devil. "With all of the knowledge you have on these _Infernum_ _Armis'_ , I highly doubt that's all that you truly learned"

Rivia found herself nodding, yet her eyes expressed a small strain of _fear_. "You would be correct in that regard lord Nyx—I did learn more from my mother's findings; however, what I've discovered _here_ only solidifies my growing anxiousness, an anxiousness born from what this monastery was used for" Rivia turned and locked eyes with Ryden, her resolve hardening upon doing so while her hands idly clenched into fists.

"The texts spoke of a lone monastery and its strategic importance for an _**Exodus**_... meaning who ever had once been here before—had left in mass"

Ryden felt an odd chill roll up his spine after hearing Rivia's words. He knew the definition of the word _exodus_ ; it stood to define a mass emigration of people, or a mass escape from a hostile land. The answer – or at least the clarification – of what could cause such a move was all but present before them all.

Every painting they'd seen so far, every tapestry and mural that depicted a point of history for these _"precursor_ " beings... spoke of a _war..._

 _A_ _ **losing**_ _war..._

"This just gets more and more interesting... first a voice, then an underground monastery followed by proof of an alliance between four unknown pantheon's and now apparently the _Infernum_ _Armis'_ are somehow closely tied to all of this—s-somehow" Nyx summarized with a unusually jovial tone before he glanced between his team. "Is anyone else going through a brain overload right now?"

Rivia and Rosalina ignored the raven haired devil while Abigail lightly consoled the confused man with soft back rubs.

Again, Rivia paid no heed to the man's continued lamination and instead directed a serious eye to the red haired man in front of her. "We must return to that obelisk—it's possible the inscriptions on its surface may entail more information regarding the history of this place" Rivia advised

Ryden found himself smirking idly at the woman, amused by the slight pep in her tone—she couldn't hide it from him.

"What is the matter Ryden?" Rivia questioned after noticing his prolonged stare of bemusement.

Ryden dropped the smirk with a shake of his head the moment he was called out. "Sorry... it's just that I haven't really seen this sort of enthusiasm in you. You honestly seem to be struggling just to contain yourself right now"

Surprisingly, Rivia physically recoiled at his words; cheeks dusted pink in mild embarrassment. "I-I uh... don't normally make many discoveries this significant, so it's— _difficult_ to really hide my true excitement... please forgive my childish behavior _Arbiter_ " Rivia replied in a mildly distraught tone, her hands raised to her face in clear embarrassment.

.

.

.

For a moment, Rivia kept her eyes to the ground, yet for some reason silence dominated the air between herself and Ryden—forcing her to look up cautiously towards the man in question only to see him staring at her with literal stars in his eyes.

"R-Ryden?" Rivia questioned while staring at the silent – awe struck – man; even Rosalina had found herself standing by confused by Ryden's sudden expression of awe.

After a moment longer, Ryden idly coughed into his hand—his head shaking back and forth in what looked like disbelief. "I didn't think it was possible, but _that_ was the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life" he announced, shocking Rosalina and causing Rivia to reel back in surprise—previous blush returning.

"By the Satan's, it returns— _ **with the vengeance"**_

Being true to his word, Rosalina glanced over to see a lightly dusted shade of pink lining Rivia's cheeks—which slightly grew more pronounced upon it being pointed out.

"I-I don't understanding what you mean" Rivia hesitantly voiced, clearly uncomfortable with Ryden's odd staring.

However, before Rivia could form a retreat, Ryden quickly took her hands into his own and held them tightly. "I have GOT to help you discover more history!" he stated with gusto before he released her hands and clenched his right fist in determination, eyes shutting in a comedic passion. "If I can somehow get you to bunny hop out of pure excitement then I would be able to die happy"

Rivia stood by confused, her eyes a mix of embarrassment and confusion while Rosalina looked about ready to blow a gasket.

"Wait a minute— _that's_ what this about!" Rosalina all but shouted in annoyance. "Here you are embarrassing the hell out of me with your pedantic schemes on the regular, yet when she blushes it's something to celebrate?" she questioned with a frown.

In response to Rosalina words, Ryden raised his hands in surrender. "To be fair, Rivia hardly blushes—I mean I think I've seen her blush before... _BUT_ she didn't use her _hands_ to hide it though, I mean come on! That's so damn cute..." Ryden gushed out; forcing an even deeper blush onto a silent Rivia Abaddon.

"Tsk... what's the difference?" Rosalina argued, forcing Ryden's eyes to widen.

"Oh? Am I sensing jealousy right now?" he teased, predictably sending the younger blonde into a mumble mess.

Before Ryden could let the woman carry on with her obvious plan of defense, he took the woman in with a tight hug—sudden and unexpected of course, which caused the woman to suddenly melt in his embrace surprisingly.

"Oh my... enjoying yourself?" Rivia intoned with a whisper, yet Rosalina didn't find herself formulating a response—much to Rivia's contentment.

"Uh Ryden?" Nyx called out, catching the man's attention.

"Yeah?"

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything but you really got to see this"

Ryden stood still momentarily before he mildly grumbled—releasing Rosalina from his embrace. His enjoyment of the woman's frame was admittedly comforting to hold so it was a bit of a bummer to release the woman... he guessed the same could be said about Rivia holding him.

Anyway...

"What is it" Ryden questioned on his approach to the man in question—his gaze having not noticed Rosalina's own expression of disappointment.

Nyx glanced to him before he tossed a thumb over his shoulder, gesturing to the _carved_ image of a massive capital city with a large spire in the middle of it—a spire that seemed to pierce into the sky. for the most part, Ryden was more confused on why the image was engraved in the stone wall rather than painted like all the others—yet upon thinking that, Ryden quickly noticed that many of the images that ran along the walls were actually carved into the stone walls as well.

He glanced to Nyx, his eyes remaining neutral by expression. "What am I looking at?" he questioned, flooring the raven haired devil.

"You mean you have no idea what this capital city is?" Nyx questioned, perplexed by his clear ignorance.

Ryden just shook his head while all the others stared at the image with clear recognition in their eyes.

"It's... _Lilith_ —the capital city of _Lilith_ " Abigail muttered while Rivia seemed slightly shaken at the sight, Rosalina following not so far behind the woman with a similar expression.

"I thought this place depicted ancient history of some sort of precursor species..." muttered the Phenex before she found herself staring at Rivia. "Yet for some reason, these tales now seem to be depicting modern history"

Rivia nodded along before she pointed to the peak of the spire in the middle of the carved mural. "Not modern..." was all she said before her finger traced over a large Amethyst crystal that sat in the middle of the spires peak. "The scholars never did say there was a large crystal being held at the peak of the observatory—" then the woman's hand traced along the mural until she beheld an image that disturbed them all...

The man's hair was shortly cut, and he held aloft a crimson sword that rallied the army behind him... his twelve bat like wings unfurled and spread wide in a show of dominance.

 _ **Sirzechs Gremory...**_

"It would seem this place also depicts future events" Rivia finally finished while her hands then gestured over to two more armies on either side of the central depiction of _Lilith_ —the details describing those two leaders not falling to far off from any of them...

On the far left was a petite woman adorn in militaristic attire that held an authoritarian type appeal; the woman's hair came down in twin tails while her similarly numbered devil wings matched that of Sirzechs depiction...

 _ **Serafall Sitri...**_

On the right of the mural stood a poised image of one _**Ajuka Astaroth;**_ the man himself merely standing tall and proud while holding out his right arm; his twelve wings also sprouting outward in a show of power.

"That's got to be impossible..." Nyx muttered quietly while Ryden suddenly found himself enraptured by another depiction to their far left—closer to the exit of the second floor.

"I wouldn't get doubtful just yet Nyx... look at this" Ryden called out, very easily catching the aforementioned mans attention when he gestured to a very familiar scene...

"You've got to be fucking kidding me..." he mouthed while staring right at the image; eyes wide in shock.

"I don't know what you all are thinking—but this is some serious shit we can't ignore" Ryden commented while he stared at the image of a _burning kingdom_... a kingdom they all knew to be _Lucifaad._

To add even more impact to the scene, the others quickly noticed the six individuals standing along the edge of a plateau near the far right side of the mural—watching the scene play out.

 _It was them..._

"Ok... I'm-I'm officially freaking out now" Abigail revealed while Ryden skimmed over the varying scenes depicted around them... only a few stood out as most of the murals closer to the glass wall were covered by thick cloth, yet the impact of each image was clear enough for him to know that they were important scenes... either past, present or future...

And comedic or serious... don't ask why.

One particular scene showed off another kingdom—this one appearing more human by design but never the less impressive in its magnificence's. The outer walls stood high – possibly around 100 to 150 feet tall – and seemed to curve inward in a sort of a funnel towards the massive drawbridge at the center; yet aside the castles impressive design, the scene in which it was depicted placed itself at the point of a hill in the middle of a cloudy setting... and within those very clouds came a _fallen star._

 _Two_ fallen stars...

The next scene was... _odd_ to say the least

The image contained – for some reason – an anthropomorphic dragon with a set of forward facing horns and an individual adorn in a full set of light armor. The two were locked in aerial combat, as the dragon was depicted having its wings unfurled—while the man was seen riding on what looked like a cloud.

Oddness of the dragons design aside, the scene also depicted several other characters that were situated at the ground; the first man was a rather tall bloke who seemed to wear a Japanese male school uniform – a gakuran – underneath ancient Chinese combat attire. and in his hand was a spear – an oddly designed one at that – as two wreaths were seen coiling around the upper portion of the spear before connecting to a cross point which then extended outward to the spear tip itself... all in all it looked flimsy as shit.

The second individual standing beside the first wore ancient Greek armor – Spartan descent – and wielded a large round shield and short sword.

Both individuals were holding battle ready stances, their gazes held towards the third group of people...

Well...

To say the position that they were in was _odd_ would be a significant understatement, as it was anything but practical—given the clear violent situation they were in.

The carving in this scene had oddly incorporated colored etchings to help characterize the figures notable features; so upon noticing that Ryden quickly eyed the third individual apart of that very group.

She was a young woman, moderately built and modestly endowed and possessed snow white hair that came down to her neck. The woman's attire consisted of a one piece dress—denoting to a more formal appearance and seemed to also possess a pair of... _cat ears?_

Ryden blinked once before he blinked a second time when he noticed a literal _cat_ _tail_ extending from the woman's rear...

"Either she's really kinky or it's something else entirely... and hopefully for my sanity it's the latter cause what the fuck are the other two doing?" Ryden intoned to himself before his reluctant gaze fell on the last two individuals in the scene... he'd say it was the _'cheery on top'_ for the whole thing itself, but he wasn't _that_ perverted to agree with such actions in the middle of a combat zone.

Ryden shook his head...

The last two characters depicted in the mural were found kneeling towards each other, and both of them possessed crimson hair. The first was a young red haired boy – dressed to impress by the looks of it – and the other was a woman that was also fashioned in a one piece dress as well... however... the scene for some reason depicted the boy fondling the woman's breasts while also kissing her intimately.

Rather odd show of romance—but then again, most men would find such a sight to be rather inspirational if every romantic encounter involved a fondling, so Ryden digressed—it was all depending on views... or fetishes.

Ryden merely shook his head at the image—yet even still; the added effect of what looked like an armored figure – oddly draconic by design – was seen rising from the boys form, as if something was being released from some containment or seal.

Hopefully... it **wasn't** the woman's breasts. That would be a story... hell; it would be one hell of a _sight_ to witness if Ryden was being perfectly honest.

Anyway—the whole scene itself was rather odd for the most part; aside from the colorful choice of romantic advancement in the center most piece of the mural, every other depiction was incredibly detailed, and helped paint an image set in an unknown point in history—yet even still, Ryden had a feeling it was set in the distant future, as noted by the mix of modern clothing that the two _antagonists_ wore underneath their more traditional outfits that helped denote themselves to two separate cultures.

As odd as it all was; the images and murals depicting past events and an ominous scene of a human kingdom below a set of fallen stars only seemed to help ignite Ryden's curiosity further. However, the only scenes that were available were the scenes that had already occurred or _were_ to occur, yet the vagueness surrounding these scenes only helped create curiosity and anxiety; as most of the scenes only possessed a small amount of detail—the setting, the characters and a small inscription spoken in a ancient language none could translate... even the devils natural translation skills were useless.

Not one of the daggers present really liked that... _at all_ for that matter.

"The destruction of _Lucifaad,_ the invasion of the _Territory of Thorns_ , an invasion to... what is that?" Rosalina listed off before falling into confusion when one scene – a scene depicting a vast wasteland filled with massive canyons – came into view.

Rivia didn't even hesitate. "The _Necropolis_ —the mass grave of all those who had died in the Great War" informed the eldest devil.

"Last I heard, the _Necropolis_ was the apparently the last ever battlefield used before all three sides pulled out—I even heard that the Old-Satan's favored devil _Lucifer_ died there as well—him and all of his besties" Nyx stated with a small smirk of contentment. "Good riddance I say—I heard _Lucifer_ was a real piece of work back in the day... never did meet the bastard and DON'T regret that" added the raven haired devil

In a rare instance, Rivia actually chuckled at Nyx's words. "I share in your position Nyx, I myself never actually met the fallen one—yet I can assure you that he lived up to his reputation... that one was always so _**angry**_ "

Ryden suddenly felt an opportunity spring up with the subject at hand, a subject that was perfect for him to test the waters of his team's opinions regarding humanity.

"Why exactly was he so angry?" Ryden questioned with a look of genuine confusion.

Abigail snorted. "Daddy issues I'm assuming"

"I know that part—but what caused him to fall in the first place... must've been something big to get him to rebel" Ryden added with a look.

Rivia sighed heavily at that, her eyes locking with Ryden's for a moment longer than necessary after having shut them due to a brief cringe. "Not... really... Lucifer fell because he... despised humans for some reason" Rivia stated, catching the attention of all those in the room. "Rumors went around regarding the violent nature of humanity and many ignorant and delusional people believed him without looking themselves in the mirror first"

Ryden blinked, making sure his expression remained as neutral as possible in order to make sure he didn't draw attention to himself. On the other hand however, it surprised Ryden immensely to hear not a single shred of resentment in Rivia's words—if anything, Rivia seemed to speak lightly regarding the subject of humanities impartial involvement with the Great War... _as if she were walking on egg shells_.

Wait...

Abigail lightly smirked playfully at Rivia. "You make it sound like you possess a differing opinion" she accused lightly—good naturedly if anything.

Rivia nodded. "I hold no resentment to the innocent and naive... I merely consider my position in an argument before making the mistake of branded myself a hypocrite" Rivia answered with a serious expression—no lies were present in her words.

"Heheh... no better words of wisdom right there" Nyx agreed before he shrugged off a sigh. "so in order to prove his point of humanities violent nature, he decides to rebel and make an _even more_ violent species, and _then_ wages a war against his former brothers and sisters; killing billions in the process... take about placing oneself on a flimsy foundation".

Ryden chuckled at that. " _He, who lives in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones_ " he quoted with a smirk directed towards the raven haired spearmen.

Nyx sent Ryden a nod of approval. "Heh... that's a good quote"

"...I'll be sure to keep a hold of it"

Abigail's eyes lightly flashed with curiosity. "So what's your opinion of humans Ryden... got something different to add?"

"Nothing to argue here Abigail... my stance on _humanity_ seems to match Rivia's"

"Oh?"

Ryden sighed at the question before he glanced to Rivia. "I hope I don't cross a line with this inquisitive question but... have you ever grown annoyed with your younger sisters before?" Ryden asked, his intention on the matter only being to solidify a point not many devils considered.

Rivia lightly shook her head, yet a small smirk played itself on her now reminiscent expression. "It's possible I may have found myself growing irritable with a few of my late sister's habits... why do you ask?"

"It's a simple correlation question is all... why would you find anger in the innocence of the naive?—sure it can be annoying when you're younger sister smashes your other sister over the head with just a little too much force – _as hypothetical as that scenario may be_ – but you never really base that incident on a possible permanent characteristic, because all it is—is just a brief moment of ignorance towards an emotion that merely needs scolding and attention... the only time _that_ characteristic becomes permanent is if you leave it be and never teach the lesson of limitation... that seems to be my position regarding humanity"

Ryden paused momentarily before shrugging. "Guess you can say I'm not much of a fan of Big G's parenting skills..."

Nyx whistled while Rosalina eyed Ryden with a wide eyed expression.

"No shit..." Nyx exclaimed flatly while Rosalina suddenly cupped her mouth in order to stave off an audible chuckle of amusement—something that Abigail found herself noting.

"Seems Rosa agrees with you on that notion Ryden..." Abigail stated before she regarded the man with both a shrug and a look of mirth. "I can also say I'm in agreement with you as well—your way of explaining humanities state of innocence's, due to its relatively young status, does help in understanding their violent habits in a more broad manner"

Ryden found himself nodding before he pressed a further point home. "I don't expect _profoundness_ in the **ignorant** —nor _intellect_ from **barbarism** ; both of those characteristics come with experience and time... and a hefty amount of collateral" he educated whilst crossing his arms.

"Humanity hasn't even begun to learn of their own mistakes, yet you believe it's possible for them to learn from such a thing on their own?" Rivia suddenly questioned, her eyes set into a pensive gaze that Ryden couldn't quite decipher.

He nodded simply however, before he flashed Rivia with a knowing grin. "I do believe it's possible..."

Rosalina blinked, confused by Ryden's optimism. "How?"

"Because what are _WE_ fighting for right now?"

The answer was brief and simple, yet the impact of the lesson was clear enough for every devil present to understand. So far, Ryden was only aware of TWO species of beings without a God to guide them in their greatest moments of growth – their youth – and without the helping hand of a higher power, or the celestial guidance of a greater knowledge of being, the growth pains with both of these particular species would be exceptionally painful.

On one hand, the devils stood as the first species to rise without any knowledge other then servitude and conflict—a legion of creatures born for nothing but pain, suffering and war—and vengeance; but yet their lesson in life was similar with its younger counterpart... humanity.

Humanity was born without true guidance—abandoned by its creator, condemned for a sin they didn't understand, and divided for unknown reasons. Humanity was left to fend for itself in an unforgiving world; their test in life was survival of the fittest, a contest of wit and strength between hundreds of different tribes.

And while the victor writes the history—the lesson they all leave behind is the same... conflict and chaos—leads to _death_ , and humanities sense of self preservation – and fear of self inflicted extinction –doesn't agree with such an outcome... therefore, no matter the glory, the glamour, or the legend—humanity always seems to seek out a way to avoid extreme conflict.

Ryden knew this all too well... humanity _does_ learn the lesson...

It's merely unfortunate that not many seem to have taken that lesson to heart...

Ryden sighed while the others stared on in slowly evolving realization—yet regardless of the moment; they had an obelisk to attend to, secrets to reveal, and a certain resistance group to meet with.

Not even half the day was done with and yet it felt as if they had been down in the hidden monastery for months!

They needed to pick up the pace and not get side tracked by even more spoilers... god damn spoiler hallways and shit...

Suddenly, Ryden clapped his hands—snapping his team's attention right out from their silent stupors and muttering. "Right! I think we've wasted enough time as it is, so let's get a move on before we find something else that sends us into another philosophical conversation regarding the state of human and devil condition" he clicked his tongue after a moment of contemplation. "...that's probably for the better—I'm feeling rather... depleted"

Nyx snickered with a fake frown. " _You're_ Feeling depleted? Try me right now—I'm down right sleepy with all these surprises and conversations; I might pass out from sheer mental exhaustion when you convince this Dragon king to cooperate with us"

Abigail suddenly laughed, catching the attention of a distraught Nyx. "What is it now woman?" he barked well naturedly, yet it was clear the woman's laugh was a rather unnatural event due to his confusion.

In between breaks of laughter, Abigail attempted to reply several times but failed—yet at the sixth try she finally got out of her laughing and answered with a wide grin on her blushed face. "I guess you really are exhausted—I mean you said _'_ _ **when**_ _Ryden convinces the Dragon king to cooperate'_... you're not usually that optimistic!"

Nyx waved her off. "Nor am I _that_ delusional woman—the plans already set and Ryden's already dead set on doing this shit and as far as history has shown, that guy ain't tripped yet!"

"Oh shucks—your making me blush Nyx"

"Stuff it Ryden—my nerves can only handle so much stress and I don't need you dancing on them as well" barked the raven devil.

Ryden shook his head at Nyx's usual choppy attitude, amused by his unintentional complement towards _his_ natural commitment to the impossible...

"If you two have finished your little moment—we should get to that obelisk sometime in the next minute" Rivia called out with a slight glint of wariness in her eyes.

"What's the rush?" Ryden replied with a shrug before he calmly started his approach towards Rivia; the woman having already begun her accent up the stair way.

"It's been bothering me for some time now but I remember seeing foot prints leading inside here; the state of those prints were fresh—meaning we haven't been as alone as we believed"

"Can you sense anything" Nyx questioned, his senses quickly sharpening at the mention of a plausible intruder.

Ryden shook his head. "I would have been the first to notice any sort of abnormalities due to my connection with _Ventus_ "

 _ **Don't be so sure Ryden—though my senses are far sharper than any devils, the limits of my senses are still limited due to my current condition**_

 _Wait a second... I thought you said no illusion could beat you?_

 _ **Limited phrasing I'm afraid—I should have said 'artificially made illusions stand no match against me' professionally made illusions however, can – and I cannot stress this enough – CAN go beyond my sense of awareness... so... yeah—probably should have said something...**_

 _No shit!_

"Come on!" Ryden barked out suddenly, rushing passed Rivia in a blur of speed.

Nyx just stood there confused, shocked even. "Wait a second, I thought you said you had that covered?" he yelled out as Abigail hurried on passed him and joined Rivia in her pursuit of Ryden.

"It's a long story now move!"

After a moment of hesitation, Nyx merely slumped forward before growling. "Damn it Ryden! I'm never trusting you with sensory duty again!" he stated firmly before he quickly picked up the pace and high tailed it up the stairs... yet amidst the chaos of the moment, none of the four noticed Rosalina's enraptured gaze towards a cloth covered mural.

In her state of curiosity, Rosalina briefly glanced towards the direction of the stair way – a small side of her desiring to follow after the group – yet a larger side of her demanded even more answers from the den of secrets they had found themselves in.

History was a mystery in of itself, always ensnaring secrets within the larger stories and bigger pictures. Civilizations and legends were remembered for a time before time itself forgot them, and It was in this frame of mind where Rosalina had found her greatest curiosity.

What secrets would a precursor civilization possess?—a civilization that for some reason possessed knowledge of the past, present and possible future. Rosalina had seen the image of _Lucifaad—_ or more accurately—she had seen herself standing within the mural, wearing the exact same set of clothes and armor that she vividly remembered wearing.

The details were true, accurate to a fault and it was enough of a reason to seek out the knowledge of a future she knew she was not destined to know of... or was she?

Her gait was hesitated yet inevitable and in a manner of moments, Rosalina's hand was already gripping the seams of the cloth that hid the carved image; and in an instant, the cloth ignited into flames— _naturally_ and not by her own hands.

A small gasp could be heard from Rosalina as the cloth suddenly turned to ash, spiking her hesitance further.

A second was what it took to dash away her needless fear, yet confusion arose when nothing by black smoke could be seen.

Rosalina waved her hand over the concealed image, intent on revealing the secret—yet the smoke was thick and soupy; boiling over the image greedily, yet only a moderate amount of effort was need to finally catch a glimpse of the mural bellow—and soon, the smoke began to fade away... revealing its secret.

"What... is this?" Rosalina muttered to herself.

It was a battle of massive proportions, the scale reaching the same magnitudes of a bygone era, yet its authenticity was genuine enough to Rosalina, as those that stood within the image were those that she recognized beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Rivia Abaddon

Nyx Oriax

Abigail Valac

 _Rosalina Phenex_

Sirzechs Gremory

Serafall Sitri

Ajuka Astaroth

Falbium Glasya-Labolas

The Red legion

The Blue legion

The jade legion

The black legion

Amidst the chaos of the mural, several abnormalities and oddities stood out to Rosalina due to the uniquely designed armor that was wore over _ten specific individuals_ that were depicted in the middle of the scene itself—standing as sentinels around a small hill.

Their armor seemed formed fitted, muscular even, and was adorn in several pieces of armored plating that were all connected by what looked like sleek metallic beams that ran along the outer most portions of their bodies. Though their characteristics seemed uniform, a few notable details helped Rosalina differentiate the armored _Reapers_.

The term _Reaper_ was all Rosalina could truly use to describe the figures, as the armored beings seemed to wear a fashioned helmet that only seemed to cover their chins and the back of their head while _a skull_ sat in the middle of their helmets— _right where their heads_ _ **should**_ _be._

Regardless of the ridiculousness, each Reaper seemed to employ a varying sort weaponry—some of which Rosalina recognized, while others – that being two – was unknown to her. One Reaper wielded a skinny curved sword similar to the ones that she'd seen sitting at the base of the pyramid, while another seemed to wield a crimson spear that looked to possess an extreme amount of power; while a third stood in between them, a sword both sheathed at its hip and one was poised within his grip, held gently in both hands in a knightly fashion, its _silver_ and _blue_ details shimmering with what looked like sun light. Two other Reapers seemed content on only using their fists over anything else while one Reaper was depicted using literal magic— _water_ magic by the looks of it.

Two more reapers stood side by side—one holding a large blue and gold sword and the second held another curved sword - red with golden decal - and just to the right of them stood two others; the both of which holding an odd weapon that required them to hold it with both hands horizontally—pointing outward.

Rosalina was confused by the presence of these beings—yet whoever they were, their position on the mural made them out to be as allies, as the ten reapers stood in a circular fashion around a small hill of rocks that held up _Ryden vale Gremory_ himself... the man's position in the mural was directly center of everything and for some reason he was wielding a—

 _ **IT**_ _ **stood as a beacon for all those who bore arms... Past... present and future...**_

 _ **A miracle that beheld a single wish that all those who struggle cherish...**_

 _ **An extension of the world itself...**_

 _ **Its name was...**_

"Ex..."

Rosalina's eyes refocused with a mild jolt, as if any further attention on _that_ would send her mind down a path that she fully knew she was not meant to know of.

In an instant, Rosalina reverted her eyes from... _that..._ only for her to quickly notice something that had eluded them all this time. From the moment they had grown aware of the murals and tapestries, the figures of the apparent _antagonists_ had managed to remain relatively unknown to them—as far as she knew however...

Within the mural carving—positioned on the right side were shadowed figures, humanoid by design yet their varying states of dress and vagueness of their true appearances kept Rosalina from truly evaluating what these beings were; the only thing however, were the _amethyst_ gems that were professionally placed within their blackened eye sockets—the large mass of which seemingly staring out at her in a silent glistening show of ominous horror, and if Rosalina's senses were to be believed...

 _She could hear them all howling out in rage..._

Rosalina's heart rate slowly began to heighten for some reason as her gaze trailed along the literal _sea_ of shadowed bodies, their clumped nature denoting their haphazard formation, and their chaotic and uncontrolled nature continued on for what looked like miles—their echoing cries of anger reaching out to her own sense, yet at the furthest point beyond the mass of ambiguous shadows stood...

Ị̶̡̧̡͎̣̘͈͍̼̰̞̙̗̮͍̯̭̝͔͚̮͔̫̟̩̱̺̦͎̠̦̍̔̃̇̃̊͗t̸̨̧̡̛̛̮̹̩̜̞̖̞̙̹͓͉̗̜̠̯̥̗͇̏̊́͐͐͑̇̈́͊̑̉̄̍́̀̄͑̂̓̽̍͋̈͌̔͆̌̃̋̕ ̷̛̛̰͉̘̪̝͖̳̺͈̣̠̜̏̌͛̉̎̃͋͆̿͛̓́̈́͗̄̿͆̇̄͆̕ẅ̴̧̧̧̢̛̞̪̻͉͙̰̤̰̺͚͍̩̻̰͙̤̜̮̦͍̜̗͇͍̦͓͙͍͈̟̟́̆̾̋̎̉̏͊̒͗̅́̈́̽̓͋̏̈́͑̾͛̓͂̿̔̃̕̕͝͝͝a̸̢͓̼̫͓̜̮̖̭̮̰̦̓͆̀s̶̢̤͚̻͇̩̯̰̯̜͎̮̲̣̫̐̿̏̚͜͝ͅ ̴̧̡̘͓͎̰̳͔̙̙̘̠̖͎̝̖̤͎͍͔̯͍̯͖̦̘̤̳̄̑̊̾͋̎̈́͊̓́ą̸̲̖̝̗̭̫͚͉̤̘̯̘͍̗̦̻͖̦̹̱͂̄̆̓́͆̅̐̂͂̍͐̕͜͝ͅ ̸̡̛̱̲̝̜͔̜͎͕̹̞̑͑̃̌̽͊̆̑͑̌͌̾̏̏͛͌̓̔̏̆̂̂͛͊͌͑̂͝͝m̵̧̡̛̛̘͎̪̫̮̱͈̱͎̱͚͖̺̹̠̖͚͍͍̙̔͛̏͆̊͐̄̆̉̓̀̍̒́͒͋̀̈́́͌͑͂̋̚͘͜͝͝͝ͅǫ̴̫̱̬̩̬̯̩̼̹̲͖̘̲͇̰̳͙̜̥̩̩̼͕̝̠̞̜͍̂̾̈́̓͑̓͑̀̾̓̋͋̐͂̐̈́̊̈́͊̔̈̎͘͝͠ņ̶̟̯̻̭̤̻̮͎̥̙̗̺̺̞̣̥̤̥̥͓̳̹͍̹͔̘͉͋̍͒̌͒̀̓̋͊̌̾͑͜͝u̸̡̨͚̯͍̻͉͈̺̮̠̱̗̦̭͈͎̖̺̱̮͍̜̝̼͒̀̔̒̅͒͒̂͂͒̀͜͜͠͠͠ͅm̶̛̛͕̠̟̦͍̜͖̩̳͎͙̪͂͗̓̄͊͆̌͑̓͂̂̓̓̽͒̔̈́͗̈́͊̊̾̓̕̚͠͝é̴͓͚̮̟̞͚͇̫̤͓̆̂͒́͐̎̊̎̎̕ǹ̸̞̞̝̘̫̗͉̬̮̀̈́̅̏̈́̄̈͝͝ͅt̴̛̼̱̝̖͙̲̺͇̜̙͚̫͚̞̥̬͓̫̬̗͓͓̪̰̬̥̪̙̻̻̲͓͂͆̈́͑̃̂̄̈̿̓̓̏͂͆̉̃̒̿͑̇̃͊͗͛́̀͘̕͜͜͝͝͝͠͝͠ͅ.̵̨̧̭̬͓͉̲̫͍͙̑̾̃̀͑̂̔͐̕̕͜͝.̴̢̨̨͉̺̪̩͍̜͇͕̦̰͉͕̣̙͍͙̝̭̻̒̃͊̃̉͘͝͝.̵̛̛̛̼͚͖͍̙̐̇̀̆̓̀̐͊̋́͛́̌̏̔̑̈́̉̈́͐͘͝͝͝͝͠ ̶̨̢̛͙̬͎̠͙̠͓͔̳̰̎́̈́̈́̔̒̃̑͑̉̈́̑̆͗̆͌̂̅̀̃̊͛̀̉͋͋͘͝͠͠ǫ̷̨̛̛̛̭͓̠͖͓̲̻͈̳̜̥͋̾̀́͒̈͊̑̏́̓̊͋̀̾͋͛̎̂̊̕̕͘͝͝͝ͅḟ̴̢̮͍͍͈̙̌̈́̓͂̌̚ ̶̢̡̛̯̪̤̤̙̆̃̃̽̒̓͛̈́̒͋͑͗͑̈́̓̋̓͋͑̕̕͘t̸͉͓̐͆̀̔̇͝͝h̶͍̭̣̞͐͗̋͛̂̋̅̈́̍̀̐͑̈̈̆͂̎̕͝͝ͅe̴̪͎̜̖̦̪̖̖͒̆̄̆̏̀͗͛̓̕ ̴̢̢̧̧̠̗̺̼̞͙̩̜̜̲̮̳̳̭̭͎͔͙̝̬̪̖̭̻̗̳̹̳̖́̉̈́̓̾̅̆͝f̴̨̟͉̯̖͎̬͎̣̜̠͔̪̥̠̍̾̈́̀̓͌̋̓̆̆͗̀̄̎̊̀̏̇̐̎̆̂͒̏̽̚̕͘̚͝ì̵̢̢̛̭̥̬͉͍͉̩̣͍̻͎̦̩̫̘̗̰̼̥͍̠̬̰̗͎͉͇̣̫͍̖͉͛̒͊̅̍̏̔͌͂͜ͅŗ̶̨̡̧̢̦̳̰̩̠̭̦̯̠̻̟̟̺̘̹͉͈̤̘̣̼͈͔̫̲̖͍͗́̆͋́̉̓͂̑́͋̈̉͆͊̓̽͒̈́͗͌̐̈́͛͒͑͌̔̅̍̌́̕š̵̱̭̘̟͂̔̃͛̿̐̽̍̈́͂̇̿̈́̏̆̿̇̚̚͝͠t̴͎̙̺̥͆̏̍̀̿͛̈́̿̊͆̒̕͜͝ ̸̧̧̡̛̯̃̌̓͊̿͂̇̌̃̌̆̀̃̈́̂̿̓͒̈͛̓̓͆͛̎͗̈́̂̅̅̕͠͠ṣ̴̮͐̄̒̆̕ḭ̵̅̐͆̔̓̿̕n̶̛̬̙̰͓̺͕͓̼͇͉̩̗̭͍̞̩̤͔̠̼̟̬̲̄́̾̍͐́͐̿͆̀̎̏͑̽͆̎̉̍̈́͐͛͗̄̚͜ͅͅ ̶̨̡̹̪͎̩̦̣̹̝̮͇͚̮͓͍̻̣̜͎͇͔̪͙͎̲̎̓̈̆̾͝͝ͅͅ

Å̸̧̢̝̟̪̹͈̦̬̱͖̣̻̣̠̞̱̦̰̦̮͖̝͉̈́́̊̓́̉̓́͆̚͠ ̷͙̘͖̰͔̞͖̲̟̭̜̘̝̗̭̩̜̳́̆̀͜h̴̻͇̠̮͕̤̮̗̲͚̀̋̏͗͋̆̽̐͌̊̑̓̊a̵͙͔̗͓̲͙̺̩̬͍͍̘̋̅͠͠͝ͅr̵̡̨͇͚̫̟͍͇̜̼͕̞̗̖̝͎͉͖̫̝̙̠͂́̋̋͌̊͂̕͝͠b̷̢̫̘̬̣̯͇̟͉̭̈́̅̓͒̋͋̂͒̓̆̅͊̋͝ỉ̶̛͔̻̥̳͔̍̈́̔͑̈́͛͗͊͂̽̓̋̾̊̏̒̈́́́̍̆̋n̴̺͉̖̩͙̦̟̓̈́̌̈̓͂̀͊̑͊̀̚̚͝ġ̸̛̦͕͕̝̬̜̻̌̓̉̕͝͝ȩ̶̨̢̛͇̣̼̼̺̘̬̪͎̙͕̗̜͕͓̠͉̗̯̜͉̅̀͛̇͒͒̅̍̐̓̈́̀̽̂͂̕͝r̶̡̺̱̫̹̰͙͕̄̃̍̆́͌͝͝ ̷̡̛̛̛̪̹̩̫̬͕͇̣́̔̎̈̆̿́̀̍̾̍̐̓̚̕̚͘͜ơ̴̡̮͍̙̤̜̱̭̱̩̠̦̫͎̳͓͖͙̪̺̠̍̀̅̀͋̎̄̉͑͐͛̀̒̈́͒͗̀̊͜͜͝f̵̢̢̨̙̖̟̹̣͎̘͓̫̼̣̰̮̦̪͓̺͉͓̀́͛̉́́͌͛͌̐ͅ ̶̧̣̳̠̗͓̘̜̱̱̋̀̅̍͑͋͗̊̆̚ͅw̵̰͚͍̻͎̲̱̹̟̫͖̫̖̗̱̤͇̾̋ͅḩ̶̭̤̦̽̈̽̈́͑̽̂̑̕͜ą̶͎̼͎̣̩͙͎͍̼̮͕̳̻̈̒̈́̎̇̂̌̕ͅt̷̨̨̡̖̺͕̮̜̯̖̮̲̠̱̜̯̪̻̩͎͂͊ͅ ̴̢̡̢̜̟͈͈̺̄͒̈́͐̐̋̄̓̃̈́̆̐́́̂̾̀̾͌c̶͎̺̣̆͗a̸̬̜̖̬̙̱͉̝̬͙̺̼̞̥̲̓̆̇̓́͊̋́̏̓́͋͆̑̑̄̚̚͠͝͠m̶̮̪̺̖͈͔̀̎͂̅̒̉̋́͝͠ę̷̢̢̨̺̬̼͔̞͈̱̠͉̠̠̩̩̥̖̟̾̾͌̀̄̂̾̿̉̀̊̒̚̚̕͜͝.̴̰͎̖̜̩̞͖̟́̇͛.̴̯̗̪̮̪̙̼̘̫͕̱̟̟̟̱̲͓͎̾͝.̴̢̧̡̲̜̫̮̼̻̬͇̙̤̻̪̟̞̲̭͆̈́͌͂̅͘͜ ̶̨̡̫̩͈̹̬̬̱̳̱͔͚͙̰͕͖͔̄̓̂̈́̂̚̕͜a̷̧̛̛̘͚̟͈̼̱̗͙̖̬͖̰̦̘̜̘͆́̑͂̽̈̔͂̋̽̅̊̕ͅņ̷͔̘̝̘͕̤͎͓͇̠͗̏̿͊͐̾̌̊͒̏̉̀͌͋͒̿́̊̽͛̚ͅd̸̛̲̀̋͑͌͆̈͆̄̓̉̓̂̇̅̀̏̚̚͘͠ ̶̧̬̺̹̝͍͇̜̼̪̝̉̏̉̆̉͆̒͑̈̋̏̋̑̕͝w̵̡̡̢͍̯̭̳͔͚̞̻̮͉̻̲̾̓̋̑̋̈́̀̈́́ḣ̴̨̨̘͎͉̥̯̰͚̝͔͇̲͉̪̖̲̱̄͂͑̐̓͊̔͆͆̈́̈́̉̀̽͆̚͠͝͠ä̵̡̡̙̲͋̎͋̌͒͂̒̔͝ͅt̸̨̢̙͓̪̭̘͈͉͕̦̙͖̮̹̲͚̉͛̄̒ ̶͓͗̀̋̄̋͐̿̍̉̈͛̋̊̓͆̐̓̈́͑̌͝͝͝͝i̷̡͍͉̻͕͉̖̘͖̘̙̠̤̫͗̅̽͛̿̊͌s̸̢̨͈̞̭̣͉͍̰̬̬̭̥͇̝̞̜͇̑̀̒͐̈́͊̌̑͂̿͜ ̴̧̪̻̖͎̰̫̥̙̻̼̦̺̈́̋̈́͋͒̍̈͛͒͋͛̽̌̐̆̽̓̕͜͝͝t̸̬̯͈̺̘̙̗́̆͗̇̓͑̈́̿͊̐͗͒̑̇̂̄̀̏̈̕͝͝ȯ̸̰͉̰̯̦̭͎̜̻̊̀̋͌̂̽͆̄͐͒́̋́̇̊͋͘͘͝͝ ̵̹̜͕͗̄̄̒̀̌̋̈̒̓̑͌̃̿̕̕͝͝͝r̵̦̩̼͓̠̟̹̹̆̒͋͂̌́͊̑͊̈́̆̌͊͒̿̈͂̿͑͠ȩ̶͉̫͈̖̖̜̜̂̒͐t̶͕͖̠͓̂͛̒͆̾͒̿͛͑̎̿͆̚̚͘̕͝͝͝͝͝ͅų̷̨̢̛̛̹̳͇͍̻̮̗̪̜̼̫͈̱͙̣̪̍̓̀͌͊̾̚͜r̶̲̩̗͓̻͍͕̹̪̩̲͚͖͋̔͗̈́̇̃̍̐̈́̒͗̋̈́̐̐̈́͒̎͛̍̔̽̈͒ͅͅn̵̛̖̣̪̓̔͑̒͐͋̄̾̐́̊̍͋́̈́̌͋̌͌̈́͘͝͠ ̸̧̧̳̫̘͈̳͔̦̺̪̗̗̠̜̱̋͌͐͛̓́́̑̐͌̇̆́̍̓͑̀̈́͘͝͝ỏ̴͖̌̇̈́̀͛ǹ̴̢̨̢̛̥̮̗̘̣̬̼͎̩̭̺͊̍̒̆͋͐̆͋͒͌̓̀͋̒̂̇̀̐͆͛͒̂ͅc̷̨̨̨͈̘̝̱͉̟̪̺̟͖͔̝̰͇̦̠̻̘̃̈́͐͗͌̃̄̇̄̃͌̋̍̉̅̇͝͝ę̶͓̟̯̟͔̻̘̺̻̫̫̜̬̮́̿̇̀͆̆͜ ̸̧̨̢̛̟̦̥̥̪́͑͋̋̔̎̽̑̓̍͐͂͛̾̈́̚̚̕͜͠a̷̡͖̩͔̾͐̌̀́̅͆̉͂͐̈́̈̈̃͝͝g̶̛̘̼̖͇̒̐̓̀̾̀̌͠ā̶̢̢̛͍̜̗̙̘͍̼̦̙̙̮̬̇̌̈́̎́͆͌̓͂͐͊̃̋̚̚͘͜͝͝ͅi̷̡̥̰̜̔̾̈́͑̽̿̐̈́̇̕͘̚ͅņ̴̢͇̜͉̾̉̀̑̈́͆̇̎̀͑̃̌̓̐̊̌͝ͅ ̡̨̧̙̣͇̤̳̹̭͚̥̜̱̰̩̱̬̼̲̣̟͖͖̤͇̪̣̳̠̺̞

A̴̡̧̬̝̣̩̝̫̻̯͍̝̟͕̼̤͇̟̻̭͙̰̓͐̆̔́̅͑̔̇̈́̂͗͒̀̕͘ͅB̷̨̨̫̣̹̲̯͔͙̫͎̣̝͕̄͗̇̑͊̎̐̆́͒̀̇̈́̔̈̇̄̊̀̄̊͐̚̕͘̕̕A̷͊͛́́́͐̑̒̔̇͑̍͗͆́̽̓̀͆͛̔̔̆́̎̅͆͒̐̈́͠ͅŅ̴̬͈̘̜̫̝̔Ḍ̷̢̧̧̛̖̺̫̞̣̦̹͇̰̭̺͔͙̪̲͕̜͕̟̻͓̲̤̝̪͇͐̐͋̒́̅͆̇̑͂̀͛̿̋̓̈́͋̓́̎͒̾̚͜͠Ŏ̴̡̯͈͓̙͉̞͙̣̝̦̙̹̜̙̮͕̣̝̤̙͙̼̣̟̮̲̫̺͙͑̇͌̔̀̿̄̉̒̌͊̽̀͂̚͝Ņ̵̡͙̘͕͕̟̥̟̜̳̗̹̦̬͙͉̞͔͕̱̰̯̦̫̼̾̈̾̓͊̂̑͗́͒̆̽̒͋̉̾̀͘͘̕͜͝͝ͅ ̵̢̡͍͕̺̣̺͈̟̱̩̺͈̫̝̭̼̳̜̏͌̃̆͋̈̈̂̓͌͒͒̀̿̿̆̍͝͠͠ͅÄ̴̧̨̨̨̞̖̝̰͉͖̮͖̖̬̺̙́̇̆̃̈́̓͋͂̽̃̌̅͛͑̿͝͝͠ͅͅL̵̢̧̧̢̧̺̖̯̥̯̜̤̠̝̗͔̦̼͔̭̲̦̜͚̹͉͙̹̄̀̈͋͛̒L̶̢͙̖̙̥͉͓̣̠̫̪̭̒̉̎͑͋̋̉̀̑͆̽́̿̔͗̏̀̈́͗̎͊͆̇̔͒̆͝͠ ̷̡̢̨̨̢̨͙̞̻͉̻̺͇̜̫̖͖͖͈͍̤̰̗̟͚̯̗̬͓͎̳̪̾̾̿̽̏̆̆̿̐̆͐̔̃̈͌̾̚͘͜͜͠H̴̨̪̣͕̫͔͎̐͑̔͆̀̆́͑̓̈͋͑͋̅̈́̕̕̕͝Ö̵̡̨̨̨̧͈̜͍̫̲̹̙̝͇̙̗̱̼̲̭̩̺̱̻͖̖̻̭͚̼͙͚́̑̊́̄̌̔̓͆̉̆͗͊̚̚̚͜͜͝P̴̼̀̽̈́̂͆̈̾̔̍͒Ȩ̵̭̻̦͚̗͕͎̥̯͈͙̺̯̰͍̺͉̤̙̝̖̗̲͎͕̘̣̬̫̫͉̤̈́͌̽̓̈́̊́̒̎̚̚͜

Conception was limited to those uninformed...

And processing what cannot be conceived...

 _Can be fatal..._

"Rosa, get up here now!"

For a second time, Rosalina practically jumped out of her skin at the sound of Ryden's voice—the effect of which having pulled her out of a trace like state similar to when she gazed upon the weapon the very man had wielded in the mural carving.

She blinked several times before glancing to the stairway and then back at the...

 _!?_

 _It was gone..._

The mural carving no longer stood before her—merely a black marble wall was seen right in its original place

"What?" Rosalina whimpered out, her voice for some reason coming out in a weak whisper before she felt a warm liquid run down her lip. Curiously, Rosalina whipped away at the liquid only to notice her own blood caking her finger—the source having originated from her nose.

 _ ***Static***_

 _"One cannot hope to understand... messages laden with vague hints of the future..._

 _Neither can the young comprehend the sins of the past... but yet..._

 _ **I have no choice...**_

 _I hope this gift precedes your curious nature... you will know what to do with this knowledge in time..._

 _Until then however... I need you to_ _ **forget**_ _—for now..."_

"Rosa?"

Rosalina suddenly jumped, caught off by the suddenness of the voice. She whipped around – momentarily confused by _something_ – before she regarded the crimson haired man standing in front of her.

"Oh! Ah... W-what is it?" she questioned with a confused waver in her tone.

Ryden frowned in his own show of confusion. "You alright? You seem like you've seen a naked imp" he questioned with a quip of humor.

Rosalina lightly blushed. "A-ah, no... It's just—I guess I just lost track of my mind; what's going on upstairs?"

Ryden grew confused by her reply; if her looks were to be considered, Rosalina looked absolutely disheveled at the moment—and if he was seeing things right, then he could make out a light trickle of blood on her upper lip.

Without thinking, Ryden licked his thumb and gently whipped the blood from the woman's upper lip—sending her into a frozen blush of complete shock.

"What are you?—"

"You're bleeding—well, _were_ bleeding at some point, I just cleaned off the stuff you missed" Ryden replied before he whipped his thumb off on the cloth that hung against the wall right behind Rosalina. It was probably not a very sanitary idea but Ryden couldn't care less—well, he did care, but he wanted to look all natural considering his action was literally instinctual.

 _What the bloody hell was he thinking!?_

Rosalina lightly rubbed her lipped in confusion before she waved it off—blush still laden upon her cheeks, yet she seemed more content on the matter then what Ryden expected her to do... and that was _smack the shit out of him_.

Crisis averted...

Ryden sighed away his cringe before he finally answered Rosalina's previous question. "The situation was nothing to major, yet at the same time—it's kinda convenient" he stated while crossing his arms.

"We've come across many conveniences—what's new with this one?" Rosalina pressed one whilst regaining her usual demeanor and eyeing Ryden closely.

He smirked. "We've found an in to the Dragons territory—you can say he's somewhat of an expert on this matter" he stated before waving for Rosalina to follow him.

She complied before asking the final question.

"He?"

"He calls himself _Mephisto Pheles_... come on"

* * *

 _Mephisto Pheles..._

No other devil name could be more well known to Ryden then even the likes of Lucifer and the other seven deadly sins – which for the record, seem to not really be as humanity believed. Aside from that; Though Ryden knew of Mephisto Pheles, it was only by familiarity with the name itself then the true history that revolved around the devil—and sadly, Ryden couldn't remember what made the devils name so famous.

He was beginning to wonder when his knowledge would fade...

Mephisto Pheles was a young devil – mostly by manipulated appearance obviously – and possessed a squared shaped face that beheld a serious expression almost perpetually. Oddly enough however, the devil possessed favoritism to the colors blue and red due to his heterochromatic eyes of the very color. His hair was gelled back and also mixed with the same colors—and his attire seemed more akin to an explorers outfit then of some kind of legendary devil...

Ryden was just glad he wasn't the ' _lord of hatred'_ like from a game he played awhile ago...

That would have been a BIG problem...

"It's... nice to see you doing so well Mephisto but... while I have expressed my shock and happiness in seeing you out here of all places—I do not think it's appropriate to hold me in such a manner" Rivia stated in a oddly embarrassed tone; scolding as it was, the tone in the older woman's voice made it clear the moment was uncomfortable.

For Rosalina and Ryden however, the moment was even more awkward because all they were looking at was a young looking devil – wearing red and blue shorts and a similarly colored shirt and coat – hugged Rivia tightly, his face plastered right between her demonic mountains.

Had Ryden not been privileged with the honor of sleeping between those lovelies ever night, he might've drop kicked the little pervert right on sight, but as he stated already... the sight was a little too humorous to truly break up.

Honestly it looked adorable...

"But Rivi!" the young man started with a laminate tone. "I haven't seen you in years!—oh how I've missed our sessions; and to think we'd run right into each other upon making such a wonderful discovery!" Mephisto exclaimed with a beaming smile.

Ryden's eye twitched...

 _Sessions?_

"Tell me—what ancient secrets have you unearthed this time?" Mephisto questioned with a continued vigor.

Surprisingly, Rivia seemed bewildered and downright distraught by the young man's flamboyant attention, yet in a professional manner – full of regale poise – she quickly contained herself and replied.

Or she would have had the devil let her...

"Oh I'm just so excited! An underground monastery filled to the brim with unknown history—and it's even got remnant designs from _four pantheons_ of foreign descent!" Mephisto's eyes practically glowed with barely contained excitement as he gripped Rivia's hands and shook them vigorously. "We must explore this place from top to bottom—now that we have no pesky politics to worry about, we can actually do this one together"

"Mephisto..."

"Oh how I've waited for this moment—to finally go excavating with teacher in a derelict temple"

"Mephisto!"

In an instant, the blue and red devil sputtered several _thousand_ apologies in a second before he immediately routed himself into place like a Private locked in a room with his drill instructor.

For a moment, Rivia stood sharply before a nervously shaking Mephisto before a long drown out sigh escaped her lips. "How many times?"

"U-uncountable..." whispered the young devil.

"Exactly—now need I remind you what would happen if this continues?"

"N-no..."

.

.

.

Ryden stood awkwardly with the others as they stared on, confused by the scene yet amused by the obvious history the two devils possessed; yet in an instant they all sweet dropped when Mephisto suddenly twisted around towards them, face bright and joyful, before he passionately pounded his chest as a show of gusto and pride.

"Greetings my fellow explorers—my names Mephisto Pheles; top student of Rivia Abaddon's special exploration studies, expert scholar of the ancient, as well as a connoisseur of the finest of magical arts... I am happy to meet you all"

.

.

.

"I need a damn drink..." Nyx muttered with a disbelieving shack of his head before Abigail lightly smacked him on the back of the head.

Rosalina audibly coughed before her noble status quickly overrode her mild confusion and brief awkwardness and quickly stepped up to the young man, her hand raised gently towards the man.

There was _dense_ —and then there was _ignorance_ , and Mephisto exhibited both characteristics when Rosalina's hand sat gently right before him, the sight of which sending his gaze in multiple directions before he turned to a face palming Rivia Abaddon.

"Ahh?—teacher? What does this woman want me to do with her hand? Is it broken or something or...?"

"You're supposed to kiss it Mephisto..."

The young devil suddenly reeled back in brief disgust. "Well that seems rude..." he stated, causing Rosalina's eyes to twitch irritably before he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Why would I kiss the second most unsanitary limb as a form of greeting?" he questioned, thus sending Rivia into a brief fit of moans.

"It's simply customary for the noble families to greet their female nobles in such a way..." she replied whilst holding her face in her palm.

"Eeeewwww!" Mephisto cringed as he placed moderate distance between himself and Rosalina's hand—thus pushing Rosalina dejected expression even further.

Nyx laughed suddenly, overwhelmed completely by the sight of his friends look which quickly forced Abigail right over the edge as collateral.

"Nobles are disgusting—I mean, don't you guys wonder what those woman do to their hands before greeting someone? They could've stuck it right up there—" Mephisto began to add before Rivia's fist collided with the top of his head.

 _Slam!_

"Oof!"

"Must you be so vulgar?" Rivia growled out while holding her fist over Mephisto's smoldering skull—the devil having face platted into the dirt by the strike.

For a moment, Mephisto laid unmoving before his form quickly rose back up in a second, face whipped clean of the rubble with a few flicks of his wrist. "Still as strong as I remember Rivi—I almost died there" the devil stated joyfully without actually resembling someone who just skimmed passed death.

Ryden was shook, completely at a loss for words by the moment—yet regardless, they had an objective to reach and they only had so much time in the day before nightfall; and considering the Old-Satan forces favoritism for nightly patrols now that the _Predator_ was a walking terror, any sort of battles in the middle of the night would easily catch their attention—regardless of distance.

It was probably one of the nicer boons of this territory—for some reason, this territory like an earthly day-night cycle... odd but useful.

With that all said, Ryden stepped forward towards the devil and locked eyes with him, his own smirk rising as he studied the devils heterochromatic eyes.

"Let's skip passed the greeting as I'm sure our first names will be all that's required" Ryden started, causing Mephisto's eyes to swim with delight.

" _Finally_ , someone who understands the needlessness of over-sophisticated greetings... what's your name?" the devil questioned with a mirthful glint in his eye.

"Ryden..."

"Well _Ryden_ —can you explain to me what this all is?" Mephisto questioned with his still present expression of mirth.

Ryden shrugged. "A temple, monastery or perhaps some sort of well of knowledge created by some form of precursor species of unknown origin—who really knows? And why should I spoil an investigation?" Ryden appealed with a shrug.

"Fair enough..." Mephisto intoned with a blink of understanding. "Then if you won't reveal your findings—what reason do you have to address me if your intention was not to inform me of what I seek?"

The tone of the being Ryden spoke to was different then it had been before, now the devils tone was aged and filled to the brim with barely concealed cunning. At first Ryden had been underwhelmed by the apparent famous devils character—yet now that he was actually conversing with the devil, it was clear the man had several mysterious set right up his sleeve.

Looks were deceiving...

Ryden smirked, an action that caused Mephisto's brow to rise just subtly in intrigue.

"I seek guidance—towards someone you seem to be familiar with"

The devils eyes widened. "Oh...? I know many—so you may need to elaborate"

" _The Dragons_ —you said something along the lines of having no other interactions with anyone besides them" Ryden pressed.

Mephisto grew confused momentarily. "How did you...?"

"I heard you say that while you were furiously hugging Rivia—something like that – considering it is literally our sole reason on being here in the first place – kinda sticks out like a sore thumb... so—care to share with the class?"

Mephisto suddenly grew flustered, honestly scared for a moment. "Oh boy—I messed up, no one was supposed to know of their presence here" he stated with a couple breaks in between heavy breathing.

Ryden frowned. "It's no mystery to anyone in the Anti-Satan forces that the north east sector of _Lilith_ is the last possible location that they could have fled to" he informed like it was nothing.

Mephisto pointed at him accusingly. "Ajuka Astaroth told you this... didn't he?" he accused before growing slightly irate. "I told him that information was to be kept between us—NOT share it with everyone! It's bad enough those idiots on the Old-whatever seem obsessed in destroying them, but I don't need to have the entire Anti-whatever's army baring down on them as well—that Dragons alpha is already pissed off as it is having nearly lost his mate during the last little attack, and I don't need to explain to any of you what it did to the last batch of idiots that tried to finish the job" Mephisto warned dangerously.

Ryden shrugged. "The last batch of idiots wasn't us—and the major difference is that we aren't here to finish any job, or kill any dragon—instead, we're here to offer assistance in their conflict with the Old-Satan's located in _Ashfeld_ —that's the source of their troubles"

"You aren't listening—this alpha isn't anything you may have encountered, its well beyond negotiations so I'd forget whatever plan you've come up with because it would take no short of a beat down for him to even consider listening to you... and I doubt either one of you can truly stand toe to toe with him"

Mephisto's warning was genuine, yet after a moment of awkward silence – with no one stepping in to agree with him – the devil watched everyone present look away from him awkwardly. He wasn't a fool to not notice that he clearly missed something important, important enough to warrant some form of argument against his previously assumed inarguable point.

There was something he missed... _two_ things in fact _._

Their glow began faintly in the corner of his eye – right where the one named Ryden stood – before the bright jade and vermilion glow finally caught his attention completely.

 _The sword was glass-like, crystalline beauty encased and forged into the finest of blades that none could ever replicate._

The crimson shine that radiated from within the very blade was enough to force the wind from Mephisto's lungs—echoing out in a gasp.

"No... That's not—possible" he whispered before he felt the hand of his teacher rest upon his shoulder. He didn't even need to look at her in order to understand that what he was seeing was in fact true.

 _Its make was reminiscent to that of Elven design; grace given form in the shape of a beautiful bow unparalleled in its ability to rend the very air it commanded._

 _ **Two**_ _Infernum Armis... were right in front of him._

Ryden smirked... his point was made.

"You were saying?"

* * *

"Impossible... _Impossible..._ but was it?—No! This is beyond anything I've ever considered" Mephisto laminated in sheer disbelief as he studied the crimson Sword of _Fulgur_ and the Elven jade bow of _Ventus_ with rapt attention. "To think someone actually managed to release these..." he muttered before his frowned gaze swung towards a calmly awaiting Ryden. "How did you do it?—the legends speak that only the finest of beings could ever hope to weather the might of these elements in their most raw and pure form... so how in the nine depths did you do It?!"

Ryden briefly considered his response to that question, as it was bad enough Mephisto seemed incredibly unconvinced of the nature if the moment. To him, it was possible some form of foul play could have been deployed, yet the silence from Rivia – or the lack of equal disbelief – only seemed to lessen the devils glower of doubt... Ryden guessed being blunt was the only way.

"I ran up a mountain..." he started, practically giving Mephisto a heart attack—hell, even Nyx and Abigail seemed shocked by that statement.

"You ran... up a mountain—like straight up?" he repeated with still present disbelief.

Ryden nodded before elaborating. "It started when my brother told me of element affinity training—started with arc energy of all things; and because I wanted to learn of the elements power immediately, I just turned around and ran towards the nearest arc storm" he summarized before shrugging. "It just so happened that the storm I ran towards was literally _thee_ arc storm..." he nonchalantly clicked his tongue. "So in summery—I not only managed to learn about Arc energy within record time, but I also got a cool sword as well—that distributes arc energy... I didn't even realize what I'd done until my mother and brother beat it into me an hour afterwards"

After Ryden's casual explanation on something fully known as 'insane' by definition, Mephisto seemed eerily interested in mimicking a ghost—as his complexion was pale and his mouth slowly gave off a groaning noise usually heard in B grade ghost movies... clearly, ' _blunt'_ was the barest of terms to describe Ryden's story.

"So not only did you manage to deny gravity by doing something not normal, but you also managed to pull out a dangerously violent sword of renowned power and authority – that even _Lucifer_ couldn't pull out by the way – and you did all this... _casually_ " Mephisto was still clearly floored by his story... Ryden knew all of this song and dance.

It was getting kinda old if he was honest...

"Yup—I guess you can say my pull out game is stronger than Lucifer's" Ryden jested halfheartedly before he snickered even further when Rivia shot him an amused glint... she got the joke.

Mephisto sighed, loudly. " _Impossible_ can't classify this—I don't think anything could really classify this any better then... no, I don't have anything" he relented before his eyes glimmered over the green shine from _Ventus._ "How'd you manage to get that one?"

Ryden took a momentary glance at his materialized bow and shrugged. "It was easier to acquire _Ventus_ due to his long range communication ability. We set up a plan in order to collect him when he revealed the Old-Satan's sudden interest in him... long story short, we were sent to Lilith to destabilize the region and collect one of the remaining three _Infernum Armis'_ — _Fulgur's_ presence helped give us a bypass into the storm surrounding _Ventus_ "

"I see..." Mephisto muttered before he glanced towards the softly thrumming obelisk that had risen from the ground below. He shook his head after a moment before his eyes returned to Ryden. "And the Dragons? What interest do you have in assisting them?" he asked.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend... in this sense, we have both a common enemy and a common goal—so the reason we have to ally with them would be a simple moment of consideration" Ryden replied while also eyeing the Obelisk. They'd ignored it for the most part considering the moment they were in but now that he'd remembered, he felt an odd pull coming from the large sleek slab of obsidian ore.

"And _Ashfeld_ —you said it was the source of their problems?" Mephisto questioned.

Ryden's gaze returned to the subject before he nodded in confirmation. "The head of security in _Lilith_ is named Shalba—he's a descendant of the original _Beelzebub_ , and he currently has a single mission towards stomping out any sources of resistance within Old-Satan controlled territories... the dragons seem to be the only resistance standing in Shalba's way at the moment"

Mephisto feel silent at the explanation, giving Ryden enough incentive to finally step passed the man and towards his originally intended goal.

"Before that however—there's something me and _Ventus_ have to do..." Ryden intoned without a glance over his shoulder.

No one said anything as Ryden stepped up to the small platform holding the obelisk, his gait mildly hesitant as the energy surrounding the slab of sleek rock suddenly pulsated upon his approach.

It was a familiar energy – that being of Ventus' own – as instead of acting as a defensive ward against intruders, the softly swirling emerald energy calmly converged onto him like a blanket; protective in its sensation, yet inviting in its feeling... Ryden pressed on.

The obsidian stone was large and sleek, and markings etched into the flat surface shone with jade light as Ryden closed the distance—soon enough, the markings – both elegant and mysterious in their origin – shone brightly like sophisticated holograms; each symbol and etching speaking its own meaning.

Like any explorer would say upon finding something similar, the main thought would be _'don't touch it',_ yet the sense of feeling the energy gave off right when Ryden was within arm's reach spoke of a contradicting notion...

 _It wanted to be touched..._

Ryden sighed before his hand began to slowly approach the surface of the obelisk; every inch gained having the effect of pushing his eyes shut. _"Please don't unseal Cthulhu—please don't unseal Cthulhu—please don't unseal Cthulhu—please don't—"_

Ryden's fearfully whispered mantra suddenly grew to a halt when his hand grazed along the surface of the obelisk before the sensation swiftly vanished the moment after...

Confused, Ryden's eyes fluttered open slowly; hesitant he may come face to face with a hentai lover's favorite cosmic horror monster, yet instead of greeting total insanity, his eyes instead met the back of each of his teammates.

"Huh?" he mumbled in confusion as he glanced at his outstretched hand, wonderment written on his mug as he tried and failed to understand what was... _wait a bloody a minute_.

Ryden's head quickly shot up, his eyes having caught a glimpse of red hair over Rivia's shoulder just as he'd began to study his hand. And upon focusing, Ryden became acutely aware of a literal _clone_ of himself standing right where he had been, eyes locking instantly with his own...

For a momentary period, Ryden remained motionless—his eyes never leaving the same confused gaze of his own clones equally mimicked expression of confusion. However, due to his placement being right behind Rivia, his clones confused gaze was instead interpreted as a questioning glance to the very woman caught in between them.

"Ryden? Is something wrong?" asked the elder devil as she took a step towards the cloned visage of the red haired man.

In a flash, the visage of Ryden quickly shrugged right when Ryden himself shrugged at the situation—his senses and brain not at all beginning to formulate words for a response, yet instead, the physical reaction was very eerily mimicked.

Ryden knew he had to say something—anything really, in order to completely express what was happening... perhaps a gesture would work—

Suddenly, the visage of Ryden gestured behind them – towards where the real Ryden was standing – yet upon them glancing his way, not a single one of them noticed the true Ryden standing right before them.

"Ah... what are you seeing Ryden?" Abigail questioned as she studied the direction that he'd pointed towards.

"I think that thing finally managed to shut him up—he hasn't said anything since touching it" Nyx teased with a shit eating grin. "He'd usually have some kind of witty joke by now"

Ryden's clone flipped him off right when Ryden had the thought to do so, surprising both Nyx – before he laughed in good nature – and Ryden for a different reason.

The clone... seemed to respond or react to his mental commands...

Upon that thought, Ryden suddenly grinned from ear to ear – his mind easily commanding his clone to no longer follow his exact facial expressions – before he idly wondered how to deactivate the illusion.

 _ **I may be able to answer that for you...**_

 _I was hoping you could—and by the way, you guys have been really quiet as of late... Fulgur seems to be incredibly silent_

 _ **It's been a rather drab day I guess—Fulgur is usually more active when there's action around the corner; or she may be prepping herself for the inevitable fight against this angry Dragon king... you may need to use every ounce of skill and power you have in order to overcome this Dragons fury, speed and all, so Fulgur's silence is probably more of an amperage collection for that very reason... I'd imagine her sword will be rather 'dense' when that time comes.**_

 _How thoughtful of her... now, about deactivating this illusion..._

 _ **Right... it seems the creation of this illusion was something I'd specialized in a long time ago—it seems to only activate when you place a fragment of my energy directly around you, while simultaneously cutting off your own naturally accumulated energy of the same origin.**_

 _So it's like I'm leaving an imprint of myself..._

 _ **Yes...**_

 _And for some reason I'm teleported away from that imprint?_

 _ **No... That was probably due to the initial contact with that obelisk—it... seems as though this secret was not something for me—rather, it was for you... the obelisk had a familiar inscription, yet its design was specifically meant to open a pathway towards a larger understanding of my abilities... think of this as an 'upgrade', and the reason of your sudden relocation was simply inscribed into the obelisk specifically meant to show you what you now learned.**_

Ryden suddenly chuckled, his sudden action quickly mimicked by his clone which shocked everyone watching him. Ryden hadn't been paying attention, but to his squad mates and Mephisto by extension, he'd been standing by the obelisk silently staring at them—unmoving and unyielding in his previous expression.

The horror movie vibe was not unfounded... Abigail and Rosalina seemed the most unsettled by his unblinking stare, yet it soon grew horrifying when his clone suddenly gave out a hearty chuckle without warning, amusement of unknown origins having pressed his visage to appear more like a horrific sociopath suddenly growing amused by their unsettled stares.

Ryden ignored that however...

 _So it's like a damn tutorial... a little trial in order for me to learn the basics of this new skill... Hehehe! Seriously! What the fuck are the odds of finding this?!_

Ryden paused briefly before he released a calmly sigh.

 _Ok—before I continue down this line of thought and inevitably lose myself in a mental crisis... how do I turn this illusion off—I think the others have had enough at this point._

Sure enough, his clone's mimics of his random actions had created a rather disturbing image for the others to see—as his clone had chosen to mimic only a few selected points in the last couple minutes which didn't all create a context for any of them to follow.

 _ **Easy... merely raise my energy level or siphon the energy off of the clone—should be simple for you to do...**_

Ryden nodded in understanding before he smirked – making sure his clone started to follow his every action – and merely tossed them all a horizontal peace sign.

"alright bro, I'm boutta head out" his clone said as intended before Ryden siphoned the energy from the visage and sure enough, the clone began to de-atomize into jade particles—an action that shot most of his team into a fit of panic.

"Wait! Ryden!" Nyx all but yelled while Rivia seemed like she'd suffered a heart attack with how pale she'd become. The other three seemed no different, yet almost immediately, Abigail, Rosalina and Mephisto noticed a familiar figure slowly fade into existence right amongst them, his index figure raised gently in order to give a silent order of silence.

Shocked as they were, the look of genuine amusement on Ryden's face easily told them that everything that had occurred had been perfectly planned by him... scowls of moderate annoyance soon followed though.

Meanwhile, Rivia and Nyx looked positively dumbfounded by the disappearance of the man—yet in an instant of brief hopelessness; the two of them glanced to the others and immediately notice the very man they'd witness vanish standing right amongst them—smiling like an idiot.

"What?" he questioned after a moment of silence.

.

.

.

"Dick..." Nyx growled out while Rivia tried very hard not to glare at him.

Ryden grew confused. "What did I do?—you guys just suddenly began worrying over the air for some reason... what's up with that?"

Rivia failed... she glared at him— _hard_.

"That is not amusing Ryden" she also growled out yet Ryden merely waved her off.

"Illusions are never really funny for the fooled—only the ones that fool them" he stated, amusing Mephisto by the cryptic nature of the phrase.

Nyx sighed at that, unwilling to really argue on the matter and Rivia herself brushed off the embarrassment with a slow shake of her head before she sighed out her mild frustration. "Aside from this—I'm assuming the obelisk granted you that ability?" she asked while pinching the bridge of her nose.

Ryden nodded. "Indeed it did—though the mild stuttering and genuinely horrify randomness of that 'clone' you all were staring at was just me trying to gain familiarity with its function" he revealed before scratching his cheek. "It seems to rely heavily on the users focus in order to create a perfect mirage or act—mental orders seem to work best, yet it can still mimic ones facial expressions and verbal orders"

Rivia nodded while the others listened intently—more so the silent Mephisto then any of the others.

"Interesting..." Mephisto intoned before Rosalina stepped forward.

"Did the obelisk reveal any secrets regarding its true purpose?" she asked with a mildly hopeful glint in her eye.

Sadly, her hopes were dashed with a slow shake of Ryden's head. "It seems the obelisks main function was to reveal a special ability associated with the weapon it was built for—that being _Ventus_ "

Abigail shrugged while glancing over to Rosalina. "Guess there's a reveal for you—whoever built this place mostly like knew about the _Infernum Armis'_ or may have even been in possession of one" she theorized.

 _ **It's possible this may speak some truth—it's also possible I had been wielded by someone before my sealing and this illusion ability may be a literal blueprint for a legendary skill that had been used by said wielder and passed on through this obelisk...**_

Ryden nodded at the added theory from _Ventus._

 _That does sound plausible, the idea of a past wielder does seem likely—but I'd image whoever it was... was most likely not human—rather something else entirely._

 _ **Indeed...**_

" _Ventus_ agrees with your theory Abigail—and he also thinks this illusion skill could be something of a signature ability created by a past wielder" Ryden stated while Mephisto eyed the man closely.

"I'm missing quite a bit of information here... but the largest point that sticks out to is—are you literally speaking with that bow?" he questioned with a quirked brow.

Ryden nodded. "All _Infernum Armis'_ seem to possess an internal spirit within... _Ventus_ is a stickler for decorum and logic while _Fulgur..."_

— _ **Is a massive pervert**_

 _I was gonna say 'socially challenged' but I guess that does explain it..._

 _ **I can hear you two ya know...**_

"...is a bit of a pervert and manic for violence" Ryden finished while ignoring _Fulgur's_ annoyed bark of retaliation.

 _ **Tsk...**_

Mephisto's eyes widened. "A pervert? Why would a sword possess sexual curiosity?" he questioned with clear uncomfortable confusion.

Ryden shrugged while Rosalina, Rivia, Nyx and Abigail face palmed slowly. "No idea... and for my sanity, I'd like to refrain from fueling her more frustrated side—she can get a tad bit aggressive with her words"

 _ **I will sit on your face Ryden!**_

 _You're a sword; the best thing you could do is rest your pommel on me..._

 _ **I will rest my pommel on you Ryden!**_

Ryden rolled his eyes before he dropped his head into his hands. "Never have I ever experienced someone so sexually frustrated in my life..." he laminated.

Rivia seemed slightly insulted by that statement... not that Ryden noticed—if anyone really.

Mephisto seemed disturbed by the man's expression of hopelessness, yet in an instant, Ryden's eyes refocused onto him after a period of silence.

"Now then... with all of that done with—I think its best we carry on with our journey to the Dragons territory, the sooner we get to this task at hand the quicker we can get to _Ashfeld_ " he said while casually whipping a smidgen of dust off of his pulsating chest plate.

Mephisto suddenly narrowed his eyes. "What's so important about _Ashfeld_ that requires you to literally consult with a pissed off Dragon king" the devil argued, catching Ryden's attention briefly.

The aforementioned man merely considered his response before he clicked his tongue. "Multiple reasons really, the Old-Satan's hold three families against their will, and only recently were those very families moved there—ripe for the rescuing. And as an additional note, we have possible confirmation that a woman – that which I hate with the very fiber of my existence – also resides there along with the very devil responsible for the deaths of many dragons, the both of them being ripe for the murdering... but... and this may surprise you—" Ryden paused before leaning in towards Mephisto.

"According to _Fulgur_ and _Ventus_ — _Infernum Ignis_ resides within the very bowels of the sulfuric mines below Ashfeld itself... does that sound interesting?"

Ryden smirked when the young devil – as far as he knew – suddenly grew interested in his line of words, something that Rivia found incredibly endearing... as evident by her tired sigh.

"I'm listening Ryden..." Mephisto stated with a dangerously interested look.

Ryden's smirk grew. "Help us get to the dragons and I'm sure you could tag along and witness the unsealing of a third _Infernum Armis_ " he negotiated before Mephisto gave out an amused chuckle.

"Beat the Dragon King first boy... if you can't do that, then there won't be anyone left to unseal it" warned Mephisto in a chastising tone.

Ryden also chuckled. "We'll see if your warning is unfounded..."

"Indeed..."

"Does this dragon have a name?—or is its name just 'alpha'?"

Just as the others prepared themselves for their departure from the subterranean monastery, Mephisto merely shook his head—disavowing Ryden's assumption and catching the attention of all those present.

"No... The Alpha has a name—it's just it isn't to be lightly used around these parts"

Ryden's brow rose at the implication, yet regardless, his interest was piqued.

"So what's his name?"

" _Tannin_... **Blazing Meteor** Tannin"

* * *

" _Well... so it began—as cliche as that sounds..._

 _But regardless of that, the meeting with Mephisto Pheles as well as the detour into the mysterious monastery was incredibly helpful in more ways than one—and even though it produced more questions than answers, the upgrade was well needed. For Mephisto however, his knowledge of the region in which the Dragons controlled was extremely helpful in avoiding what he described as 'incineration zones', making the journey deeper into the territory less 'hot' as it would've been, had we not met up with the devil._

 _Apparently the dragon king "Tannin" had begun utilizing his affinity with the element of_ _ **fire**_ _in order to selectively incinerate pathways and valleys that had been used by Old-Satan forces for some time..._

 _Apparently it had been_ _ **very**_ _effective... and he was_ _ **really**_ _good at it..._

 _Guess that's where his title came in..._ _ **"Blazing Meteor"**_

 _Rather generic title if I had anything to say, but after some few hours of deeper travel..._ _ **earthquakes**_ _began to spring up..._

 _Was it a natural phenomenon?_

 _Was it a simple earthquake?_

 _Nope_

 _It was impact aftershocks..._ _ **"Blazing Meteor"**_ _was a literal title..._

 _According to Mephisto; when he first met the Dragon King himself, he had been scrutinized deeply before ultimately proving himself non-hostile when he'd offered a certain Fruit as a peace offering, as well as offer medical treatment for the Alpha males mate_ _ **Velkhana**_ _... of which had been poisoned via a watering hole._

 _In short, the medical proficiency on Mephisto's behalf saved the Alpha's mate – not that it was hard apparently – and was given a pass into their territory whenever he'd return... apparently he was 'one of them' after that moment._

 _I honestly didn't feel surprised by the means in which the Old-Satan's were using in order kill off a clearly superior threat. In every field of war, the dragons were completely dominant in all aspects, which left underhanded tactics as the old-Satan's only means of attack._

 _So even though Tannin was proven insurmountable by the Old-Satan's—it didn't mean he was immortal; and thus biological warfare was deployed..._

 _Bad enough Tannin was losing many of his strongest warriors due to the use of such means – even though Mephisto had been able to cure the effects of this pathogen_ _– but the matter of his location was even worse to consider._

 _The dragon territory was situated in a massive open forest framed on all sides by mountains and narrow passages—meaning their placement for resupply was almost entirely cut off; and to make it worse, most – if not all – of the watering holes were connected to larger lakes that came_ _ **outside**_ _of the valley._

 _Tannin's mate, Velkhana, had been the first one to reveal the waters contamination... and afterwards, several of their young fell ill after ingesting a Dragon fruit – something of a 'spicy apple' according to Mephisto – and it was later discovered that an earthly based pathogenic infection had been infecting the natural growth of these very apples due to the waters contamination._

 _In short... the Dragons were up the FUBAR creek without a map, a paddle, a compass and many other things..._

 _Guess you can imagine that's where we step in..._

 _Well..._

 _ **I**_ _step in..."_

* * *

 **[Several hours of travel later]**

* * *

Ryden was in agreement with Mephisto's clear show of nervousness just as much as Rivia and Abigail could see. The devils description of Tannin was – colorful; apparently, the devil had been treated quite lowly upon his initial arrival, but his saving of Velkhana had been the one sole reason's he wasn't used as food for the starving young.

Apparently the Dragon king was exceptionally brutal towards devils—and Mephisto had seen a few Old-Satan executions first hand as a way of showcasing what would happen if he became an enemy.

Ryden would imagine watching a couple dozen dragons tear apart a scared devil and eat him alive would be an exceptionally terrifying sight to see... and hear.

 _Poor bastards..._

Yet aside from this point, the moment Tannin had seen Mephisto heal his mate it was as if a switch had been pressed... no, there wasn't any hugs and kisses, but according to the devil in front of him, Tannin had been deeply grateful of his efforts and had even offered the devil a place in his pack.

Mephisto made the mistake of accepting this unfortunately...

You could image the ability of his skills and the fact he had favor with the Dragons king, had managed to garner the attention of a few 'interested parties'... Ryden didn't need him to go any further—as the idea was clearly painted in his mind by a certain perverted sword of extraterrestrial proportions... unfortunately.

However—now that he was returning with even more devils, it was possible Tannin may see this as an act of betrayal.

PTSD was clearly inevitable.

Yet regardless, Mephisto kept his word and led them on along the secret passage way towards the central den area... muttering his mild fears to himself all the while.

Before this however, Ryden had found himself troubled by a few things that had occurred prior to their arrival to the dragon's main nesting area.

Back when they'd left the monastery, Rivia had used her rift ability to help them return to their armored carriages within a small time period; but when they arrived back to their modes of transportation they discovered their roadblock had been _completely removed_... like it hadn't been there at all.

It was jarring at the time – not that Nyx's sheer confusion and wonder helped – but Ryden couldn't help but consider the idea of someone having orchestrated the last couple events. From the oddly mysterious statue that didn't exist on any map, to the mysterious white clad being that had obviously been the one calling his name—and the monastery itself, something that both contained murals and tapestries depicting ancient primordial gods of pagan origin as well as depictions of past events and obvious future events... finally, a devil with perfect knowledge of the land and a history with one of his team mates/ apparent fiance... how _**convenient.**_

Ryden didn't believe in fate—he never really believed in the supernatural to begin with really, he saw it more as a fictional playground for the minds of play makers and writers—yet after these events... something, or _someone_ , was quite literally orchestrating something...

Ryden frowned as he trudged on behind the others;

He couldn't be completely sure if he was correct on this assumption, yet with everything learned and seen, he had a hard time believing 'luck' was the true culprit of the many conveniences surrounding their deployment... hell, he could trace it all the way back to when Sirzechs pulled him from Halphes...

They both had red hair and equally bluish eyes... hmmm

And his uncaring nature towards helping a human... again... hmmm

So many questions, so many mysterious—and no one to answer them...

In all honesty, Ryden had his bets—and he bet it all on his interaction with Tannin... if this royally pissed off dragon – whom clearly dislikes devils – ends up agreeing with him without a fight, then there really was someone pulling the strings, as it would _never_ be that easy... sure he was charismatic at times, but if _he_ was a dragon king that almost nearly lost his mate to a damned poisoning – the _**bitchiest**_ way to a kill someone – then he wouldn't listen to some intellectual _tart_ who thinks he knows what's best.

No... He'd throw down—at least that's what he thought, yet his mind disagreed... he was too open minded for that line of thinking but Ryden didn't know what kind of being this Tannin was.

Mephisto said he was a warrior through and through—but yet he was also a king; even though combat was natural for a warrior, a king had to at least listen to reason at times... yet regardless, it was all up to how dragons perceive kingship.

So in that regard... there was no doubt a fight was coming—he just had a feeling.

"We're almost there—and please for Satan's sake, don't immediately antagonize them, I'll do the talking first" Mephisto called out with a still present expression of nervousness.

Rivia nodded, having being following behind him closely after seeing his expression. "We will follow your lead Mephisto— _right_?" Rivia glanced over her shoulder, eyes locking with her squad in a commanding nature.

Nyx, Abigail and Rosalina nodded while Ryden merely kept his expression inquisitive.

"Ryden?" Rivia lightly whispered

"Huh?" snapped the aforementioned man, confused momentarily before he nodded. "Right—I'll be sure to shut my gob when we get there" said the man with several nods of agreement. "However, if things look nasty don't expect me to take whatever happens laying down"

Rivia smirked. "Don't expect you to—however, leave Mephisto to do his talking first"

"Sure thing..."

All around them hung thick vines and foliage dense enough to pollute the natural day light above into a soupy green glow, yet as they continued along the apparent secret passage, the glow began to subside into true sunlight, as the pathways enclosed setting slowly began to give way to open expanse.

Soon enough, they had reached their destination... and intimidating couldn't even begin to describe what they saw.

" _And here I thought Ajuka said their numbers were dwindling... he would call this dwindled numbers?"_ Nyx quietly whined as they stared on towards dozens of rock spires containing hundreds of varying dragons of color and size.

For what looked like miles, all throughout the massive opening spanned hundreds of rocky spires that seemed to be nesting homes for dragons – as seen by their constant movements between menial tasks and other daily ventures – yet amidst the numbering dragons, all of the Crimson Dagger could see was a permeated sense of anger and despair.

Small huts were set up to house several wheezing dragons, their complexions looking sickly by nature and their breathing – that being the slowly rising and falling of their underbellies – looked pained and hesitant.

Ryden could make out the universal sign of disease—dragons seemed to be no exception to the clear symptoms, and immediately understood Mephisto's exaggerated comments on their condition.

It was a lot worse then what he'd said.

!?

In an instant, the tension within the area suddenly went frigid as a massive wind gust of what looked like snow, flaked across the primitive camp—cooling the air instant and slightly alleviating the sick of their obvious high temperature condition.

Yet in reality, the effect was actually a side effect of an arrival... _Velkhana_.

Her entrance was just as graceful as her features, as her scaled body shone with azure flecks and frosted crystals of extremely low temperatures. All along the dragons body – amidst her bluish grey hide – were sharp needle pointed icicles that seemed to augment the length of her massive wings and tail—the latter of which appearing more like a spear that radiated a frothing cloud of frost upon every sway.

The face of Velkhana was triangular – like any other western dragon – and seemed to possess what looked like a Mohawk of ice that progressively lengthen until it protruded beyond her snout like a single horn... honesty, it looked like frozen hair.

All in all, Velkhana was a gorgeous dragon that exuded a sense of royalty that none of them could at all argue against... and considering Mephisto's sudden shudder, it was clear he knew something was a foot.

" _ **Mephisto Pheles... how nice it is to see you after some time"**_ came the dragons greeting, a voice of both feminine grace and power that carried an equal sense of royalty as her form.

The Dragons icy blue eyes shimmered mirthfully. _**"I was wondering when I'd see my dear savior again...however"**_ suddenly, the azure blue orbs slowly trailed along the devil before her threatening snout was directly aimed at the rest of Mephisto's entourage. _**"I would rather you explain what I'm seeing...**_ _ **this instant**_ _ **"**_

Mephisto suddenly froze – no pun intended – when her tone suddenly dipped into the state of frigid anger. "Uh... forgive me for the suddenness of this, but their actually friends of mine—well one of them at least... the others are allies of her" he stated hesitantly before he quickly grasped his balls again. "They are here to help you" he added, sparking a curious tilt to Velkhana's head.

" _ **Really now..."**_ she growled out. _**"Do you really think it so easy to escort our enemies to our doorstep? How can you be so sure your friend is truly your friend?"**_

"How are you so sure she isn't?" Mephisto shot back, momentarily surprising Rivia and the others while the frost dragons sharp icicles unfurled threatening... regardless of that though, the man continued. "—I myself have not seen her in years until today when I was exploring outside of **his** territory, yet by chance I found her exploring the same exact ruins... and do you know the best part of that?" Mephisto's question hung in the air like a lead cloud... very briefly, yet heavy all the same.

Mephisto nodded to Ryden, small smirk adoring his face. "Show her what you possess Ryden... she should understand the meaning"

Ryden's eyes slightly widened when Velkhana's snout reared directly towards him, the female's eyes boring directly at him like a set of high beams. "Uh... you think pulling out a weapon is a good idea?" he asked hesitant while slowly reaching up to the sword sheathed along his back—eyes locked on Velkhana.

"If you wish to avoid being frozen solid then yes— _do it"_ Mephisto stated while briefly sounding like a certain emperor.

Ryden shook his head while he sighed out a shuddering breath of nervousness.

 ** _SHingh_** _ **!**_

Instantly, the crimson splendor or _Fulgur_ shone brightly all round, bathing all those in eye sight in a crimson glow... a glow that didn't go unnoticed by a certain someone.

Velkhana slightly reeled back at the sight of the sword, yet a moment afterwards, the female's eyes suddenly widened when a shimmering green bow suddenly appeared within beings other arm. Even amidst the other dragons, the commotion had easily garnered their attention, leaving hundreds of other dragons to watch on with baited breath.

" _ **That light..."**_ Velkhana whispered slowly, rim frothing from her mouth. _**"Of all the beings present I never—!?"**_ for unknown reasons, the fainted whisper of Velkhana's awe suddenly sealed shut, the oxygen of the air around her suddenly sapped away by an unknown source... a source that made itself known instantly.

 _They knew what she was about to say..._

 _They would not allow their masters cover to be broken so easily..._

Unbeknownst to the man before her – the man that was no doubt _human_ – and the others around him; two misshapen beings suddenly began to form directly behind the human, their forms masked behind a chaotic swirl of energy of their own origin.

The first being on the human's right stood enshrouded by a cloak of red energy – further accentuated by several dozen arcs of crimson lightning – while the one on the humans left stood within a miniature hurricane, further enthralled by hundreds of jaded wisps of wind that helped mask the one within... yet their eyes glared directly through it all—their aim solely directed upon her.

' _What is this?'_ came Velkhana's mental question, a sense of brief panic ensnaring her mind when the air refused her call.

 _ **It is a warning to you Velkhana... speak not of our master's origin...**_

 _ **And neither shall you impede his progress...**_

 _ **Take him to your mate, Dragon... our master has a deal for him...**_

 _ **Resist us and you will die...**_

 _ **This is your only warning...**_

Ryden was confused and slightly nervous; for a moment he had expected the dragon to expose his origin to the devils around him – standing a second reminder that dragons could somehow sense humans – yet just when he felt his life flash before his eyes and his heart pound out of his chest, the dragon suddenly went silent.

Either she caught his warning glare or she'd merely forgone her words in favor of expressing silent awe—he didn't know for sure; yet her gaze for some reason was directed over his shoulders towards something that he obviously couldn't see... it was either that, or he was misinterpreting the dragons line of sight.

Weird...

Suddenly, the dragon came to whatever trace she'd been in – perhaps a memory relapse? – And sucked in a large swath of air before she took in multiple breaths as if she'd forgotten what oxygen was...

Most of his team blinked in confusion, even Mephisto looked slightly jarred by her reaction – having given him small glances in confusion to which he'd respond with a shrug. Yet within a few moments, the frost dragon quickly locked eyes with him, a glare shortly following, yet after a moment her eyes shifted over his shoulder again which caused her eyes to widen just slightly.

" _ **V-very well... follow me"**_ came the frost dragon's slightly hesitant words before her form twirled around and took off towards a distant mountain peak in the middle of the valley.

!?

The others were shocked, yet none more so then Mephisto as he stared – ghostly pale – at the sight of a clearly _retreating_ Velkhana. The devils eyes locked with Ryden's – furious confusion meeting sheer confusion.

"What did you do?" growled the devil.

Ryden suddenly grew defensive as his arms rose in surrender. "Not a fucking clue—and I mean that" he stated while the _Infernum Armis'_ were sheathed away— _Fulgur_ sliding nicely into her sheath while _Ventus_ faded into jade particles.

Mephisto sighed. "whatever, lets follow her before we lose her, the Alpha always keeps himself moving" he stated before devil wings erupted from his back as well as everyone else's. Ryden just stood by as the others followed suite and took off, yet Rivia merely sent him a slight glare of disapproval before she followed after the pack.

Ryden swept his arms wide open. "Seriously—I didn't do anything!" he called out before His emerald wings sprang to life. "Like seriously, it's not like I got two sentient beings tied to me or something" he added before taking off after them.

Just as Ryden neared the packs flank, his eyes narrowed.

 _Did you two do something?_

 _ **Yes...**_

 _Why? We're on thin ice as is, so why was – whatever you two did – a good idea?_

 _ **Well she was gonna say you're human so we kinda had no choice—you're welcome by the way...**_

Ryden sighed.

 _Aside from that point, Velkhana seemed slightly terrified of something—what was it?_

 _ **She knows what we are—so we kinda 'influenced' her with our 'natural' charms...**_

 _ **It was super effective...**_

Ryden sighed a second time, causing a few of his squad mates to glance at him.

 _Whatever; just DON'T do it against this Tannin—I have a feeling the same effect may not work on him..._

 _ **We're aware of that... it's no doubt in our minds that he sensed us just as much as Velkhana—which was our intention... I guess we saved you several sentences of dialogue, so now all you need do is inform Tannin of Ignis' location in Ashfeld, as well as inform him of his arch enemy residing there as well...**_

 _I don't think he'll care much of Ignis as much as he'd care about ripping Shalba limb from limb..._

 _ **Realistically, sure, but if you told him Ignis is capable of purging earthly based corruptions like plagues and virus' better than I ever could, while also being able to control plant life then I'm sure his interest would be piqued...**_

Ryden paused in his thoughts – or more or less his thoughts grinded to a halt on what _Fulgur_ just said.

 _Wait... how can a fire element possesses the ability to control plant life?—I thought fire was a destructive element, not creative, or have I been living a lie all this time?_

 _ **You are half right, but after some time to think—I realize your contact with the obelisk truly did yield some answers; the only problem is, is that those answers are as vague as they sound...**_

Ryden narrowed his eyes just as he and the others closed the gap between them and Velkhana—he even noted her slightly nervous expression when he lined up alongside her, yet all he did was ignore the clearly anxious devil...

 _What is it that you learned?_

 _ **It's not clear answers master, but it's a connection we've made upon thinking of what we did with that nether pit**_

 _ **Indeed... for all intents and purposes, we actually purified the area—think about that; demonic energy isn't suppose to purify, perhaps in a mundane or mediocre way sure, but not of the level we did... so imagine our surprise when the obelisks states that each one of us possesses a specialty—and not just the simple kind of specialty, we're talking about 'Purity', 'Life', 'Soul' and 'Sky'—each of these terms correlate with each of us**_

 _ **I'm apparently aligned with 'Sky' by the way... just had to flex that a little bit...**_

Ryden nodded, perplexed of the line of dialogue.

 _ **And I'm aligned with 'Purity'—which fits the reason on why I was able to counter the Nether particles in the air, as Nether energy stands as a negative or 'corrupt' element when physically** **view-able**_ **.**

 _And Ignis?—what's he aligned with?_

' _ **Soul'**_

So how exactly does 'Soul' create plant life?—makes no sense.

 _ **'Soul' can also mean 'Spirit' which could lead to a more broader term called 'Spirit Energy'; and considering most plants and animals possess a modicum of Spirit energy—that also includes the likes of even humans, devils and dragons, so it's possible Ignis may have sovereigns over the earth at our feet, and those born from it...**_

 _That seems slightly ominous..._

 _ **Don't be so worried—Ignis is a lovable guy!**_

 _ **Lovable? Sure, hot headed? Even more so... wait—no pun intended...**_

 _I guess that means Aqua is 'Life' then... seems accurate in a scientific stand point; all life started in the Oceans after all..._

 _ **Hehehe—Aqua is love, Aqua is life...**_

 _Shut it..._

 _ **Hope she spreads one of our butt cheeks when we save her...**_

 _Fulgur..._

 _ **Right— guess I'll go to my sloppy corner and deal with these thoughts on my own... sheesh, can't a girl convey her desires?**_

 _Wait a cock slapping second!—are you waxing the sandwich in my sub-consciousness?!_

 _ **What do you think I've been doing all day!? Sleeping? Naw fam—I've been bustin finna nuts all over your memories for the last couple hours! God forbid you revisit a memory from your childhood! Wooweee! hahaha!**_

For a moment, Velkhana swore she witnessed the man to her right suddenly go beat red within a fraction of a second before his voice rose into a howling roar of anger, eyes boiling like the depths of em-blazed embers

"FUUUUUULLLLLGAAAAARRRRRR!" Ryden roared out suddenly before he instantly realized he'd yelled that out. Ryden immediately covered his mouth – complexion normalizing – and instantly locked eyes with a confused Velkhana. "OH SHIT! Oh, uh-uuuhhh...s-sorry, T-that wasn't directed towards you—rather the pervert in my head" Ryden paused when Velkhana barely reacted to his words... misconception; the female dragon was actually wondering what the fuck he just said, she just didn't show it.

Ryden however, noted the dragon's nonexistent reaction to his filter-less reply and immediately desired _**death**_ upon realizing what he'd just said to a total stranger. Arguably, Velkhana seemed to know of the _Infernum Armis'_ , yet it was obvious she was not totally aware of what kind of personalities they were, so randomly learning that one of the most terrifying icons of nature was actually a rabid pervert might send the dragon for a loop... or several.

" _ **I see..."**_

Ryden suddenly smirked at getting a reply. "oh _icy_ what you did there..." he intoned with a mild smirk of humor directed towards a stone faced Velkhana. "Eh?" he pressed. " _Icy_ —get it, cause you're... ya know? icy?" he pressed on while Velkhana continued to stare at him.

Ryden licked his lips, embarrassed. "yeah I'm just gonna shut up now..." he stated before he glanced away from the ice dragon and rubbed his beat red face.

Velkhana on the other hand lightly inclined her head upon seeing the human's reaction, her own lips thinning into a small smirk.

" _ **I do understand your meaning young one... I've just heard it a million times"**_ she stated, a response that caused Ryden to whip around and lock eyes with her.

"from?" he asked inquisitively.

The frost dragon inclined her head forward. _**"You are about to meet him..."**_

Ryden slowly nodded at the females ominous words before he noticed a massive cliff plateau just a couple clicks from their current location. It was a simplistic set up, but it remained as an iconic position any king would favor.

Overlooking the entire valley from the northern most point, stood a massive cliff edge formed from the largest mountain in the valley, and located at the back of the cliff edge was a massive dome shaped cave that loomed over the cliff edge facing.

Simplistic as it was, the placement and size put it above all other nesting areas—and its height was almost several hundred meters from the ground floor.

Velkhana was the first to land; her form having no trouble at all in landing as gracefully as possible – and after a moment, Ryden and the others landed alongside her.

Before anything could be done on their end, Velkhana's head glanced over at them, a warning glint in her eye.

" _ **Do not explore or move; my mate possesses no patience for your kind as of recent, so I suggest you remain where you stand"**_

Ryden nodded while Mephisto followed as well, yet not one of them spoke.

Velkhana nodded before she slowly tread into the caves entrance, her icy figure vanishing into the shadow of her mate's lair.

Upon her disappearance, Ryden stood silently while his eyes remained locked onto the cave entrance. Yet in a second, Mephisto slapped the back of his head – an action hardly registered by the man – before recoiling back in moderate pain.

Regardless however, the young looking devil whirled on him with a glare. "I thought I said to keep your mouth shut?" he growled out while Ryden idly scratched his barely abused head.

His eyes remained neutral as he regarded the fuming explorer. "If you possessed the same spirits within your mind as I do, then you'd also find it hard to keep some of your replies quite... now don't do that again, the next time I'm afraid your hand might shatter" Ryden stated with a lazed expression.

"There's no excuse—"

"Imagine having a legendary sword spirit reveal that she's been jerking off within your sub-consciousness..."

.

.

.

"...thought so"

"Ryden..."

After hearing his name, Ryden glanced away from the massively disturbed devil and locked eyes with Rivia, her gaze held in a serious expression. "Are you ready for this? From what we know, the Alpha may not be as open minded as we hoped... this may get bloody" stated the elder devil while Rosalina nodded at her words.

"I'm wondering if that new ability of yours may come in handy... though I believe illusion based abilities have a sort of enraging effect on dragons...fooling them isn't a good idea" Rosalina theorized before the air suddenly grew humid.

" _ **No... no I don't think that is a good idea..."**_

!?

It was instant...

The moment the booming baritone voice came from within the depths of the black cave, the air upon the cliff edge suddenly grew humid before it instantly went arid once the sight of a softly glowing light could be seen within the depths of the cave... the distinct sight of a softly glowing belly of fire, contained within a mass of muscle and scales was easy for all to see.

 _ **Its**_ figure was massive, gargantuan in size compared to their meager frames; its muscles rippled along its entire body – corded tight like iron – as it trudged forward in hefty steps that ground loose gravel and stone into powdered dust.

" _ **In all these millennia... never have I been visited by such arrogance..."**_

The thick – ominous – baritone voice continued, followed closely by the thundering steps.

" _ **To so valiantly trespass into my realm—into MY territory, believing yourself a 'savior'... arrogance"**_

The sound of grating metal upon metal echoed out painfully as sparks suddenly erupted along the walls of the cave—partially illuminating the tall beast within; eyes of crimson light shining bright upon a triangular head—a maw of teeth, razor sharp, held open like jagged smile; illuminated partially by a brief glimpse of sun light.

" _ **YOU think your might can save ME?!—who decided that?—your power can lead my people to salvation?!—who decided that?"**_

Like a wave of pressure, the dragons presences suddenly became heavy with malice and resentment; an anger born from years of loss and pain.

" _ **Who are YOU to challenge my authority?—who are you to question my strength?—I have laid waste to entire kingdoms! Razed entire armies in one breathe!—yet YOU believe you are capable of doing better?"**_

Like a blanket being pulled back from the one that laid within, the shadow encompassing the imposing visage of the Dragon King peeled back; revealing its might and form to all that stood before it...

Yet... in the face of the creatures form and appearance, Ryden found himself growing shocked – not because of the intimidation, nor by the sheer presences the dragon exuded...

No...

His shock was born from one thing...

 _He'd seen the Dragon king before_... _in a certain mural_...

Regardless of Ryden's surprised look however, the Dragon king stepped towards them—his thick loincloth and waste cape swaying rhythmically while he rippled with blazing heat that permeated his body like a cloak. His duel set of pauldrons adorn over his shoulders – running along his arms down to his wrist – smoldered and shone like super heated metal.

This was the Dragon king **Blazing Meteor** —this was _Tannin_

" _ **Now then..."**_ began Tannin, as his form loomed over the puny devils below him. _**"Which one of you possesses the means in which fuels your arrogance... who is the one that wields two Infernum Armis'?"**_ the dragon commanded.

Ryden rolled his shoulders, his eyes briefly closed, before he regarded the dragon with a craned neck. "That would be me..." he stated with a serious expression.

Tannin leaned down towards him instantly; crimson eyes boring into him harshly. _**"Well... at least you are brave—I had expected silence, yet you didn't hesitate"**_ Tannin complement with a clearly mocking sneer. _**"why is that?"**_

Ryden shrugged. "No reason—guess I just saw no point in it"

A low guttural rumbled echoed out from within the depths of Tannin's throat. _**"Bold and Brave— to jest before your death, these are qualities that are exceptional, yet can be replicated by cowards... how am I to be so sure you are what you say you are?—Sheep"**_

Ryden knew what Tannin was doing... the dragon king was clearly attempting to piss him off—and whether it was a good idea to fall for it and throw down or ignore it was still a subject up for interpretation.

However... Ryden wasn't known for taking smack talk without giving it back...

In that end, Ryden suddenly smirked dangerously towards the dragon, a reaction that briefly amused the dragon king... for a moment.

"I don't know... how about you ask Tiamat—she seemed quite impressed, one look and she was all over me"

Ryden didn't know why, but he had a feeling playing on the dragons pride would be a good way to beat him in a verbal spar. And considering a female Dragon was possibly stronger then Tannin might send him over the edge...

A second was all it took for Ryden to learn of how correct he was...

Mephisto suddenly coughed out his heart – not literally – before his eyes suddenly went blood shot in both fear and frustration. "Don't!" he began before choking on his terror.

Ryden glanced over to Mephisto, ignoring Tannin's frozen state.

"What?" he questioned.

Mephisto nearly lost it when Ryden's expression of confusion met his. "YOU IDIOT! DON'T MENTION _THAT_ NAME!" screamed the clearly horrified devil.

Ryden barely showed any hint of a reaction and instead leaned towards the devil whilst cupping his ear. "what! I can't hear you over the sound of this guys heavy breathing—must got some lung issue or some shit" he added while waving his hand over his nose. "smells like ass too"

Tannin was frozen solid, his eyes ablaze with a fury, yet below him, Ryden stared at the pissed dragon with a lazy set of eyes—followed closely by a smug smirk. "So big guy... still think I'm a coward?" he questioned before pausing.

.

.

.

Ryden suddenly patted the dragon's snout, mildly surprising the dragon by the audacity. "Didn't think so—so how about we move on from this little pissing contest and start talking about why we're here..." for a split second, Ryden noticed a flair of anger rise within the silent dragons eyes—a blaze of murderous heat rising violently within the depths of his crimson orbs.

Ryden's brow rose upon seeing the reaction. "Or we could get naked and throw down if you want" Ryden offered with a wink, both shocking his entourage behind him and the dragon right in front of him.

By prediction, the oddly worded offer – _which was intentional worded in a_ _ **gay**_ _manner_ – easily deterred the dragon's notion of fighting him, or it at least whittled down the dragons fuming anger to the point of reconsideration.

It was an old Hood style joke Ryden had heard from some show; the phrase being _when in doubt, just whip it out_ —cause their ain't nobody alive that wants to fight a dude with his dick out...

" _ **Your are—repulsive..."**_ Tannin stated with a snort of disgust.

Ryden shrugged, feigning insult. "Seriously? You were the one eyeing me up like a snack—so why are you suddenly retreating on me?—I thought we had a connection going on!" Ryden continued to mock.

Tannin's left eye twitched. _**"You Insolent man loving worm..."**_ he growled while leaning back to his full height.

Ryden sent the dragon a snide smirk—suggestive in nature. "Oh dirty talk—" Ryden whispered out while smirking further by the increasing levels of anger along the dragons visage.

Ryden knew he had the dragon on the ropes... one last spike.

Ryden eyed the dragons glare momentarily, smugness heightening as Tannin's glare further increased and just when the dragon snapped, Ryden suddenly butted in.

"You know, the last time someone gave me _that_ look—I was meeting a certain Dragon king face to face—and about an hour or so later, she invited me into her cave... well big shoots?—gonna invite me into that man cave of yours?—or am I gonna have to invite myself in?"

" _ **ENOUGH!"**_

In either a fit of rage or un-comfortability, Tannin slammed his fist down right beside Ryden's form—sending debris and rubble flying in all directions, yet Ryden hardly reacted to the outburst and small pebbles, and merely kept his eyes on Tannin—mirth still present.

He won.

" _ **Seal your tongue worm—one more mention of that woman and it'll be your last!"**_ he boomed with fury in his eyes.

Ryden shrugged. "In that case I can finally explain why we arrived here—I was honestly surprised that you wanted to verbally spar with me before getting down to business" Ryden gave the dragon a calculating smirk. "Guess we're both on the same page now"

Tannin scoffed. _**"Speak quickly—my patience with you weighs heavy"**_

Ryden chuckled at the dragons words. "Well your better than most in that regard—but anyways, me and my crew are here not to be your 'saviors' as you've been informed; that part is a bit further down the road then what we truly desire..."

Tannin's eyes lit up, interest piqued. _**"Desire is a powerful form of greed devil—what sort of desire do you have of me?"**_ the dragon questioned before he flinched when Ryden gave him a suggestive wink.

Ryden snickered at the flaring of the dragons snout—amused by how easy it was to make a Dragon king of all things uncomfortable with mildly suggestive themes... _Fulgur_ was rubbing off on him... wait.

Ryden cringed before he wiped his expression of horror clean with a shake of his head, and then directed a firm nod towards Tannin.

"We desire your help with something—something that – in the long run – will allow you and your people to be free of devil attacks" Ryden revealed while Tannin titled his head in confusion.

" _ **Go on..."**_

Ryden instantly obeyed the dragon's soft command.

"We derive from a different selection of devils known as the _Anti-Satan_ forces—the devils that have been progressively attacking you and corrupting your lands are known as the Old-Satan forces" Ryden paused to sigh out a hint of nervousness... it was bottling up it seemed.

"From what we've learned, the Old-Satan forces harassing your people are led by a man known as Shalba Beelzebub—he is the one responsible for all of your troubles" his hand pointed left. "A couple hundred miles from here in that direction, is a small independent mining city known as _Ashfeld_ —and we believe Shalba is currently based there... we would like your help to remove him from the equation"

After Ryden's words left his lips, Tannin's maw slightly opened in what looked like a smirk—before a deep rubble escaped it, echoing out in thunderous thume.

" _ **Hehehehe—Hahahahaha!"**_ Tannin's laugh of amusement carried on for a solid minute, his mysterious bemusement of the entire matter seemingly well above normal. For what felt like an hour, Tannin's laugh subsided before his mighty claws dug deep into the stone floor at either side of Ryden—a clear attempt at boxing him in.

" _ **What makes you believe I am not aware of this?—the walking corpse known as Shalba has already tested his luck in facing me, yet his arrogance cost him a part of his flesh... he is lucky to be breathing—and yet you believe of my ignorance of him?"**_

Ryden raised his hands in surrender. "Forgive my ignorance then—I was merely covering all bases"

Tannin scoffed. _**"My patience grows heavier—"**_ Tannin tensed before leaning in further. _**"I have already tasted the bitterness of your kinds lies enough—so speak of what you truly desire of me... a simple assassination is meager child's play, unfit for the assistance of a dragon"**_

Ryden found himself scratching the base of his neck, cringing slightly at the way this was going. "I was getting to that..." he stated before quickly elaborating when Tannin's sneer grew savage. "for the last couple weeks, my crew and I have been effective in creating a persona that has managed to grip the entire region of _Lilith_ in a state of disarray—now the reason why we've done this, is because we have been searching for four noble families that have been forced to assist the Old-Satan's against their will—we've managed to secure one family with our efforts, to which we've learned that the rest have been transferred to _Ashfeld_ as unwilling wardens" upon Ryden's explanation, Tannin's sneer lessened into a more approving glint—yet all the same, the dragons tense posture remained ever ready.

" _ **So you'd use me?"**_

It was a simple question, but a dangerous undertone carried below it.

Ryden was prepared for that.

"Yes, but actually no—I haven't revealed the third biggest detail in Ashfelds importance—which happens to be a **third** _Infernum Armis_ located within the deepest parts of the mines... _Infernum Ignis_ "

Tannin rolled his eyes. _**"You would grant me a weapon? That easily?"**_ the dragon questioned with a hint of surprise, yet Ryden quickly shook his head when both _Ventus_ and _Fulgur_ erupted in protest; staunching the dragon kings interest.

"Eh—no, apparently – according to the spirits of the two _Infernum_ _Armis_ in my possession – that would actually kill you... somehow" Ryden informed, surprising the dragon completely.

" _ **I doubt a fire element could truly—"**_

"It's not the fire itself that would kill you—moreover, it would actually incinerate your soul upon the initial bonding process... I can image a soul is more delicate then those hefty arms of yours"

Tannin sneered when Ryden winked at him again—yet a second after, Ryden elaborated on his original point.

"As I was say—the reason the _Infernum_ _Armis_ should interest you is not of its power; but rather it's affinity with the concept of 'soul'—in short though, I'll simply say that _Infernum_ _Ignis_ – can in fact – cure the land of its poison, and return natural life back to your food supply... _three_ _birds_ , _one_ stone—I scratch your back, you scratch ours... simple"

Upon Ryden's words, Tannin's eyes shimmered into something unrecognizable before his gaze turned to regard his mate Velkhana—to which the female dragon nodded gracefully, bowing her long neck low in regard to whatever decision the dragon king made.

After moment, Tannin's head twirled back to regard both Ryden and his clearly nervous entourage—he even noted the slight awe in their eyes as they briefly stared at the back of the one he'd been speaking with.

In the moment, Tannin was impressed... the little _human_ could hold his confidence well in the face of a dangerous threat. However, he had yet to witness the human's ability to _face_ said threat and prove himself worthy of the one thing Tannin held in the highest regard.

 _ **Strength**_

The human knew of that damned woman Tiamat—even revealed her slight infatuation with him. Though Tannin was aware of this 'Ryden' being able to withstand his presence – better then a certain other devil – the dragon had yet to truly see what had made Tiamat so interested in him.

 _About an hour or so later, she even invited me into her cave—_

Tannin's mind nearly _ruptured_ upon remembering that; not only had the human managed to survive contact with Tiamat, but he'd managed to even reach the woman's level of interest... it was even possible that she—

No... Not possible—that woman was still tainted by regret, there was no possible way she would... or would she?—the resemblance between _him_ and this human was oddly uncanny.

Tannin's eyes briefly shimmered with curiosity. _**"Tell me... when you spoke with Tiamat—did she challenge you?"**_ he suddenly questioned.

Ryden frowned at the question, oddly confused of its randomness, but yet he felt slightly nervous of the question.

"No... I ended up challenging her and she accepted—she even looked surprised" Ryden replied before he slowly swallowing a small lump of fear when Tannin's eyes lit up in shock.

Silence reign again upon his reply, a silence born from the dragon king's hidden growl of jealousy and slight aghast shock.

' _Tiamat accepted a challenge from a human!?_ ' he roared internally, slightly emasculated by the sheer difference in their own results... Ryden wasn't the first to offer a challenge to the female dragon king, but yet the human managed to get accepted, while he was given a cold shoulder.

Tiamat must be desperate—or perhaps she had grown _loose_ over the centuries – going so far as considering humans as possible candidates – but yet Tannin was no fool to believe in such baseless theories.

Tiamat was wise before she was loose – if she could be considered that way at all – which meant this human possessed something that Tiamat desired—or at least found interesting enough to test it.

In either case... Tannin's interest was piqued even further.

He would test this human known as 'Ryden' if he was truly worthy of Tiamat's interest... if he was what Tiamat believed, then he'd go on with the humans plan...

Tannin hummed – an uncharacteristic sound coming from such a hulking being – before his eyes locked with a patiently waiting Ryden.

" _ **Your offer interests me—however, did you think such a thing would go untested?"**_ Tannin's light smirk rose when the human's brow rose slightly in confusion. _**"Don't tell me you believed words alone would be enough—"**_ the dragon added before steam enveloped his form. " _ **Though your offer stands to improve my kind's survival, you still have yet to show me just how**_ _ **strong**_ _ **you really are"**_

just as Tannin's form slowly enshrouded itself in thick steam, the condescending baritone of his words carried on without pause, until the cloud of steam suddenly rippled apart like torn paper when a pulse of draconic energy spike from within—revealing a more _human-_ sized Tannin, rather than his previously gargantuan form.

" _ **Though my brood would benefit from your schemes—I cannot place faith within someone I have not tested with my own hands"**_ reasoned the once 'mighty' dragon king as he lowered his head down to Ryden's eye level.

It wasn't hard to notice the reason why Tannin lowered himself to his level; in the eyes of most, the dragons shrinking was a message of superiority towards the human—a sort of 'fight on your ground' was the bases of the reason, and the willingness to do so was the cherry on the tip of the proverbial cake...

Cheeky lizard...

Ryden however ignored it—after all, when a target makes itself easier to attack, it was not wise to make them aware of it...

In the end, Ryden smirked at the dragon—mirth ridden within his eyes. "Well I guess that makes this more interesting" he started before sighing. "How would you like to star—"

 **WHAM!**

" _ **Immediately..."**_ came Tannin's instant reply, his fist held lazily towards the position that Ryden had _previously_ occupied.

Several dozen yards from Tannin's position, the others grew slacked when they caught the distant image of Ryden hurling through the air.

"Ryden!" Rosalina suddenly howled in worry while the others continued to watch on in silent shock.

Tannin on the other hand merely watched the image of his new opponent gain distance, but as the distance grew, his brief bout of interest slowly began to deteriorate when there was no sign of the humans return.

Had his strike killed the man?

Just as his expression grew neutral – bored even – the distant form of Ryden slowly began to fade, dissipate like a gentle breeze in the air.

!?

" _ **What?"**_

" _Omae wa—"_ came a voice from behind Tannin, a voice that caused his scales to bristle at the sheer mass of pressure originating from it. in a bead of surprise and marginal panic, Tannin quickly whirled around to greet the human behind him, yet just as h caught a glimpse of the lunging man – form held mid jump; fist cocked back – his vision was blotted out by the brilliance of an azure light... a light originating from the humans fist.

Yet in that brief moment of recognition, Tannin caught a glimpse of Ryden's savage grin. _**"—mou shindeiru**_ " was all the dragon heard before reality came crashing back— _in the sound of a pressurized explosion_

 _ **BAAAANNNNGGG!**_

" _ **GRRAAAGHHHH!"**_ Tannin growled out as his form was lifted off his feet from the sheer force from Ryden's surprise attack.

Along the outer rim of the edge cliff, many spire like spikes were seen rising from just below the cliffs platform, creating a guard railing of sort. So when Ryden's strike sent the unprepared Tannin careening towards them, the dragons form was only ever slowed down by the massive impact against the mighty claw shaped spires; the impact of the dragon's sudden collision caused several dozen fissure cracks to appear—signifying the force of his attack.

Too even manage a significant strike on a dragon king was almost impossible for his species—but it was none more so impossible then sending the same Calibur of creature hurling across a 30 meter distance from a punch alone... it was safe to say the reactions from the others stood as an example at just how impressive Ryden's show of physical strength was.

None more so then Ryden though... he didn't expect that shit at all.

"Woah... did I just do that?" he muttered while glancing at his still outstretched fist; steam from both the velocity and impact rolling off his fist like a smolder meteorite.

He blinked, but instead of dwelling on it further his eyes found Tannin slowly pulling himself from his graceless landing position against the spire. The dragon's broad shoulders seemed to be slowly shaking as well; obviously in a bout of amusement.

" _ **Hehehehe...Hahahaha—HAHAHAHAHA!"**_ tannin's laughed continued to grow before he whipped his head back in sheer laughter, gravel and debris rolling off him as his roar of bemusement seemed to displace the loose earth around him.

The dragon's power rose suddenly before it settled into a smoldering inferno that dwarfed the energy output he had originally been releasing.

 _ **Stay focus from now on master, Tannin's attention is now solely focused on you...**_

 _ **You must forgo your usual hesitation with this Ryden—dragon's are not know for their incredible durability for nothing, hit him with everything you have**_

Almost the second Tannin's eyes met his, Ryden knew for a fact that last bit of advice was probably the best he'd get all day...

 _Don't need to tell me twice..._

 _ **Heads up!**_

Ryden's instincts flared to life – born from god knows where – however, due to his lack of instinct training, Tannin's powerful spear tackle caught Ryden head, partially forcing the wind from his lungs.

He coughed marginally before he planted his feet, yet instead of grinding them both to a halt, Tannin's superior momentum and strength easily ignored his attempt; which merely left behind two distinct trenches in the rock floor along with several impact points from the dragons heavy foot falls.

" _ **This is interesting...**_ Tannin mutter just as they both impacted the spire wall surrounding the platform. In a flurry of motion, Tannin clawed hands pinned Ryden's own against the rock wall, their faces mere inches apart. _**"To think a human can truly stand against me... but is that truly it?"**_

Thankfully, the distance in which they had traveled had been enough to muffle out the dragons casual reveal of his knowledge, yet Ryden immediately ignored that convenience when Tannin eyes flashed with intent.

" _ **Perhaps this will motivate you..."**_

Ryden's eyes slowly widened when the dragon opened its mouth, a soft – but ominous – orange glow slowly boiling up its throat. Ryden didn't need to wait to see what the being was charging up and immediately spiked his own power to compensate for the rise of heat from Tannin's clear breath attack.

From a distance away, both Rivia and Rosalina felt incredibly worthless for what they were seeing. From their stand point, Ryden's clear ability so far was almost directly identifiable with Tannin's own physical strength – obviously this was due to the dragons reduced size – however the show of pure brute strength from the dragon king easily toppled Ryden's own, leaving him at a significant disadvantage when pinned.

Which he was now...

"Come on Ryden, get out of there!" Abigail yelled out.

Rivia shook her head. "That's not going to be possible for him—he will need to find some other way to gain distance" advised the elder devil as she watched the man stare directly into the charging maw of the dragon; her eyes squinted at that. "Don't tell me... he's going to tank the hit?" she suddenly questioned, shocked at the choice of play.

Rosalina nearly had a heart attack while Mephisto seemed completely awe struck with what he was seeing right now.

"The man's absolutely insane..." he muttered before he spotted Nyx giving him a blank expression. "What?"

"You get used to it" he said plainly before sighing. "That guy always seems to know what he's doing... no matter the hopelessness of it all"

"That seems incredibly unrealistic..."

"For my sanity, I have to at least try and believe it"

As the others watched on in anticipation, Velkhana seemed mostly intrigued with what she was witnessing; her understanding of the moment far more veteran then the other devils watching.

She sat regally at the entrance of the cave, eyes shimmering with mild reminiscent light that spurred her emotions into anticipation of what the outcome of the fight may be.

' _To think he would gain this much excitement from a single blow'_ she thought with a small hum of mirth. _'Then again—I can't remember the last time someone managed to_ _ **land**_ _a hit on him...'_

Velkhana was mildly vexed the human managed something she had failed miserably at; from every ounce of her being she had tried and failed to land a single – glancing – blow on the Dragon king, yet all she ever managed to do was create steam; her mates flames being far to above her glacier might to even come close to hitting him.

Domination was all she knew from their initial meeting...

Unknown to the devils, Velkhana began to chuckle...

' _You are an interesting one; 'Ryden'—I do hope you manage to entertain my mate to some extent, he has been rather rough as of late'_

From within the pinned position between a rock and an even harder place, Ryden felt he was partially involved with a lovers' quarrel—yet instantly thought nothing of it when the light in Tannin's maw shone like a miniature sun.

Ryden didn't at all hesitate in his own retaliation, his form suddenly erupting into blue transparent flame – hardly enough to see in the heat of the moment – yet just as his entire body was coated, Tannin's breath attack instantly vaporized his entire position with a howl of super heated fire and air.

 _ **VVVVVVVSHHHHHHHHH!**_

The heat permeated the area like a cloud, illuminating the area in an orange afterglow that carried on just as long as the large beam of fire that scorched the location that Ryden was pinned against. For what looked like miles, the massive beam of fire that shot from Tannin's wide maw carried on all the way to a distant mountain—which inevitably boiled over into a reactive explosion a few moments after contact.

 _ **Boom!**_

In the distance, hundreds of collective roars echoed out at the sight of their kings attack—known of them truly knowing the reason or the target of the attack, but yet known carried...

 _However_...

The instant afterwards, a crimson glow slowly erupted from the edge point of the cliff face before a horizontal crescent beam of red lightning shot in the opposite direction of the original attack and exploded violently against the plateau's spire wall.

Many in the distance grew confused by the retaliation and some of those even more curious began to flock towards what they clearly saw as a fight between their king and an unknown visitor.

From atop the cliff face, all the devils – along with Mephisto – stared slack jawed at the sight of a completely unfazed Ryden Vale Gremory; his form alight with a very subtle cloak of transparent blue energy which was further accentuated by chaotic arcs of crimson lightning and very brief gouts of jade wind that encircled him like a protective shield.

Ryden merely ready _Fulgur—_ his grip switching to a two handed hold.

A distance from him, Tannin stood with his arms crossed in an 'X' shape which seemed to bristle with very subtle burn marks—something that both shocked Velkhana and impressed Tannin.

With his arms still crossed, Tannin lifted his head to glare gleefully towards the human. _**"You survived..."**_ he stated, clearly happy to see his increasingly impressive opponent still standing. Tannin's maw slowly opened, a grin stretching across its thin lips. _**"I have miss judged you—there truly is something about these Infernum Armis'; perhaps these weapons are what they say they are..."**_ Tannin's muscles flexed before his scales suddenly igniting into raw chaotic flame; form rising from his still frozen stance.

Ryden casually watched as Tannin's body returned to its previous gargantuan state, unfazed by the change yet mildly anxious of the possible change in physical strength.

 _He needed to undo all restraint now—he needed to close the gap of strength or he didn't know what would happen..._

 _ **Yes master! Unleash yourself! Tap into that abyss—SHOW ME WHAT YOU CAN DO!**_

From within Ryden's eyes, a soft – yet ferocious – light of azure blue light suddenly ignited before his breathing came out in slow visible rasps; as if his own breath was distinctly hotter than the air around him.

Tannin noticed instantly. _**"Oh?"**_ he hummed while studying his opponents form. The dragon was easily aware of their own levels of power from the first initial trade of blows, but he knew they BOTH had a lot more then what they currently showed... to see his own opponent acknowledge his taunt and subsequently follow his lead spoke volumes of the humans awareness of the moment.

He knew – somehow – the _way of the dragon_...

" _ **Come now—let us trade our words with our might... show me what you are capable of!"**_ in an instant, Tannin's form shot forward, his power uplifting the ground below them.

In response to the challenge, Ryden shot forward, his own strength uplifting the earth below him as _Fulgur_ ignited into a massive crimson spire of energy—contained only by his will.

 **[Initiate badass boss battle music]**

Seeing as the two would most definitely impact each other, both Rosalina and Rivia quickly summoned several layers of magic seals to shield themselves from the blast. However, before either of the two could get any seals completed, Velkhana appeared behind them—her dragon form sealed to reveal a beautiful woman with icy white and blue hair accented by an icy white and blue dress that also accentuated her immaculate and regal form.

Before any of them could truly acknowledge the dragon queens transformation, the woman instantly summoned a large ice dome over them—completely shielding them from what was to come while also allowing for easy observation.

Tannin's titanic build closed the distance faster than Ryden, his muscles and speed vastly outplaying Ryden's smaller form. However, just as the two met in the middle of the cliff face, Ryden swung _Fulgur_ directly at Tannin's outstretched fist—an action that instantly resulted in a second massive explosion of crimson light, which was followed by an inferno of super heated flame from Tannin's own output of draconic magic.

All along the outer rim of the large dome plateau, the spire claws encasing the duo suddenly ripped off from the edge—the destructive calamity of Ryden and Tannin's union of power easily displacing both the earth at their feet and the loose foundation of the cliff face itself.

 _ **BAAAANNNG!**_

The meeting of power was vastly too much for the cliff to withstand, which easily shattered under the vast explosion of lightning and fire.

Velkhana cursed. "Remain here" she commanded before she quickly erected a massive pillar of ice to shoot down towards the earth below from their rapidly crumbling position. The others slowly stumbled along just as Velkhana's spell quickly did its work, effectively creating a lone ice pillar that held the last remnants of her precious cliff face.

As Velkhana quietly cursed at the destruction of her perfectly sculpted cliff, the others easily spotted the combating duo in the midst of follow to the grown.

In a manner of defying gravity, Ryden was seen leaping from stone platform to stone platform; his sword igniting into a blaze of red lightning which erupted into an explosion upon contact with Tannin's flying form.

 _ **BOOOM!**_

Surprisingly, Tannin was sent careening further towards the earth but quickly righted himself to return a flaming breath attack towards the descending Ryden. Yet instead of taking the attack head on, Ryden merely dismissed _Fulgur_ into motes of crimson light and instead summed _Ventus_ —his grip already in motion to release his pay load.

Ryden breathed in just as Tannin's retaliatory beam of fire rose towards him rapidly, yet just before the attack connected, he grunted and released the powerfully infused arrow of lightning and wind towards the dragon below him; the weight of the power and velocity creating several velocity rings.

Tannin's eyes widened before the attack struck him dead center, both winding him mildly and sending him slamming into the earth below—his impact sending up dust and debris that both shattered the earth and also displace the trees around him.

Ryden smirked before he landed, his face returning into focus just in time to react to Tannin's explosive lung from within the plume of dust and debris.

The dragon cocked its fist back, arms bulging before it sent its terrifying jab towards the partially prepared human.

In the nick of time, Ryden met the strike with a counter swing—his plan being to mitigate the kinetic force with equal amounts of kinetic energy, along with a major pulse of wind which should nullify the dragon's already dangerous swings and also close the gap between their biological differences.

His counters were purposely over calculated in order to not be caught off guard by strength far exceeding his own.

Thankfully, his calculations were close—yet not enough to keep him righted with every attack.

 _ **BANG!**_

Like a massively over-base shotgun blast, Tannin's punch – along with the small release of wind – created a vacuum explosion that partially sucked the oxygen from the area around them before exploding outward.

Ryden was sent careening towards the mountains base – his form impacting harshly – however the sheer damage that did hit him was just as none existent as normal... he could live with this.

Just as Ryden pulled himself from his temporary rock prison, Tannin followed after Ryden with a second punch. However, to his shock, the human suddenly 'glared' at the strike—an action that literally erupted a massive gale force of wind that displace Tannin's focus just enough for it to miss.

He growled when his fist sheathed itself into the mountain—unrewarded.

Seeing his opportunity, Ryden leapt away from Tannin's range of attack and twisted around mid jump, his sword quickly shifting back to _Ventus_ to which he released several quickly formed concussive arrows towards the dragon.

Whether the attack did damage was not witnessed, however the attacks themselves shrouded Tannin's vision just enough to give Ryden time to shift back to _Fulgur_ and ignite the blade into another pillar of contained energy... the appearance of said attack easily outshining everything around them.

He climbed along _Fulgur's_ limits, bypassing his usual degree of usage and tapped further into her reservoir – an action that didn't even dampen his own reserves – and quickly locked onto her second level of power, eliciting a distinct change in her lightning.

The usual crimson splendor suddenly went dark – black even – which seemed to shine a distinct crimson that malevolently thoomed with delight—an ecstasy only ever seen in something completely enraptured by lust.

 _ **YES! UNLEASH ME! SET ME FREE AGAIN!**_

The howling words of _Fulgur_ echoed out in his mind, her tone of bloodlust and sheer elation easily encouraging him forward.

He raised the blade high over his head... _however_!

" _ **Not so fast!"**_ in a bead of insane speed, Tannin erupted from the wall—his previously ignored wings suddenly flaring to life, further increasing the massive dragons speed.

Dust upturned and coiled in mini tornado's while the earth below Tannin ripped asunder with his passing, easily displacing the trees on either side of him.

Before Ryden's strike could descend, Tannin's mighty clawed hand gripped Ryden tightly and carried him along his flight.

Ryden grunted at the sudden force, unable to get a bead of his surroundings as Tannin lazily slammed his form against trees, rocks and boulders—toppling and demolishing them with the force applied, yet Ryden's form didn't so much as bleed; the impervious nature of his unknown abilities granting him immeasurable durability... Tannin loved it!

" _ **EXCELLENT YOUNG RYDEN!"**_ he roared before he slammed the human into the earth harshly. Wordlessly, the mighty dragon king suddenly shot up into the sky and circled around towards the mountain, momentarily passing the dome of ice above.

Ryden barely noticed the looks of sheer worry and horror on the faces of his teammates, his focused solely on escaping the dragon kings clutches. Yet before he could focus a refurbished burst of energy into his sword, his form suddenly impacted against hard stone—an impact that partially winded him.

Tannin grinned when the human in his hand hardly weakened, the humans frame easily surpassing that of a devils own... this one was made of sterner stuff.

He growled before making his descent towards the earth below, his arm holding the human against the wall of the mountain which shattered and crumbled along his descent.

Before he could reach the half way point, Tannin suddenly noticed a shimmer of crimson black lightning within the crumbling debris which instantly flared his instincts to react, however his speed was second only to the swing itself.

 _ **VVVVVVVVMMMMMMM!**_

Like a howling hurricane, a crescent beam of energy suddenly exploded out from where Ryden was being dragged, the horrifying energy blast easily sending a stunned Tannin flying back towards the lower portion of Velkhana's hastily built ice pillar, which shattered upon Tannin's contact.

 _ **CRASH!**_

Without care towards the descending dome of ice, Tannin collected himself only for his eyes to widen again when his perpetrator was seen directly above him, blade quickly charged black lightning and raised high.

Ryden grunted as he slammed his blade downward, both impacting against Tannin's outstretched hand and almost releasing the energy the blade had collected.

Surprisingly to all observers – even to some dragons that arrived some time ago – Tannin partially howled in pain when the point blank strike seared his rough hide, immolating the hard scales with the sheer electrical energy. However, instead of continue howling in pain, the dragon king simply growled hatefully at the pain and round towards Ryden in a surprising blitz of rage—a rage that easily over took the human in the rush.

"Damn it!" Ryden laminated with clenched teeth as Tannin's berserk rage easily outpaced his speed.

In an instant, their location changed drastically due to the speed in which Tannin flew; now, they found themselves in an open mountain top filled with craters and rubble from passed bombardments.

With a howling grunt of effort, Tannin sent Ryden slamming into the ground below just before landing and then proceeded to follow through with a descending kick towards the down human—yet his effort only seemed to elicit a pained grunt.

It was growing dangerous—his level of patience after taking the hit had sent his mind racing towards an answer he didn't have. Tannin had been impressed beyond a shadow of a doubt with Ryden's clear durability, yet his rage only ever appeared when his blood was spilt before his opponents.

" _ **RAOOOORRR!"**_ Tannin howled in protest when Ryden sent another powerful swing towards him from his prone position.

It was at the point in the fight when both of them had forgone their limits, their hesitation, and their care towards the world at large. For the first time in his supernatural life, Ryden was completely lost in adrenaline; his instincts being the only thing his mind could process while his tactics and battle strategy only ever rose when Tannin got a hold of him—yet now that Tannin had leapt away from him, his course of action was simple.

 _Spam the ever living shit out of the dragon..._

On the opposing side of the field, Tannin breathed heavy, his blood having finally begun boiling at the fight in front of him. The human had injured him, made him bleed and even managed to melt a portion of his scales down to draconic slag that stung constantly. Yet surprisingly, his efforts had only ever managed to cause a small grunt of discomfort from the human... it was _**IMPOSSIBLE**_

But yet...

 _But yet..._

 _Tannin couldn't stop shivering..._

HE! The legendary dragon king that had the stones to face down the dragon that soured over them all! And yet here he was; facing a human – not a dragon god – but a mere human... _and he was losing by blood count..._

It was a notion unthinkable yet the reality was all but in front of him. Tannin's howling crimson eyes were directionless in their focus – his bloodlust and warrior traits having clouded his complete focus – but yet even he could see the difference between them.

While he was heaving away in order to stave off the miserable pain of molten scales merging against raw flesh; his opponent merely stood ready—eyes held in an unreadable, yet focused, glare; clothes almost entirely immaculate if not slightly disheveled.

His pride was everything, but his taste for a challenge heavily exceeded his love for _domination_ – second only to another—

Tannin's eyes slightly shimmered with realization upon that thought, his vision – though conflicted with pain – almost seemed to see someone else looming over the humans form. Arrogant and powerful jade eyes locked directly on him; scales of crimson shimmering under the light of the sun while golden claws and horns shone with regal ferocity...

The image was almost uncanny—the humans form almost resembled...

" _ **Ddraig... are you?"**_ Tannin shook his head, clearing the image of the aforementioned dragon's human visage away from his clouded mind. _**"No... That one... is no more"**_ Tannin's tone came out mildly saddened, yet momentarily hopeful when the humans gaze lightly titled in confusion.

"I know not why you compare me to the Red dragon..." Ryden began before he titled his head again and winked at the dragon. "But I guess I can appreciate a compliment when I see one"

Tannin merely chuckled – a low reverberating chuckle that slowly rose to a laugh. _**"Don't get cocky human... you have yet to truly force my hand"**_

This time, Ryden laughed. "And you have yet to make me bleed" Ryden countered before he shifted his blade to his left side, both hands flexing along _Fulgur's_ shaft tightly while he pointed the tip of the blade towards the ground behind him.

Surprisingly, Tannin grew at odds with Ryden's sudden grin of savagery—the look itself, oddly nostalgic. "No then—before you try and butter me up again, let's get back at it before _Fulgur's_ howls of anger send me over the edge... I have to return the favor for interrupting her moment of elation" he stated while his form slowly began to warp the earth around him; crimson, blue and green light dancing with their own distinct energy patterns.

Tannin lightly snorted. _**"I guess I have this Fulgur to thank for the perversion... she must truly be pent up"**_

"You have no idea..." Ryden muttered with a pained expression before he dismissed it; eyes focusing back to their original glare. "NOW COME, I'M BEGINNING TO ENJOY THIS!" Ryden howled with a much anticipated grin.

Suddenly, Tannin's form ignited into a blazing fire that danced along his form; his corded muscles rippling with untold strength.

Tannin had forgotten his enjoyment in the light of his misunderstanding. He had not truly cared of Ryden's eerily similar features with the late heavenly dragon of domination, no; the true matter was still very much present...

As the flames of his own origin danced along his body, Tannin's eyes reignited into true embers of excitement just as his wings – massive muscular wings that seemed too blot out the setting sun behind him – flared to life... Tannin was alive! This was a true challenge!

" _ **AS YOU WISH 'DRAGONBORN'—LET US SET THE WORLD ALIGHT WITH OUR BATTLE!"**_ just as Tannin's words echoed out, tone filled with respect for the one in front of him, the flame enshrouding his form suddenly exploded outward, setting fire to all things around them and bathing the mountain top in orange light just as the sun behind Tannin fell behind the mountains... _they were now the_ _ **sun**_ _within the sky._

Ryden's sword ignited; crimson black lightning rapidly coiling and arcing along his sleek glass blade which bathed his side of the flaming mountain in black and red light.

Tannin eyes ignited like miniature red dwarfs, casting an ominous silhouette that easily settled the stage for round three...

Without words or gesture, both equally powerful titans charged; their eyes locked and ready...

* * *

It would be said later on that the distant clash between the unknown visitor and the dragon king was the most destructive clash ever seen in a long time—especially for the younger dragons watching on; _two_ of which being the very Dragon kings _first_ and _second_ born.

* * *

The earth rumbled violently in protest upon their clash, the earth itself seemingly whining in pain whenever their strikes met the other.

Tannin roared, sending a powerful uppercut towards the human—his fist literally entrenched into the earth below – yet the effort of the attack merely met an equally empowered downward swing which sent out a shock wave that seemed to deepen the crater they fought in.

Ryden followed up with his own upward swing, his blade systematically releasing crescent beams of thunderous energy whenever possible. Yet before the swing could complete its full rotation, Tannin countered by firing a powerful breath attack directly towards the oncoming blade—resulting in both ranged attacks to be sent flying in opposing directions, their explosions going unnoticed by both fighters.

Ryden used the ensuing shockwave as a means to gain distance before he slid to a stop; _Ventus_ primed to fire.

He grunted at the release of power—the effort of pulling back the bows usually weightless string denoting to the sheer power he was pumping into the arrows.

 _ **BOOM! BOOM! BOOOM!**_

Three rapid shots, three meaningless explosions.

Ryden had to note Tannin had grown aware of his usual retreat and fire method at this point, and it was becoming painstakingly obvious when the three arrows were either dodged or flicked to the side by either wing or tail...

He needed to start getting unpredictable...

Ignoring the correction attempt for now, Ryden merely replaced _Ventus_ with _Fulgur_ and charged in towards the obscured dragon king; his sword smoldering with crimson black lightning.

Tannin suddenly exploded from the plume of smoke and ash, claws cocked for a diagonal slash, which connected against Ryden's own.

 _ **BANNNGGGG!**_

Suddenly, the pace quickly picked up as both dragon king and human sent several dozen swings at each other in fits of blurred motion—yet because of Tannin's size and Ryden's smaller stature, the lightning running along the humans sword always licked across the dragons form, marring the scales with foreign heat that seemed to unnaturally out burn the fire dragons usually resilient scales; however Tannin merely howled in joy at the thrill of the fight, eyes wild with excitement as his slashes pressed on in volume, slowly outpacing the human he was engaging.

Seeing as how his swings were slowly being out paced, Ryden suddenly spiked his telekinetic energy – similar to a mana burst – which disrupted Tannin's strikes. With his opening made, Ryden's sword ignited brighter than before, yet its volume of power hardly reached the realms as he had previously.

His sword cocked back over his right shoulder before he swung it the second he got full rotation.

 _ **VVVVVVVVMMMMMMMMMP!—BOOOOOOMMMM!**_

" _ **ROARRRRRR!"**_ Tannin's howl of pain hardly carried over the massive howl of thunderous energy, the sky itself having darkened completely in the wake of Ryden's continuous use of _Fulgur's_ power.

The titanic body of Tannin slammed into the far side of the seemingly collapsing mountain peak, yet the instant Tannin felt his pained torso subside in its throbbing, the dragon lunged directly towards Ryden in a blur, however Ryden met the dragons charge with a swing; his feet this time, planting firmly into the earth below him.

In a manner of impossible physics, Tannin struck Ryden's sword at full force, yet instead of carrying him off with him or sending the man flying, the impossible happened...

 _ **!?**_

Tannin's shoulder buckled at the steep resistance before his body suddenly felt as if it was going the other way. His eyes widened when he released the human had caught his charge head on and actually _**returned**_ the energy back strong enough to literally _swing_ him around before batting him off along with a crescent beam of lightning.

His eyes barely saw the look on the human before the light of the thunderous energy beam over took him, but the dragon king could have sworn he saw an unreadable expression lining the humans face.

Just as pain resurfaced along Tannin's chest – again – the dragon king soon realized the human had slowly but surely sunk into the depths of pure instinct and monstrous energy...

However, the observation was only partially correct...

Because in actuality... for the briefest of moments...

Ryden possessed _zero human limits_... his mind having completely foregone his belief of human limitation.

Such a notion was considered a myth amongst humans themselves, but yet the science stood to disprove the idea of humans possessing superhuman strength. And though it may not translate the current moment—far from it; but it was possible for humans to do seemingly impossible feats of strength when their limiters were removed.

Feel no pain and you'll be completely numb to muscle tension, nerve damage and bone limitations...

Increase the natural bone density, muscle fibers, mental capacity and mental understanding of one's limitations, and you have a _superhuman_...

Times that by **[?]** and you'll get _Ryden Vale Gremory_...

Ryden stood before the downed and mildly shocked dragon king, his eyes unmoving from the beings form; his focus being entirely enraptured on defeating the one known as _Tannin_.

He had not known of his decent into this mindset as he himself was not aware of it; to him, the fight was merely an obstacle, one that he saw as both an enjoyment and something that desired his entire attention, yet Ryden had not noticed his complete disregard of his limits... because in the end, when one disregards their limits... _nothing can stand in their way._

Only two beings were aware of this change however, as they themselves bore witness to such a phenomenon the moment they formed a connection with the one that had unsealed them... their spirits literally bound to the human's soul.

And in this very moment, the human that was known as 'Ryden Vale' no longer possessed hesitation.

His footing parted marginally, knees bending into a perfect rush position before his sword shifted to the right side of his body—blade aimed to his flank.

 _ **BBVVVVVVVVVVV!**_

Tannin's eyes widened when the energy erupted along Ryden sword. The energy being exactly the same as it had been before he interrupted him, even exceeding the limit by several notches.

Though his attacks had managed to singe his scales, they were never life threatening. Even though the burns hurt immensely, it didn't mean his victory was assured. However, the energy along the sword at this moment far exceeded the possible outcome Ryden's attacks normally inflicted.

 _This one – in every sense of the word – would truly_ _ **hurt**_ _him_ _ **.**_

Tannin's instincts flared along with his anticipation; his excitement rising along with his nerves. It was a rare moment of childish glee born from a stagnating existence rife with nothing but small fry after small fry; and yet here and now was he standing before a being – no! – _A_ _human_ , capable of withstanding his attacks, capable of drawing first blood—even capable of inflicting severe wounds.

In that moment, Tannin's care towards his seared flesh and molten scales vanished completely; he would merely shed them off in time and regenerate even stronger scales. No, he cared little for such things at that moment, all he cared about was standing along with this enigma—to truly see if his power had actually lessened over time.

His form rose from the ground, gravel and stone crumbling along his battle scarred hide as his eyes shone with a knew motivation.

As the sky cried and arced with ominous foreshadowing; black and red lightning dancing along the sea of inky black clouds. The earth below Tannin's clawed feet suddenly began to sizzle, the aura of flames saturating Tannin's natural energy signature suddenly became physical—causing the very air to turn arid and dry.

Moisture evaporated upon the mountain top before the dragon king's maw opened wide. Energy built up all around the dragon's form, which focused itself down the mighty king's throat—igniting the fuel within.

Soon, a deeply malevolent orange glow simmered to the surface, its rising effect causing the distant ambiance to cease entirely while the color in his immediate area seemed to drain away in the presence of the wake of the dragon kings charge.

Those that served and stood below the wings of their king knew the coming event well enough... they had bathed in its light before...

From a vast distance away, Rivia and Rosalina – along with the others – stood patiently within a thick tree line, their eyes locked on the distant peek radiating a searing light that they all knew to be immensely dangerous.

Velkhana hummed at the sight, her mirth slowly dropping as she shivered at the feeling creeping up along her spine. From his spot behind her, Nyx suddenly felt very odd when the image of a frost dragon shivering crossed his sights... shit was not as it seemed.

"I'm guessing things are about to get real..." he muttered softly, eyes wide at the distant mountain peak. His words elicited a mild grunt – which came out as a squeak – from a pale white Mephisto; the devils jaw having sunk an inch below the earth.

"No shit—Tannin's gonna do it..." came his meek reply

The others grew confused before their attention quickly shifted to Velkhana; her icy blue-white eyes shimmering with renewed mirth as her amusement reached snickering levels.

"It is as my savior says—my mate seems to have found an equal... though I can't say I'm surprised" Velkhana revealed as the others grew ever more shocked.

"Wait... your saying Ryden's actually pushed your mate that far?" Abigail questioned, aghast at the idea.

Rivia blinked, as well as Rosalina, at the news from Velkhana—to which the dragon queen merely nodded. "It's as I said—my mate hardly ever uses his full strength when repelling these so called 'old-Satan' invaders, yet your 'Ryden' seems to be more than those ants could ever be..." her eyes flickered over to Rivia momentarily, the dragons natural perception easily telling her the blonde woman was the eldest amongst them.

"It's almost a wonder why you devils even desired our help in the first place" she stated with a small smirk when Rivia glanced away from her.

Rosalina merely snorted. "Well its clear now Ryden has been holding back..." she stated with a small smirk of wonder. "I wonder what else he's holding back...?" she muttered, completely unaware of Rivia's knowing glance.

Velkhana merely waved her off. "Aside from the boy's secrets and potential, we will see if your friend possesses the ability to survive this next attack" she said with a confident smirk along her lips. "As strong as he may be, he cannot truly survive the might of a meteor"

" _ **Foolishness..."**_

!?

Velkhana froze, followed along by the others shortly after...

The voice of one with such familiar might echoed out over their heads; a small shadow looming over their bodies like a blanket of ink, drowning away all sound for but an instant before it quickly vanished just as fast as it arrived—and sound itself slowly returned.

* * *

Ryden's energy flared in protest against the molten waves of blistering heat radiating off of Tannin's form, his eyes and mouth alit with a power that he'd never seen before; yet even so, his footing planted firmly into the mountains surface, displacing the loose gravel.

Slowly, as Tannin's charged attack grew to its zenith. Gravity became displaced; distinctly causing all loose rock to float aimlessly into the air... _it was coming_.

As if aware of the coming force, Ryden focused a large amount of _wind_ into _Fulgur's_ blade, the effect causing a small torrent of wind to whip dangerously around the sword itself—amplifying the weapons sheer destructive power.

Wind ripped the earth apart, shredding the surface of the mountain behind him completely before arcs of crimson black lightning began to coat the spire of wind a dark shade.

His grip shifted to compensate; the blade itself now held aloft above his head—easily countering Tannin's slowly encroaching energy.

Differing power clashed against each other, creating a distinct line between opponents.

 _ **RELEASE ME! RELEASE MY MIGHT! DO IT NOW RYDEN!**_

Without much thought, Ryden's eyes locked with Tannin's own, an exchange of wills instantly transmitting between them.

The arid air fluxed in alarm, the natural pull of gravity quickly forcing all debris toward Tannin—yet in an instant the gravity violently shifted a third time when a mighty flame erupted from Tannin's throat.

A blazing beam of immensely hot flame shot out from Tannin's mouth like a true to form meteor while Ryden's own swing descended in equal timing—a massive bolt of black and red lightning suddenly crashed downward onto _Fulgur_ just before he even swung.

What resulted of the union of power... _ **Was calamity**_

 _ **BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!**_

Like a true volcanic eruption, the union of both lightning and fire created a massive explosion that shredded the mountain completely—top to bottom; which obscured either combatant in its super heated blast wave.

From a distance away, several dozen unprepared dragons – as well as devils – were suddenly throw off their feet when the distinctly visible shockwave rippled along the surface of the dragon valley; uprooting hundreds of trees and partially eroding loose foundations in the earth.

For the others – that being Rivia and co. – they all watched, stunned silent, at the complete an utter annihilation of an entire mountain top—the fire and continued electrical storm – as well as the massive cloud of smoke and ash – easily created one of the most terrifying, yet beautiful, images of calamity imaginable.

None spoke a word... none possessed the means to truly do so...

However, much to their immense shock, two familiar forms erupted from the massive cloud of lightning and fire—their collision and the distinct sound of metal upon might, signifying their literal continuation of battle.

Sparks ignited in their aerial collisions, rapid in their speed, before one managed to gather the upper hand and send the other plummeting to the earth below—eliciting a massive concussive explosion visible from their position.

Mephisto fainted... Nyx followed afterward...

Rivia felt like joining them – almost – however her mind simply formed an inconclusive theory as how the two titans managed to sustain enough stamina, and merely placed all her chips on the notion that both attacks merely canceled the other out... she literally hoped that was the case—otherwise, she'd join her student and ally amongst the realms of unconsciousness.

Rosalina on the other hand was... _BLUSHING!?_

Rivia felt her consciousness slip before she caught herself, her form suddenly caught leaning against a stalk still Velkhana.

It was a rare moment of fear in Rivia when she found herself holding the dragon queen for dear life, yet instead of summon her own conflict with a dragon, the ice woman merely ignored the invasion of privacy and simply stared out at the distant sky...

In a manner completely unfitting of the image of dragon queen, Velkhana suddenly blushed like a love struck young blood—her eyes filled with stars while her mouth slowly began to salivate.

"~Lady Tiamat~" whispered the dragon queen as her form slowly began shaking.

Rivia merely righted herself, shock clearly written on her features before she slowly nodded at that last bit.

"Oh... right... that happened" Rivia realized before the sight of the clearly aroused dragon queen became too much for her to handle. "Honestly... _what the fuck?_ " was her final uncharacteristic question before she collapsed into unconsciousness.

* * *

To say their battle was fun would be a direct understatement and a complete insult to both Ryden and Tannin respectfully... their battle... their bout...

There were no words to describe it!

Ryden impacted the earth hard, his previously immaculate form now bare and idly scorched by heat, leaving him with only his favored chest plate from Rivia and the greaves originally designed by Venelana; but yet his mind never dwelled on the matter long enough, as he instead focused everything on the rapidly descending dragon king—its eyes completely enraptured with manic enjoyment.

Tannin cocked his fist back just as Ryden readied himself—sword rising in time to take the strike head on.

 _ **CLANNNNGGGG!**_

 _ **CRASHHHHHH!**_

The reverberating sound of clanging metal echoed out like a wave, filling the empty forest with nothing but its beautiful sound; which was followed by the distinct rumble of the earth cracking under the weight of a mighty dragon king's impact landing.

 _ **VVVVVMMMM!—BOOOM!**_

In retaliation to the descending strike, _Fulgur_ ignited again and fired off another crescent beam of energy towards the dragon—leading to the dragons sudden departure for them earth.

Tannin barely cared of the new addition to his clear collection of would-be scars—the feeling of them merely reminding him of his current fight.

His wings took hold and righted himself mid air; his eyes shining within intent...

 _ **ROAAAAAAAAAAAA!**_

Without any build up, a beam of flame spewed from the dragon's mouth and rapidly descended towards the one below. Yet instead of dodging, the human merely swatted the breath attack to the side with a swing of his sword, the attack itself literally incinerating a small acre off to the side them.

Tannin almost snickered like child before he crashed down to the earth below, his claws now igniting into flaming embers which he immediately used to engage his new found rival.

Sparks reigned from the inevitable trade of blows, the flurry of motion between the two matched perfectly while their surroundings took most of the damage. With each concussive strike blocked, a dozen trees were uprooted in the ensuing redirection of force; with every other impact, the earth below ripped apart and cratered as if it was made of Lego blocks.

From a distance, one would merely see several dozen trees hurling through the air at random while massive explosions would send shrapnel of rock and splintered wood in all directions—signifying the complete annihilation the two wrought upon the land around them.

However, unknown to the two battle maniacs, an ominous shadow slowly began to descend upon them; and as their clash continued in full – blissfully unaware of the oncoming danger – Tannin and Ryden pressed their advance on the other, their swings and slashes marring the land with their might while their strength blotted out the world around them...

Until...

" _ **ENOUGH OF THIS!"**_

Instincts flared to life, forcing Ryden to immediately jump up and somersaulted over a massive beam of bright blue lightning, before landing in a graceful perch atop a tree just in time to see Tannin impact against a massive boulder several hundred meters away.

"What the..." Ryden muttered, confused, before his surprise rose when the tree he was situated on suddenly collapsed.

He landed into a combat roll, however the moment he rose up completely, a distant shimmer of dark blue hair filled his vision before a leg suddenly slammed into his chin—sending him careening through trees before rolling into a prone position.

Considering he'd been thrown through literal stone without issue, he rose up immediately to greet the new threat; however, just as he caught a glimpse of the blue blur coming toward him, a powerful hand clenched over his neck before he was slammed into a tree again held several inches off the ground.

His vision swam for but a moment—to which his renewed and collected vision met the gaze of—

"Tiamat!?" he suddenly screamed out, confused and hardly at all effected by the dragon kings grip around his neck.

Sure enough, his eyes locked with the female dragon king herself—though, unlike his initial meeting of the woman, she had been wearing a regal one piece dress that fit her form well; however, the female dragon currently holding him like a disobedient child was now wearing a more militaristic uniform, fitted with a set of thigh high boots and detached sleeves.

He blinked at her, nearly gawking. "You're... looking good—new outfit?" he observed, forcing a slight growl to ripple from the dragon kings lips.

"Seriously? I find you nearly leveling the sole refuge of my kind with that hotheaded brute over there, and the first thing you do upon seeing me is comment about my clothing?" she asked, a vein along her neck and forehead slightly bulging when Ryden slowly stuttered for a good reply.

"Um... you look like an angel?" he hesitantly complimented, smile slowly forming.

.

.

.

Tiamat's eyes remained deadpanned, completely unmoved by the humans laughable compliment.

"I'm going to choke you out now..." she said before her hand clenched over Ryden's throat.

For a moment Ryden struggled, his vision swimming as Tiamat's lazy expression watched him struggle for a breath she would not give him.

"Harder mommy..."

"What?"

" _What_?"

He blacked out after that, a dumbass smile marring his expression...

Tiamat simply stood there for a moment, holding the unconscious body of the human she just choked out...

"What did he say to me?" she suddenly questioned, oddly feeling uncomfortable about herself...

A/N:

 _ **AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**_

 _ **Ok... I think I'm—This chapter practically deleted my motivation for a moment at the end—10,000 words *poof* gone, because my dumbass saved the old file from my flash-drive over top of the new file on my desktop... safe to say my shit was livid at that point.**_

 _ **Bad enough my attention and motivation to even write for the last couple months has been sparse at best, it took a fuckin load outta me to just lose 10,000 words of literal lore that I meticulously plotted and planned out...**_

 _ **Nearly broke my damn hand there... fucking kill me please!...**_

 _ ***LONG DRAWN OUT SIGH***_

 _ **Anyway—as you can see I'm back and I'm most definitely alive—wooooo!**_

 _ **Now I should probably explain my absence... first thing,**_ _ **writers block**_ _ **—hit me like a whip and kept me down for some time; I couldn't formulate sentences' or paragraphs without making a shitload of grammar mistakes and just mistakes all around—my dialogue jumped around and miss matched topics while my descriptive skills took a nose dive into 3**_ _ **rd**_ _ **grade material.**_

 _ **My writing got so bad I wrote out the twilight saga in a retard frenzy... so, I had to step away for a bit...**_

 _ **It's just so unfortunate that my timing placed me right in the middle of multiple game releases that hooked me in like a starving fish...**_

 _ **Remnants from the ashes**_ _ **,**_ _ **Monster hunter: Iceborne**_ _ **,**_ _ **Warframe updates**_ _ **,**_ _ **AC odyssey**_ _ **,**_ _ **borderlands 3**_ _ **and most of all**_ _ **DESTINY 2: shadowqueue—or Shadowkeep**_ _ **along with**_ _ **Call of Duty: modern warfare**_

 _ **So yeah—I was a bit of a gaming slut for some time there—hoping back and forth between multiple games is a rarity for me (considering my age) but it felt nice to have a few openings to choose in order to alleviate me of my writers block... until I just couldn't stop playing—like it got bad...**_

 _ **I honestly regret nothing however; Destiny 2's newest update has been a hell of a time (ignoring the glaring issues that have come about) but all in all, I've actually been able to complete a god damn raid for the first time in literally 2 YEARS!**_

 _ **Feels good... then again the raid is really easy sooo—whatever.**_

 _ **Now, you probably have questions...**_

 _ **However, the only thing I'm going to clarify is the way Ryden's true powers functioned for his fight against Tannin...**_

 _ **While I did make Ryden more attuned with the fight itself, I also buffed Tannin at the same time—making sure his level of power was still something even Ryden couldn't overcome even when his 'limiting human mindset' was completely demolished by the heat of the moment.**_

 _ **In all honesty, this fight was Ryden's first true 'Shounen' fight since his battle with that motherfucker Bathin... or was it Marchosias? I don't remember off the top of my head, but aside from that fight, this kind of battle doesn't really require much strategy as it isn't a puzzle boss as it is a 'bullet sponge' kind of fight... an endurance fight if you will.**_

 _ **Plus a shit load of you guys wanted a mountain to be demolished so I guess we managed to that *high fives himself***_

 _ **Now... the plot has thickened immensely, the questions have been laid bare for your minds to chew on, and the story has started to show itself just how deep the universe of "a legend among devils" truly goes...**_

 _ **Remember... the civil war is only the first phase...**_

 _ **But aside from that... I'm wondering if you guess got anything from the mural scene...**_

 _ **Would be cool to get some theories from you guys regarding the mention of those ten reapers... they seem almost... familiar—if only completely different from their original selves...**_

 _ ***Snickers in hidden***_

 _ **Read, review, favorite and follow my beauties—and as always...**_

 _ **PEACE!**_


	26. Revels and Revelations

**-Revels and Revelations-**

" _Well... I guess I never really considered my true limits when approaching my inevitable clash with Dragon king Tannin—as I didn't exactly expect to learn anything from the fight, other than affirming my unreasonably high durability being more then it was... which somehow managed to beat out a dragon._

 _That was... comforting – and also ego empowering – ... but if it was anything less then what it was then I'd imagine I'd be feeling that fight more so then I did after the fact..._

 _However, in all honesty of the matter itself – and according to Ventus and Fulgur – I had actually discovered a new degree of power whilst fighting Tannin..._

 _They had called it_ _ **'instinct**_ _ **zone'**_ _..._

 _I wanted to call it_ _ **'ultra**_ _ **Instinct'**_ _but... yeah... apparently I wasn't THAT good... yet..._

 _Apparently, due to Tannin's incredible durability and power, he had managed to force my own instincts into overdrive—leaving my mind no choice but to overcome my usual human limits without conscious awareness; such as hesitation, fear and doubt... such a thing led me to literally inducting my senses completely towards combat... and I Honestly enjoyed it..._

 _And I gotta say—the movies are dog shit compared to what dragons truly act like in fights; there's no slow lumbering swipes and constant breath attacks—no, them motherfucka's come at you like you owe them some fricking money._

 _Fast and powerful—truly the Apex of the supernatural world, I don't think anything could truly compete with their tenacity... well... there was one..._

 _...Anyway_

 _Dark souls got a lot easier upon that realization._

 _Aside from my tussle with Tannin, it was easy to tell I had earned a place to call the shots in some sense of the matter – not like Tannin would argue against Tiamat's word that is – but, again—the objective had been met... the dragons were on our side..._

 _Now all we had to do was take Ashfeld..._

 _Before that however... well... I had some shit to deal with... some deep shit"_

* * *

 **[** **Crimson Dagger Operations Log** **: 09/ field summary:** _ **with the success of Dagger-1's clash with the Dragon king – now identified as 'Tannin' – all preparations for the siege on Ashfeld were met/**_ **priority objective** **:** _ **locate and extract the three remaining blackmailed families under cover of Dragon support/**_ **secondary objective's:** _ **locate and eliminate HVT's 'lady lucifage' and descendant 'Shalba Beelzebub'/**_ **operation notes** **:** _ **if HVT 'Shalba Beelzebub' is located, it is advised that Tannin be the one to 'dance' with the target... all outcomes otherwise is unacceptable]**_

* * *

 **[Somewhere within Ashfeld/ Sulfur field mines]**

* * *

" _How goes your progress, Shalba?"_

"All schedules have been met my Lord Lucifer—the 'unwilling' have been perfectly situated into their roles"

" _I see... what of their heirs? What means have you used to 'motivate' their parents?"_

"The Vassago family's son is being kept isolated—I'm sure a long time separated will be perfect enough to break him. The Amon family daughter is also being kept isolated..."

" _Interesting... what do you plan for them?"_

"I believe I can smell a romance in the air between them—I'm sure they will get to know each other very well within time my lord... I think that isolation may speed up their bond"

" _I never took you as a romantic type Shalba..."_

"Heh... i merely wish to feed the lies of hope my lord—it's quite amusing when it crumbles beneath their feet"

" _Hahaha! You sly devil—I like the way you think!"_

"Thank you my lord..."

" _Now what of Calfa Belial and her husband—what was his name again?—"_

"I believe its _Mallon_ Belial my lord—but for the most part, they both seem willing enough to cooperate... surprisingly"

" _Well that's a surprise—but I guess I can't really blame them, considering young Calfa is pregnant..."_

"...indeed she is"

" _I'm curious—is that a normal pregnancy? Or did the men get restless?"_

"I-It's normal my lord—she came down with partial symptoms of mid to late pregnancy some time ago..."

" _Well that's a relief—if it had been the ladder then I would have feared for her mental stability"_

.

.

.

" _Well... keep your eyes on them at least—and if she finds herself resistant, you know what to do—in the mean time however, finish whatever it is your doing there and rendezvous with Katerea... with the progress of Sirzechs Gremory's efforts – along with his little bitch, Sitri – I fear their barbarism is closing in on the capital far faster then I predicted"_

"It shall be done—but I'm afraid I haven't been completely updated on the Project's progress"

" _It's already entered into its first stage—our efforts may uncover more answers as to what we found... however, the Anti-Satan's will reach the capital before we manage to move our efforts outside of the territory, and that will spoil our fun entirely. Return to The capital of Thorns and provide further assistance—Katerea is focusing her efforts in our search for an Infernum Armis"_

"Understood—what of the one rumored to be in this region?"

" _It doesn't matter in the least, lord Foras has more of an understanding as to where the one in the Thorns territory is, then in that dump—we'll have a better chance at reaching it here"_

"And the Dragon's?"

" _The poison should be enough to cut their water and food source off for good—they'll die out in time"_

"Very well—I shall return to the Capital of Thorns in due haste... by the earliest tomorrow if I'm lucky enough; I'm sure by then this little issue in the Capital of Lilith should be resolved—what with Lady Lucifage taking the initiative by sending _**him**_ of all people to deal with the rumors"

" _Heheh—well she does take her task seriously... by the way—how is that little bundle of joy doing anyway? It's been some time since I've spoken with her last"_

 _._

 _._

 _._

" _She's right beside you isn't she?"_

"S-she is... I must admit though—you were right... she does smell of ice"

" _HAHAHA! See! I knew I wasn't the only one!—ahh; do tell her I wish her the best with her task... she – amongst you all – understands the cost of failure... am I right,_ _lady Lucifage_ _?"_

"Yes—lord Lucifer, my forces will stomp out this issue... I can promise you that"

" _...Interesting—I thought I heard some nervousness in your reply"_

"I do not see the reason of such perception my lord—nervousness hardly comes into it"

" _Such a tease—I was only pulling your leg my dear...but anyway—do carry on with your task; once complete; return to your usual post—your brothers constant mutterings of anxiety have been rather endearing...I'd hate to stress out the poor man anymore then he already is"_

"I-I shall do as you command..."

" _Shalba—Shalba! Is she blushing? ~please tell me she's blushing~"_

"Ah—no... She seems to have come up with a head ache of sorts... do you desire medical treatment lucifuge?"

"No... I shall carry on with my duties as instructed—good day my lord"

" _It seems I've scared her off..."_

"No... She looked about ready to leave a couple moments ago—I guess your reminding of her brothers 'odd' interest has managed to push her over the edge"

" _Ah well—Euclid does have that affect on her... makes me wonder why she doesn't just kill him if he makes her so uncomfortable..."_

"I believe it's called 'familial resistance' my lord... even if Euclid's odd interest with her extends beyond the usual levels—I doubt she'd kill him"

" _Well I guess if you put it that way I might just start having those two work together more often... maybe they may blossom into a couple in time—that family is due for a new heir after all, and Euclid seems to be the only one capable of approaching her with such lust"_

"...I never took you as the Romantic type my lord"

" _Hahaha! Clever throwback..."_

"Heh..."

" _~Ahh~... anyhow, my orders still stand—make sure you return to the Capital by tomorrow – regardless of the status – my plans are unfolding as the days go by and I want to make sure it isn't spoiled by anyone"_

"I shall heed the call..."

" _Good—good, if things go right for once then everything should fall into place perfectly..._ _ **regardless of their unification**_ _"_

"M-my lord?"

"— _Carry on Shalba, in time, the True rulers of hell shall retake their place"_

"...so they shall"

*Click*

* * *

 **[Dragon valley/ sometime later during the night]**

* * *

Night had fallen over the territory a few hours after Ryden and Tannin's near cataclysmic clash—the end result of such having actually leveled a third of the valley – the mostly underpopulated area that is – with debris and ash from the resulting destruction of a local mountain—and the slight deforesting of a few acres of land

Yet—to the surprise of all dragons, it had been Dragon king _Tiamat_ to have quelled the violence before it grew out of hand. Though, for the majority of the denizens populating the valley, none could truly argue against the clash when it came to their understanding that it had let their king blow off some steam... in a more draconic manner—some of them had started to worry over Velkhana's health, so the fight was a well received change compared to the usual nightly events.

But, when word of Tannin's opponent started to circle through the collection of dragons and fledglings, their minds honestly couldn't comprehend the sheer ridiculousness of the matter itself.

None of the dragons ever believed a human could actually managed to stand on equal footing against their king—much to Ryden's amusement when they spotted him of course; wide eyed stares and seemingly salivating grins were sent his way in more ways than normal.

Their looks varied in meaning—according to Tiamat, a small percentage perceived him as potential food, a third perceived him as a potential rival—and the blasted majority saw him as a potential _mate_...

Seriously... the dragons didn't know human decorum so when they desired something—they made DAMN sure the target was aware of it... though a side glare from Tiamat – a glare that Ryden never noticed – easily pushed them away before they could act on their intentions... much to Ryden's sheer relief.

For the man himself, Velkhana and Tiamat easily passed on a message to all adults present that none of them were to voice his true heritage to the devils—and in response to his simple request, all adults carried the message to their children... or at least to the ones that could keep a secret—the ones that were considered 'loose lipped' however, were simply entranced with a barely noticeable spell.

It confused him at first but Tiamat merely stated that all dragons possess a high level of perception and a strong sense of smell—allowing most of them to easily know exactly what they were speaking to. Rather convenient that Tannin hadn't blown his cover the instant they met, but Velkhana had revealed that she merely desired the secret to be kept when she had retrieved the dragon king himself prior to his _edgy_ entrance.

In all honesty – with how pissed off the dragon was at the time – it was a miracle Tannin even considered it; however Ryden was just glad they had been out of ear shot when he'd muttered it directly into his face.

So with all that done, both he and Tannin were admitted to a medical cave for 'rebuilding'—something that felt so foreign to him that it was almost like a dream. Yet regardless, Tannin had actually breached his unnaturally high defenses and inflicted a nagging burn all over his arms and neck— yet his chest plate somehow survived almost all of the damage completely.

It was... odd. No other metal could truly compete against his skin, yet his skin had failed while the armor had survived. Though his arms felt like they had smelted under a piping hot sun for several hours, and his face and neck followed in the pain levels—his armor barely shone with a slight singe of heat. Rivia had even said the armor itself should have melted off from the fire exposure – given his failed defenses – yet considering her surprise, it was clear she hadn't alluded to a minor detail regarding its now perceived _alien_ defenses.

Aside from the chest plates degree of worth, the medical treatment applied to both him and Tannin helped alleviate most of their issues—that being _him_ mostly... Tannin's scales had actually melted down into hardened slag from _Fulgur's_ lightning, so he had to go through the _amusingly_ agonizing process of tearing off the melted chunks of scale and flesh with his claws.

Ryden would have felt bad... if Tannin hadn't been _laughing_ the whole damn time...

Apparently he was also surprised by the outcome of their clash, and accepted each of his new scars as trophies earned from a fight that stood to be his most enjoyable since his clash with Ddraig. Ryden guessed the earlier muttering of Ryden's possible connection with the late heavenly dragon was due to the similar moment—yet Tannin had merely corrected that assessment by stating that it had been the aura he gave off at one point in the fight.

It was... nice to learn such information... to learn that you gave off the same feel as a heavenly dragon...

Ryden made sure Nyx smacked him around with a few verbal scolding's just so he could humble himself right afterwards. It even grew worse when Tiamat had commented on Tannin's observation with a genuine look of agreement – a rarity between the two dragon kings.

It had become incredibly well known to all present that Tiamat and Tannin didn't get along that well, as the both of them seemed to treat the other like siblings—really annoying siblings at that. Ryden had even found himself enraptured by Tiamat's and Tannin's interactions within the medical cave; as he had witnessed on more than one occasion, the twos almost sibling like banter. The constant nagging and advice towards Tannin's own means of removing his – and this was in his own words – _'scabs'_ from Tiamat came across as more worrisome then what the azure dragon let on... he had his fair share of teases towards their interactions—especially when Tannin finally started barking back at the nagging woman constantly standing at his side.

He'd tease—and they'd simply stare at him before some form of stone was flung at him from a mildly blushing Tiamat; which was then immediately complimented by an approving nod from Tannin when one of such stones pegged him between the eyes.

It did nothing but mildly aggravate the healing burns, but the accuracy was something Tannin appreciated. Then again—anything associated with a form of combat skill was considered a means of approval from the still draconic dragon king.

 _Speaking of which_ —at the time when the others had waited patiently for his release; Ryden had asked why Tannin didn't possess a human form while Tiamat however, did.

It was a random question fired off after a brief period of barrage attacks from Tiamat – after he'd pressed another tease towards the female dragon of course – which sent them both into blinking fits.

Random indeed... but they had answered Ryden's question none the less.

Apparently, male dragons – most of them presently – didn't exactly see the need in compacting what they deemed as their 'pride' into the smaller frames of human avatars. Tannin especially disliked the idea of hiding his hulking build behind a mask of pink skin—which was a response followed by a compulsive flex of his biceps; which was then followed by a small _'whap'_ to the back of his head from Tiamat, having obviously found the action annoying to some degree.

Remember— _sibling rivalry_

On the other hand, Tiamat however had a more surprising response to the question...

 _She liked the human form..._

As in; she genuinely liked the "curvy aesthetic" that came with a female human body. On a more horrifying spectrum however—Tiamat even revealed she had tried the _male form_ at one point, but in the end, disliked the excess muscle; as to her, the smaller frame of a female was a bit more centralized for her taste.

Ryden was surprised at first – well, correction, _horrified_ – but quickly understood her stance on the matter when his memory of a few encounters entered his mind. If given time – and enough study – Ryden could've probably confirmed a female dragon's own physical geometry differences with their males counter parts easily without having experienced such encounters—but life had a way to make shit weird.

he'd come to notice that with all the female dragon attention he'd been getting on his spare time, as some of the more aggressive females didn't seem completely hesitant to show off their _goods_ whenever Tiamat wasn't around to limit them—which explained why he was able to now see the differing proportions on the females.

 _Details are up to the imagination..._

At first it was horrifying; to see usually intimidating beasts of mythical folklore strut their now distinct female characteristics like they were draconic super models—but it quickly became endearing when it was saturated with constant coaxing comments from _Fulgur_ , and he just kinda rolled with it at that point—often times by doing what Tannin did... _ignore it._

Well—a silver ling stood out to him at that moment anyway...

If Rivia and Rosalina ever did take his secret the wrong way, then he'd have some fallback options... some _REALLY_ _big_ fallback options.

Any-ho...

So after their small conversation, Tannin had apparently forwarded his desire for a small alliance party to his mate Velkhana—who nodded at his desire, glanced at Tiamat like any junior would a 'senpai' and skipped out when the female dragon gave the other a small nod of acknowledgement.

Ryden knew for a fact Sophia would have giggled herself blue upon witnessing such a sight—even he had to contain himself briefly when the ice dragon left—and his amusement only grew when Tiamat looked at him as if he were an idiot.

So that was Tannin's plan—drink and eat like a king for a night, and then raid the shit out of _Ashfeld_ in the morning—by earliest dusk to be more exact. Ryden was accepting of the idea—mostly because he could tell his team hadn't exactly replenished themselves since their breakfast with the Valefor family... side note: Rena knew some damn good recipes.

So... now it was the time to see what a dragon 'party' was truly like...

* * *

 **[Sometime later]**

* * *

Ryden was completely shell shocked with what he was seeing; a sight so completely foreign to his own mind of degenerate images and fetishes – the later being fueled by a certain sword – and fantasies filled with hours upon hours of daydreaming, as well as dozens of days worth of video game adventures—completely left him stunned silent by the sheer display before him.

Dragons of varying colors – size and designs – western and eastern descent; flew within the air in a rhythmic form of dance—a display of character completely foreign to what he knew of dragons.

His mind kept on playing out images of the dragon _Smaug_ —the greed and hate within its eyes steaming out in vehement glares; yet the image instantly vanished when his mind snapped back to the scene of a dozen 'fledgling' dragon's – no larger than an adult German shepherd – chasing each other around in a game of tag... fire, lightning, ice and wind breath following along in their chaotic clutter of childish play.

He blinked—an action mimicked by an equally stunned Nyx, before the both of them glanced off towards a small hill side that held up a handful of adult female dragons—their expressions marred with looks of amusement as they both gossiped about which young blooded dragon would stand amongst them in the future—and momentarily glanced at the disguised human when he wasn't looking.

Ryden and Nyx blinked again before they spotted a couple male dragons standing guard over a few bond fires—fires that from what they could see, held dozens of smaller animals – skewered on large sticks – that had apparently been hunted and killed some time ago. Now however... they seem to be undergoing the BBQ stage... for a party.

It was so surreal to witness, so alien; that Ryden wondered if he'd accidentally walked into the most realistic and expensive _Scalie_ convention on earth—A scalie convention currently featuring a fucking _Tailgate_ party of all things.

Ryden sat silently amongst the others around a fire, their posteriors sitting heavily along a large carved out tree truck. Every single one of them was outfitted in more casually clothing, bereft of their armor. Rivia wore the dress she received from Tiamat all those days ago, while Rosalina was seen in her previous noble dress that made its appearance in the crucible. The only ones that hardly changed was Nyx and Abigail, as they merely wore their skin tight suits – obviously being stripped down from their extra plating – while Ryden simply wore a pair of pants, as his torso was completely covered in large bandages that apparently possessed a sort of healing attribute that would help restore lost energy and soothe the burns along his arms.

Aside from their wardrobe changes, their own expressions regarding the scene in front of them seemed to perfectly mimic both Ryden and Nyx's; their eyes held slightly ajar at the sight around them.

Obviously the shock of the moment was lost on Mephisto of course—as the devil found himself simply enjoying a drumstick of some BBQ with the side helping of an assortment of berries found in the lush forest around them. He was merely chewing casually at the drumstick – uncaring of the scene around him – while Tiamat sat contently at Ryden's side... for some reason finding no other spot of comfort suitable for her preferences.

 _Much to the annoyance of two blondes..._

"You seem shocked" stated the azure haired woman, her eyes mildly fluttering with amusement at the silence before her. "I can understand the silence I guess—most of your people hardly ever see this side of my kind... but as much as I'd like to say 'drink it up!' I'm afraid you'll need to make a move before those twerps over there start getting hungry... they tend to leave nothing behind when that happens"

Tiamat slightly smirked when they didn't make a move—yet her own amusement grew when the blue and red haired devil nodded along with her, his eyes suddenly sparkling with mild excitement.

' _Interesting'_ she thought as the devil named Mephisto quickly stood up upon finishing his own meal.

"Right! I should show teacher where she can get her food" he stated, unaware that his aforementioned teacher had heard him—as well as the others.

Even as Rivia saw it coming – having actually stood up to prepare – her eyes widened when Mephisto quickly grabbed her arm and dragged her off towards a particularly intimidating red dragon—its sharp blue eyes momentarily narrowing in judgment before it nodded and proceeded to serve her just enough food for her to carry.

Once the usually stoic and poised woman was stocked with enough BBQ to make an American feel freedom, the dragon snickered at her unusually stressed expression before Mephisto pulled her off towards another dragon.

Ryden almost chuckled at the sight, amused by Mephisto's oddly innocent nature corroding at Rivia's stoic and noble demeanor; it sort of helped the woman let her own hair down once in a while.

"Yeah—that seems easier said than done" Nyx mildly whimpered out when his eyes locked with the same red dragon that had served Rivia. This time however Ryden did chuckle – openly – as after a moment of intense staring, Nyx suddenly took a sharp intake of breathe when the crimson dragon raised its clawed finger and beckoned the ravenette forward as if it knew exactly what the devil was thinking.

Though to be sure it was clear, the dragon was most likely thinking of something else entirely then what the now terrified Nyx was thinking... that was obviously clear. However, one indigent yelp later and he was being dragged off by Abigail—her own amusement of Nyx's fear having created enough confidence for her to step up to the plate... Tiamat almost joined Ryden in his snickering.

Yet seeing as how the group was departing to grab their dinner, Ryden sighed after collecting himself from his silent fit of chuckles and made to stand up.

"I should—" he started before a hand quickly fell on his shoulder, interrupting him.

"N-no!—y-you're..." Rosalina began before hesitating—probably trying to find the word. " _Injured—_ wait here... I-l shall retrieve you some food, just rest for now" Rosalina offered with a slowly rising blush when she noted both her hands placement on the man's shoulder _and_ Tiamat's wagging brow—the blush increased exponentially; Yet due to the orange hue from the flames of their fire, Ryden didn't really see the full extent of the blush—leaving him merely caught off guard by her kind offer.

"T-thanks" he muttered before he leaned back in his sat – the logs size being large enough to provide a back rest.

Wordlessly, and with much effort, Rosalina stood and followed behind Nyx and Abigail—leaving him with a now slowly snickering Tiamat.

"Heheh... that one sure is smitten with you..." she stated as she watched Ryden's eyes trail after the woman.

"I know..." he muttered without thinking—the result of a mental habit born from constant mental spars between himself and a horny sword.

Tiamat mildly rose at the reveal. "So your aware—and yet you make no move... why torture the poor thing?—you'd be wise to possess such a woman, and she'd be gifted to be with someone as strong as yourself" after her little tid bit, the woman slowly leaned back—content with her logic and with the faint blush along Ryden's cheeks.

Ryden however, shook his head—ignoring the last bit of Tiamat's words. "Possess?—it seems I'm not the only one ignorant of another's way's" he retaliated with a small shake of his head.

"So I may be rusty on what your terms may be—however I'm not wrong about what I said about what she'd have... devils desire power just as much as my own—that's where we relate best of all, and I can see a devils desire for power when I see it" Tiamat's eyes shown slightly in mirth. "And I can see it within that woman just as much as I can feel it from the other... they desire power"

"In case you've forgotten... I'm no devil—what I seek doesn't correlate with anything you believe" Ryden replied simply. "And I highly doubt they possess the same form of mindset as you do"

Tiamat ignored the follow up response and focused on the former. "Then what is it you seek?" she asked with eyes filled with both mirth and curiosity.

Ryden simply shrugged, not seeing the need to dispose his desires to someone that probably doesn't believe in it, yet after a moment of thought, he glanced at Tiamat with his own expression of curiosity.

"Now that I have this thought in my head... what's the current opinion of 'love' on a dragons tongue nowadays?" he asked with a quirked brow.

Surprisingly, the question itself surprised the dragon. "Love?" Tiamat repeated with a bare hint of awkwardness.

He nodded.

Tiamat laughed, gently, which echoed out in a small rumble in her throat—yet even still, a cynical nature blanketed her mirth filled eyes.

"Don't tell me... you believe in that fairy tale of an emotion?" at her question, Tiamat suddenly chortled—yet Ryden's eyes never did waver, not even crack at the clear mocking in Tiamat's tone.

It took a moment, but after a second, Tiamat herself noted the sheer lack of emotion on Ryden—and the complete level of acceptance at her dismissal of such a question left her feeling as if she'd failed at something.

"I'm not surprised..." was all he said while glancing away.

Tiamat however narrowed her eyes. "Not surprised by what? My take on the fantasy that is love?" she pressed on with a small hint of open mindedness.

Ryden nodded. "I had a feeling you'd possess that opinion—considering your relationship history, it's no surprise you hold such a degree of dismissal towards the concept of love"

"And only the foolish believe in that lie of an emotion" growled the dragon, mildly surprising Ryden by the tone.

Did he strike a nerve?

"Spoken like a fool who thinks she knows what she's talking about" he retorted back with a small smirk, bemused by the spike in heart rate behind him. Ignoring that for now, Ryden pressed his point further.

"Tell me exactly why you are here Tiamat—is it the scenery? The people? Or something else?"

"That's none of your—"

"It's funny really; I just started putting the dots together... Tannin had mistaken me for this jackass named 'Ddraig' – the apparent _red dragon of_ _domination_ – during our fight, and if my memory serves well, wasn't that very same jackass your mate at one point?" at his line of questions, Ryden glanced back at a silent Tiamat, her eyes held wide in shock.

"How did you know of that?" she growled after a moment... Ryden shrugged.

"My brother told me you two had a thing when I mentioned our little deal of alliance—he seemed a little worried about that"

"As anyone should"

"Fair enough, but my observation still stands—you didn't come here to check up on your best friend and secret lover Tannin—" Tiamat shivered at that. "—nor did you come here to check up on HIS people... you came here because of _me_ —and I have to ask why? Why would you go out of your way to find a little ol human like me?"

"You? Human?" Tiamat mildly laughed cynically at the word. "I doubt that entirely—to survive with only minor burns against a Dragon king infamous for his fire only stands as a testament as to what you are—and while that may be unknown, I can assuredly tell you are no human—at least in body that is... your mind is a different story"

"To humans—who we are as people define us more so then our bodies... at least in my case that is" Ryden paused and glanced over at Tiamat, idly taking in her human features with a knowing look in his eye. "The same could be said as to what you are right now—though you possess the body of a human, you will always be a dragon deep within, and you know that for a fact"

Tiamat remained silent.

"Ignoring my earlier question because I'm sure you don't know the answer to it—let's move on to a more personal question, one that I'm sure you'll know very well" Ryden idly watched as Rivia and Rosalina almost bumped into each other before he glanced back to a silent Tiamat.

"Did Ddraig love you?—it's something that's been nagging me since you dismissed the concept earlier, but I know for a fact a dragon possesses far more wisdom then that... so tell me, did he truly hold you up to the standard regard as an equal? Or were you something else?"

Tiamat merely sat silently, her own eyes slightly dropping into a more meek expression. " _I don't know..._ " she muttered out silently, clearly annoyed at Ryden's surgical perception of her.

"I see..." he started after a moment of silence, yet soon enough, the irony before him quickly overwhelmed his thoughts. "So here you are, the mighty Chaos Karma dragon, talking my humanity – or my lack thereof – and the futility of 'love' and yet you're coming at me with a _human_ issue—an issue created by the love of another... talk about instant karma" he laughed, sparking a heated glare from the dragon...a glare that was accompanied by a blush.

"S-speak carefully human" she growled out.

Ryden rolled his eyes. "Suddenly I'm human again... wow—ain't that convenient..." he added while shooting the woman a pointed look that said ' _seriously?_ ' all over it. Surprisingly, Tiamat glanced away from him—too embarrassed by her hypocritical words then mad.

Ryden shook his head and leaned forward—eyes locked on the struggling image of Rosalina as she approached them.

"If power is all you seek in a relationship, then it's clear you've never been in one—and I'm not interested in helping you get over your past regrets and guilt if all it is you see in me is a memory" he started before he glanced at her. "perhaps in the future I may find myself more open to your preferred 'romantic advice', when you _aren't_ so fueled with angst and unresolved issues... cause if you can't get over your own, then you have no hope in understanding mine"

.

.

.

Ryden sighed before he pointedly ignored the stunned dragon in order to toss Rosalina an appreciative smile. "Thanks Rosa—though I could have joined you in order to help" he said while taking several drumsticks out of Rosalina's makeshift plate.

In response to his kind words, Rosalina found herself fighting yet another blush. "I-it's no issue at all—I just thought you could use the rest" she mumbled back whilst taking a new seat at his opposite side.

"I appreciate it either way Rosa" he thanked before he dug in.

For a moment, Ryden simply enjoyed the meal provided to him; taking his time to savor the arguably well dressed meat that seemed to almost flake off the bone with every bite. Yet, before he could move on to his second drumstick, his face suddenly went beat red when Tiamat suddenly appeared right beside him—her face mere inches from his right ear.

He sat slightly keeping his composure and expression as natural as possible as he regarded the dragon with a relaxed set of eyes. In this sense, he was ignorant of Rosalina's mild glare towards the aggressive dragon while the aforementioned dragon merely ignored the blonde devil in order to stare intently into his eyes... _searching_.

It was for moment that Ryden could slightly see hope within her eyes – curious hope – before it faded into a small smirk, one that looked almost predatory. "I see..." she muttered before her eyes glanced over to the still glaring Rosalina Phenex.

She ignored her for the moment and returned her eyes onto Ryden. "Maybe you are not what I believe you to be—perhaps you are...different, then _him_ " she stated, confusing Ryden by her words and meaning before she snickered. "Perhaps you may not make the same mistake as he did... for your own sake—I hope I'm right"

After her words left her lips, Tiamat sent Ryden a small smirk – one that exposed draconic teeth – before she stood up to leave. "Do enjoy yourself Ryden..." Tiamat waved over her shoulder. "Not many get to enjoy the hospitality of dragons" upon the woman's final words, she vanished with a flurry of lightning bolts, sending wisps of wind in all directions with the force of her exit.

The kids loved it, all of whom seemingly dancing and chirping at the effect in blissful ignorance; yet many of the adult dragons merely glanced at him—momentarily surprised by the events that they undoubtedly heard and simply nodded slowly towards him—especially the female variety.

Ryden wanted to just disappear at that moment; bad enough the rumor of his humanity was apparently vastly known by the dragons at large – most of them that is – but now he was the object of awe... again... for having literally stood up to a dragon king. dragons sort of respected that... even if he did kinda feel like a dick.

He was known best for his integrity—never once bending his morals towards making someone nod in approval, as such an action in his eyes only made him lessen his respect towards anyone that did such a thing. To cater towards something that one doesn't believe in is the height of cowardice, and in all parts of the word – meaning and all – he was _Human._.. and he would not cater to no one.

To him, humanity was a mindset—not a physical relation; though he may not be human in body, his mind however, was—and he would make sure it stayed that way for some time.

Tiamat's words regarding what he should be doing only seemed to annoy him more than force him to accept something that is – truthfully – really easy. _Fulgur_ made sure he was aware of how easy it would be to speed up his relationship with Rivia and Rosalina; almost on a constant basis—and even that was beginning to annoy him. Ryden knew the extent of what power can do to someone – the intoxicating feeling of overwhelming might – yet he knew all it took was for him to indulge in it and he would change completely.

 _Absolute power corrupts absolutely_... and for some reason, the supernatural world never stood by to understand that—because, in the end... _they had already fallen_.

Tiamat was a woman scared by her past relationship with a being known for its dominating nature. It took what it wanted, killed whenever it wanted to and destroyed whatever stood in its way; so who's to say It didn't affect their relationship?

Ryden didn't know this 'Ddraig' personally – for obvious reasons – but he could tell from the stories – both from that bitch Grayfia, and the others – that he wasn't the romantic type—no, Ddraig was a fully fledged dragon and made damn sure it lived up to its name and title with full and absolute authority... Tiamat had been its mate, therefore, she had lived under an oppressive being for what seemed like her entire life...up until now that is—but the effects of the life style had forged her outlook on relationships... kinda like a really submissive Stockholm syndrome.

Rather revealing to him honestly... he never expected Tiamat to be the submissive type—kinda the opposite really. But never the less; he didn't know why so many thought of him as the red dragon, the answer eluded him just as much as the response to his question.

Tannin didn't know why he saw him as Ddraig – only for the moment that is – and Velkhana herself had admitted to believing the same thing... yet neither of them knew why that was—they just said he had this 'feel' to him that possessed a domineering nature that – when pushed – became like a torrent of power that commanded all under it.

So it was his aura – made sense considering his telekinetic powers – but anything deeper than that and he was stumped.

Though now that he understood that he possessed a slight relation with this _Ddraig_ —he had been partially suspected to behave similarly to the beast by Tiamat; to take and dominate whatever he fancied and then some, yet now it looked as if he had impressed Tiamat – somehow – with his differing mindset compared to Ddraig.

That was good he guessed—at least the woman wasn't completely enveloped by her fetish, which was a good number of points in his book... if he could truly call it that, but either way, Tiamat had taken his own words – however measured in consideration – and stepped off to think.

That was what he believed anyway—she might just be embarrassed... he did kinda put her on the spot and picked apart her motives like a fisherman would his catch and then dished it to her on a fine platter inscribed with the words 'fuck off' right at the end.

Honestly he was surprised he could still chew... talk about an easy way to get cold cocked.

But in a more positive frame—he was merely hoping he could reach his bed with how massive his balls had gotten... _sheesh_.

"Is everything alright Ryden" Rosalina questioned after a moment of silence.

He blinked, glancing at the inquisitive woman in mild surprise before he waved her off. "Nothing too deep—Tiamat seems to be playing at something and I kinda surprised her with my reply—honestly, I kinda surprised myself if I'm being honest" he said with a small huff of self amusement.

Rosalina huffed her own cent of bemusement before she shook her head. "Worlds ending—Ryden finally surprised himself" she muttered.

Ryden suddenly laughed at her statement, amusing her. "I guess it is..." he muttered back before they both caught sight of a slightly disheveled Rivia returning with a feast worth of food—she was carrying so much that Nyx and Abigail merely stood off to her sides spotting her.

"You got this girl! Just a couple more steps!" Nyx encourage as Abigail seemed to summon a set of pom-pom's and began chanting the woman's efforts out like an over enthusiastic cheerleader.

Ryden's eyes burned at the sight... _gravity defying breasts_

"Hugh!" Rivia grunted before she disposed the large stack of meat onto a make shift table that Nyx quickly grabbed. Both Ryden and Rosalina sweat dropped at the sight of a heaving – but mildly accomplished – Rivia before Mephisto materialized at her side—eyes glowing in admiration.

"Wow teacher—I didn't think you could take all that meat!" he said without any hesitation.

Rivia froze—her eyes wide in horror just as both Nyx and Ryden – along with Abigail – keeled over in fits of laughter; the trio easily seeing the innuendo as it was.

With their reaction, Rivia tried and _failed_ to control her rising blush of embarrassment, however the overwhelming giggles and laughter from the three easily overpowered her control—leaving her a silent blushing mess.

"Tsk... s-such childish minds—control yourselves!" she howled, distraught by the damage to her image.

Her eyes locked with Ryden's, hope dawning, but yet her hopes were dashed when the man suddenly exploded into even deeper depths of humor... she blamed her embarrassed blush; such a thing had a critical effect on the man in her eyes.

She clicked her tongue again before he eyes locked with Rosalina—a very brief gout of hope dawning in between their small feud.

All Rosalina did however was glance down at the pile of drumsticks on the table in front of her—a devilish grin spreading across her cheeks before she suddenly gasped at the sight—a look of surprise marring her features. "Oh my... are you sure you can handle all of that meat?" she asked in the most concerned tone possible.

Rivia's face fell.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Nyx and Abigail suddenly went uproarious in response to her added innuendo, while Ryden fought an even deeper chortle.

Rivia on one had merely nodded towards the triumphant woman before her, a small nod of respect following, yet her look of betrayal remained present. "I don't like you—" she began amidst the loud laughing. "—but I respect the contribution" was her finish before she plopped down on her seat – opposite of Ryden's spot and grabbed a drumstick.

"Damn perverts" she muttered quietly before taking an – admittedly – bigger bite then needed... laughing ensued at the sight—much to her pressed annoyance.

Mephisto on the other hand stared at the scene with a look of conniving triumph—his own eyes locking with a glaring Rivia. She shook her head at his antics – already knowing he did it on purpose – before she mouthed a 'fuck you brat' towards him.

He snickered before he turned to find himself some seconds.

* * *

 **[Later]**

* * *

"I still can't believe all you got was a burn"

"And I can't believe you all fainted"

"...well... considering the hype—I sort of expected some kind of aftermath...perhaps a broken bone at least?"

"Naw—never broke a bone in my life"

"Seriously? You never broke a bone?"

"Nope... never"

Nyx sat across from Ryden around a freshly started fire _dumbfounded_ ; the embers rising gentle into the darkened sky above only seemed to highlight the devils stupor.

He shook his head. "I'm done questioning your stories—you could literally tell me you're some kind of fairy and I'll believe it" he exclaimed while shaking his head before he suddenly locked eyes with him. "You're not right?" he suddenly asked, fearful.

Nyx's sudden worry forced a slew of chuckles from the gathered devils—leaving him to stress fully stare at a snickering Ryden.

"Ryden?"

Ryden himself held himself steady for a second longer before snickering. "No Nyx, I'm not a damn fairy—I'm already weird enough as is; you think you could take me seriously with pointy ears?"

This time Nyx chuckled at the reply. "Heheh—no, no I don't think I would"

"So while Nyx has a fear of fairies—does that mean you also fear goblins?" Abigail suddenly teased, earning a few rounds of laughter for her efforts.

Nyx merely laughed in good nature. "Don't forget witches, elves, vampires and leprechauns" he listed off, earning even more chuckles.

Ryden cut in. "hey guys, don't forget about dragons" he added while shoot Nyx a teasing grin before he shook his head. "Never have I seen a man tense up tighter than an imps arse when locking eyes with a draconic cook" he lightly paused to snicker – an action followed by the few around him.

"Were you afraid he'd serve you up as well?" Ryden added. "I mean I think he did eye you up for a second when you turned your back to him"

Nyx slightly chuckled at the tease before he sent Ryden a small knowing grin. "You'd know that look better than anyone here—considering your new 'fan' base" Nyx commented with a rising grin when he noticed both Rosalina and Rivia slightly tense at the reminder.

Ryden merely waved it off, ignorant of the girl's reaction. "Of course, but at least their woman—most of the males were eyeing _you_ up instead... kinda makes me wonder what you did" he chuckled while Abigail slapped Nyx's back lightly.

"He has a way to attract a following" she said before giggling. "I mean, there was a time way back in the murmur territory when Nyx uprooted a pack of 'prowlers' taking refuge in some high-class noble woman's shack—I think I remember seeing your eyes light up at the clear opportunity"

"How romantic..." Ryden almost purred out, forcing an eye roll from the aforementioned devil. "Guess the big question then is... did you get to know her afterwards?" Ryden asked and Nyx shook his head, a fake expression of mourning take precedence on his features.

"Kinda... it turned out the 'prowlers' were actually a bunch of twits playing around in some costumes they made—so when I came busting in there, spear drawn and ready—and smiling like a psychotic murderer, they practically shat themselves running the second I showed up; which—didn't sit well with the noble woman watching over them... *Sigh*...that's what I get for trying to show off"

Ryden and Rosalina cringed while Abigail and Rivia lightly chuckled at the unfortunate outcome of Nyx's prowler crusade. "Ouch...no wait, that's a 'yikes'" Ryden stated with finality.

"Do you have a 'yikes' moment Ryden?" Rosalina asked suddenly, and Ryden merely smirked darkly at the question.

"Perhaps—buts it's not me being the dumbass; it's actually the time I saw some jackass scare off a bunch of kids wearing prowler costumes" he paused when the others started chuckling, leaving Nyx to send him a deadpanned expression. "I think the guy was trying to pick up a noble woman"

Clearly it was a lie, as Nyx merely sent Ryden the finger. "Fuck you Ryden"

"Love you too Nyx" he retorted with a fake blow kiss.

This time, Rivia opened up with a look of interest; her question being directed towards Abigail—which resulted in the woman's blush and subsequent chuckle from the group when the question suddenly went girly.

Ryden smirked and shook his head before he simply glanced off towards the sky above, drowning out all other sounds in order to enjoy the sight above him. The starless sky itself seemed infinite in distance yet empty of any sort of life; however, with the added embers of dozens of camp fires and bond fires throughout the valley, the dark starless sky was quickly filled with the listless embers—creating an almost swirling mirage of a sky in motion.

He couldn't quite remember how long it had been since he'd last camped out under the night sky; the secure base they operated at was situated under thick foliage, meaning no such sky could truly be appreciated—yet here and now, the view was as breathtaking as any other time.

Though it felt reminiscent of the times he'd sleep under the stars way back when his family took yearly trips outside of the country – Canada or America – but he didn't remember spending time with dragons and devils; laughing and exchanging banter in the wake of a civil war.

Oh the times change – _literally_ in this case – and even still, the feeling of the reality around him still remained as foreign as the day he crashed into the Malphes territory. It was times like these where he'd sit and just compare his present life with his past life; and the contrasting nature of either always seemed so... alien.

Ryden had to just sit back and Imagine going from a regular, ordinary, apple pie life—to suddenly experiencing the most visceral torture no one should ever experience; And then partaking in a civil war alongside an army of devils, while also juggling with the secret of humanity, _aaaaand_ coming to terms that two drop dead gorgeous devils may or may not be falling in love with him—at an almost _unprecedented_ speed.

And that's not even factoring in his mysterious powers, increased life span, apparent relation with a dead heavenly dragon, and his apparent connection with four distinctly powerful weapons of untold history... shit was so Gary sue it hurt to think about.

Shit—Ryden had to guess that if he ever told his life story to someone—they'd probably think he was retelling a shitty _fanfic_... imagine that.

No matter what anyone else would say though; Ryden knew for a damn fact they'd be contemplating existence just as often as he was if they were experiencing something like _this_. And he should know—his sister Sophia read fanfic's on her spare time, and every time she came across another 'original' self insert story, for some damn reason—the protagonist always seemed fully prepared to inducted themselves into a completely foreign world—and for some reason, no one would bring up the sheer _mind shattering_ effect it would have on someone.

They just kinda gloss over that fact...

Ryden could understand his sister's annoyance with those sorts of stories—only ever enjoying the ones that have mild references to the protagonist experiencing a mental breakdown...and yes—he _did_ experience a mental breakdown after a week of hanging in a cold dungeon for an entire week _buck naked_.

He really did appreciate Grayfia's cold, emotionless, and uncaring demeanor when she explained to him what had happened—and what he was going to experience; hell, she even seemed kinda understanding of his panic for all of two minutes before she got down to business and decided to start flash freezing his limbs.

 _Good times..._

Just as the others continued in the light banter and jokes – their fill of food and revels simply riding along peacefully – and Ryden's mind felt almost ready to doze off into a light snooze, the distinct feeling of heavy foot falls echoed out in the distance—closing by the second. None of them really found it hard to notice the hulking mass of purple scales lumbering towards them, the distinct afterglow of crimson easily locking with each of their own eyes—staunching their words easily.

" _ **Oh? Did I interrupt your little gathering...apologies"**_

Ryden slowly lowered his head back down to lay steadily towards the approaching dragon king; Tannin himself having easily noticed his own stare and returned it in full. Yet, instead of their being hostility in the air between them, Ryden instead gave the dragon king a benevolent wave—as if he was a friend.

 _Reality was weird..._

"Sup Tannin—what brings you out of Velkhana's protective presence?" he asked as if he were addressing a literal bar mate.

The following second that fact almost became true...

"Oof!" Ryden grunted out just as a large bowling ball sized fruit landed right on top of him—nearly winding him with its weight.

" _ **Here..."**_ was all Tannin said as he circled around and dropped into a seated position—a handful of the same fruit sitting in his clawed hand. _**"A dragon's most cherished delicacy... effectively named a 'dragon fruit'—we shall see if you are capable of handling your tongue just as well as you do your sword"**_ Tannin explained before a grin spread across its lips—its eyes trailing over his allies in a slight challenging manor. _**"Perhaps your friends may try their hand at such a thing"**_

Nyx looked about pale – mostly because a dragon king was almost a couple meters from him – while Abigail slightly gulped down her tongue in fear; yet out of them all, Rivia and Rosalina looked a slight bit interested in the dragons proposition... Ryden merely looked about ready to drink the giant lizard under the table.

"Oh you're on big guy!" he howled.

" _ **HAHA! Then dig in boy—I'm eager to see your reaction"**_

 _?_

Now hold the fuck up...

Ryden was no slouch to frat boy antics or college humor; so when a dragon – or anyone really – stands by and waits for ones reaction to something—it usually means it's something even _they_ found hard to do... and are now waiting to see how someone else reacts.

Oh boy...

Ryden took a breath before he studied the rough looking fruit for all its worth. Its size was as stated—the size of an official league bowling ball except it was without the convenient holes for grip. He slowly examined the thing for a moment – taking in the thickness of the outer shell – and simply summoned his Dagger and stabbed into the top portion and trimmed out a circle opening.

Upon his cut, the entire fruit itself seemed almost entirely similar to the kind of dragon fruit he knew on earth—except other then the size, the inside of the fruit itself possessed a blue bio-luminescent glow that shone with a sort of heat and flavor he was completely unknown to... honestly though, it looked absolutely delicious just from sight alone.

His cut had managed to create a perfect cone cut of blue fruit meat which he easily pulled out using his knife as a make shift handle. Its savory substance and consistency was both equally hard and equally juicy—as the cone of fruit in his hands seemed to leak out messily onto the ground below him...

 _ **Ssssss...**_

He froze, the distinct sound of _sizzling_ resounding out from where a droplet of blue liquid fell at his feet. Hesitantly, he glanced down at the drop zone—and intimately noted the presence of a burning leaf, now having literally caught on _fire_.

.

.

.

"So is this how you guys get your fire breath?" he suddenly asked – calmly – as he glanced over to a grinning Tannin, ignoring the terror gripping Nyx and Abigail at the sight.

Sadly though—and to both his and Nyx's further pressed terror, the dragon _shrugged_.

" _ **Maybe... maybe not"**_ was all he said before he crushed a fruit in his hand and tossed it into his open maw. Ryden watched the dragon chew for a moment before he shivered and twitched after swallowing... similar as to what one does when shooting back a shot of whiskey.

Now think about that...

Considering it's heavily understood that dragons possess a powerful digestive system—it stands to speak a hell of a lot about what the dragon fruit possessed in its natural state to make a dragon do a 'whiskey shudder'...

Ryden shook his face, hyping himself up—much to the growing amusement of Tannin, before he chomped down on the watery fruit in one massive bite.

Slowly... he started chewing—savoring the oddly flavored fruit for what it was...

...

 _That texture..._

 _..._

 _The smoothness..._

 _..._

 _The—_

Ryden's eyes narrowed as he swallowed the thoroughly chewed fruit, the sensation of which actually being far _colder_ than he expected—yet, the feeling seemed to grow warmer as it slowly fell into his stomach, but yet, upon the climax of the fruits descent, the feeling merely left a fruit after taste followed by a slightly warm after affect in his belly.

It was oddly refreshing... and comforting

He licked his lips, exhaling moderately just to be sure he didn't get a sort of 'fiery' reaction—yet nothing seemed to shoot out his throat upon doing so. Ryden blinked; a hint of disappointed spreading along his face as his teams baited breath suddenly exhaled in moderate relief—yet for Ryden's part; he glanced at a silent Tannin, his eyes narrowed in cocky dismissal.

"Well that was... _lovely_... not really something I'd call a dragons fruit if I'm being honest" he said with a minor twitch shortly following—a twitch he didn't notice.

Tannin merely smiled. _**"You aren't done boy..."**_ was all he said before he downed two more dragon fruits and grunted at their effect.

Ryden's eyes merely remained narrowed, yet his Dagger was already cutting away at another serving—however, this time he split the Dragon fruit in half and sectioned it off like a water melon and distributed it to his team... much to Tannin's amusement.

One small round of nods – a collection of bravery shared as comrades – before they each took a respectable bite from their serving.

Tannin snickered when the less tolerant immediately stood out after the first bite.

"Well...*hiccup*... that was... interesting...*hiccup*" Abigail stated with a mix of hiccups to follow, her eyes slowly going droopy. "I'm not sure...*hiccup... what's going ooon" she mumbled out in a slowly developing slur.

In a mild moment of awareness, the others watched as Abigail fell backwards off her spot along the adjacent log—her arms and legs practically frozen in place in some sort of catatonic state; her face held in an oddly blissful manner.

"~Nwwyx~" Abigail called out from her spot on the floor, her call managing to grab Nyx's attention—yet upon locking eyes with the woman, the aforementioned devil merely starting giggling at the sight of a clearly intoxicated Abigail—the effects of the fruit having already effected her.

He giggled almost uncontrollably, finger raised – wobbling randomly – towards the down woman before he noted his own buzzed state. "Oh...sheet—I thwink I'm starting to get dunk ass swell... heheh—I swain ass" with one final garbled commented about...something, Nyx collapsed—his unresponsive body falling gracelessly on his face, his ass facing up.

Ryden watched it happen, his constitution obviously made of sterner stuff as the image of a completely incapacitated Nyx and Abigail from one single bite easily told him the true effects of the dragon fruit. Yet just as he became aware of it, his left side was almost immediate attack viciously by a clearly drunk Rosalina Phenex—the woman finding his arm to be the most comfortable thing in the area.

"~Aww—come here, nya!~" Rosalina half yelled and half... what?—that sounded like something Sophia would say... da fuck?

Ryden casually took another bite from a second slice of fruit, his eyes staring at a very odd image of a blushing Rosalina – smiling as if she were the happiest in the world – and comfortably hogging his left arm as if it were a life line that shant be released.

One part of his buzzed mind noted the soft cushions meshing against his arm and side – the feeling of which giving him a rise he never expected to feel so suddenly – while another side of his brain kept asking where the fuck the 'nya' came from.

His mind began to wonder without conscious thought, leading him to remember the times his damn sister had done that—constantly muttering a Japanese variant of a cat's meow in his ear; often times sounding like 'nya' or 'nyu'—something that effectively froze him in place with just how adorable it sounded.

Ryden's head snapped back to reality when Rosalina's cheek suddenly meshed against his, the woman's full body weight quickly over whelming is own—sending him falling onto his back towards a calmly eating Rivia Abaddon.

His head met softness – a sort of warmth normally felt from physical contact – before he grunted when the drunken Rosalina clambered onto him without a care as to the individuals watching. From his spot along the log, he could see Rivia's stoic eyes staring down at him from his spot on her lap— yet the woman herself continued eating her share of dragon fruit without a care-and seemingly without effect. Tannin on the other hand could be seen laughing silently to himself; the obvious amusement at seeing his team completely crumble from a lone fruit being far too much for the dragon to handle.

Ryden's attention fell back onto the Phenex, the woman herself having now started to nuzzle against his armor-less chest like a cat would its master.

Ryden had to blink a few times in his current predicament. From what he was observing, Rosalina's entire campaign in upholding her noble image was shattered completely by a single fruit – Ryden noted to invest in dragon fruit stock upon realizing that – and seemed entirely interested in acting like a cat for the foreseeable future; with Cheshire grins, 'nya's' and 'nyu's' following in mass.

He watched with a silent – yet arguably shocked – set of eyes as Rosalina playfully rubbed her face into his chest before she closed the distance and nuzzled her face into the nape of his neck, snuggling her face right against an uncaring Rivia's thigh. Honestly, with the placement of Rosalina's now silently snoring face, Ryden would think the woman he was involuntarily laying on would desire to move or remove him from her personal space; yet upon that thought crossing his mind, a hand immediately dropped down and held him in place—forcing him to lock eyes with a silent and deadly serious Rivia Abaddon, the woman's own set of eyes – now burning with an intense golden glow – spoke of a degree of command that he did not argue against.

So he laid there, silently, his ears calmly noting the distant laughter of a certain dragon king while also picking up the gentle 'nya' and 'nyu' from a calmly sleeping Rosalina.

.

.

.

Well... that escalated quickly—like that really got out of hand fast.

In one fell moment, one trickling instant, the dragon king Tannin had managed to introduce them all to the most destructive piece of fruit they'd ever seen. It took one bite for the majority of his team to become incoherent blobs barely sounding of devil nobility, leaving only himself and Rivia as the sole survivors of the first fruit consumed.

Ryden had an odd time trying to finish the fruit in between the constant snuggles from Rosalina and the near deafening laughter from Tannin—however his struggle came to a halt when Rivia casually began feeding him the last half of the dragon fruit – something that he now called 'Truth Serum' for a lack of a better term. So there he was, pinned down by a sudden Neko-esque Rosalina Phenex and bombarded by bemused snickers and loud howls of humor from a clearly buzzed Tannin... Ryden never thought he'd see a damn blush on a dragon—but irregardless of his desires at the moment, everything seemed to just present itself in odd lights.

On a more realistic note – and a deep surprise for both him and Tannin – Rivia had actually remained completely unaffected by the 'truth serums' effects... leading him to eye her blandly held stoic eyes with a hint of trepidation.

Rivia had the kind of look that spoke of extreme disinterested—the kind most edgy anime characters have when their trying their damnedest to look 'cool' when in actuality they looked more sleep deprived then anything of the sort. Rivia on the other hand seemed to hold the look just enough to carry a sort of wisdom; along with what he could see as 'lust', just lingering behind her eyes.

He didn't know if it was the fruits effects to bring out something inside – or merely incapacitate – but Ryden could clearly see something lurking behind the woman's eyes as she slowly fed him the last remnants of the dragons 'truth serum'. And every time she held the fruit to his lips, he could see the smallest of smirks play along her own—a sort of dominant enjoyment in their odd positioning.

He could slightly understand – in the heat of the moment – as Rivia was simply staring down at him from _in between her breasts._ And currently, his head was almost perfectly placed directly in between her legs – her abdomen mere inches from the left side of his face.

He was close to her, dangerously close to a region she had no qualms in using as a teasing factor – their first time sleeping together slowly lingering in his mind reminded him of that – yet his own predicament with Rosalina didn't help at all.

The Phenex devil had somehow managed to position her pelvis directly against his... – yeah... – and to make that feeling even more _awesome_ – _bad_! He meant bad! – Rosalina seemed to press herself into him instinctually—her random motions having the _grinding_ effect against his slowly awaking Johnson; which pressed an even further point of 'oh shit' down the line of danger when the woman seemed to _moan_ whenever she moved—suggesting that she was literally feeling his little buddy against her.

But wait! There's more...

Rivia knew what he was going through – oh, she obviously did, judging by the slight leer of enjoyment on her face – and It was clear now that Rivia Abaddon enjoyed watching him struggle against his better nature; and grew even more amused whenever the woman on top of him instinctually teased at his pride. He didn't know if Rivia was effected by the fruit – he honestly hoped she was – but as the moments went on, and his mind was slowly growing far less tamed to his liking, Rivia suddenly decided to grip the Phenex devils rear with her free hand—forcing an even deeper groan of pleasure – and a much more aggressive thrust – from the softly sleeping Rosalina Phenex.

It was at that point – in a state of both shock and... Admitted pleasure – that he thanked god he didn't bring along _Fulgur_ for this outing. That sword would be howling...almost as loudly as he did.

Not his proudest moment...

It wasn't as if it felt completely amazing – Jesus fuck did it ever! – But the feeling of a woman's pelvis slamming directly into ones unprepared crotch, stood as a major gabble for the receiving parties, because – as you all know – every man's _Johnson_ is a father of _two_... and there just as sensitive.

Briefly, the feeling of Rosalina's nether region marring against his own felt greatly pleasurable... for all of a couple seconds.

The reason?

Devils pack a lot more punch in their bodies...and they're a lot more aggressive... and he wasn't prepared for it.

So... there he was, in the presence of a laughing and clearly buzzed dragon king, situated on the lap of a sadistic devil that seemed to take great pleasure in make him squirm; while at the same time, his nuts and Johnson were pressed firmly in between two distinct folds of flesh, that seemed to hold no intention of letting go... silver lining? Their connection was only ever kept separate by a few layers of clothing.

.

.

.

Ryden didn't expect to experience a moment of dry sex with a woman clearly unaware, nor did he expect to do so with one of his other teammates initializing the moment; the cherry on the cake was the nice and relaxing sound of a buzzed and amused dragon king laughing his arse off at the moment in front of him.

Life was truly weird...

* * *

[ **Several Awkward moments later...]**

* * *

Unceremoniously, the odd moment – if it could be classified as 'odd' – ended when a human formed Velkhana stepped out from the shadows, her steel like eyes of frosted death seemed to home in on him and his 'predicament' the instant he was in eye shot—yet instead of question his positioning, the dragon merely quirk a brow and carried on towards her now silent husband without a second thought. It was a moment of pure elation for Ryden when that happened and now he was treated to the sight of the female dragon locking onto her mate—the dragon king himself having finally settled down from his snickering, only to lock eyes with his wife.

 _Did dragons even call each other husband and wife?_

Ryden blinked away the question before he calmly watched Tannin get schooled for his indecent behavior – odd choice of words considering what Ryden was in – and then ordered him to accompany her to bed.

So, in an awkward moment, Tannin nodded at his wife and stood up to acknowledge him with a smirk of excitement—as if he wasn't aware of his impartial union with the woman on top of him.

Ryden merely stared at the dragon king with a pained look.

" _ **Be ready for tomorrow Dragonborn... I will have many of my warrior's prepared for an invasion at the earliest"**_ Tannin informed with a splitting grin that spoke of bloodlust.

Ryden merely grew confused though, by a word he knew.

"Dragonborn? What do you mean by that?" he asked before he fought of groan when Rosalina pressed herself against him harder—much to Rivia's amusement.

Whether or not Tannin knew of his predicament, the dragon simply ignored it and pressed on with the question.

" _ **It's a title I merely came up with—for one whose presence resembles that of a dragon"**_

Ryden blinked. "O-oh—that's cool" he muttered with a look of strain, and this time Tannin noticed it.

" _ **Hmm... indeed..."**_ the dragon king muttered before his gaze shifted towards Rivia. _**"Must you torment him so aggressively?"**_

At his words, Rivia merely cooed a breath of mirth and simply remained silent, her eyes remaining locked on his own. Seeing as how his question was left unanswered, Tannin simply chirped a bit of amusement at the scene and nodded along anyway.

" _ **I see... well then..."**_ he started before his gaze returned to his own; smirk returning. _**"Be ready Dragonborn, tomorrow we shall see if your promise holds true"**_

Before Ryden could affirm the dragon king, Tannin stepped off out of view—leaving him alone in his predicament along with two unconscious nobles.

He coughed shakily, nervous of his movements and voice before he looked up to a now more serious Rivia Abaddon.

"What?" he asked when he eyes seemed to shimmer for just a second—as if she had just scanned him.

Her golden eyes blinked for a moment before they focused back onto him, her posture shifting into a more reserved state.

"I think Rosa has had her fun for the night—don't you think Ryden?" Rivia questioned before she began massaging the female's ass seductively—an action that caused the woman on top of him to moan and fidget sensually.

While Rivia continued in her motions; Ryden stared wide eyed at Rivia—questions swelling around him as she continued to arouse the woman on top of him. "Please stop" he quietly muttered as he felt Rosalina a little bit more than before.

In a sensual manner, Rivia gently dragged her hand along Rosalina's rear before she stopped all together—a small huff of bemusement following when Rosalina made a small disappointed grumble under her breath before the woman eased off grind.

Ryden partially relaxed, yet his impartial union with Rosalina still remained—however, before anything else could happen, Rivia gently rose him up into a seating position and stood up. Yet seeing as how he was now being straddled by a sleeping Rosalina, Ryden fought a groan when the woman inevitably sat down on his awakened member, sending them both into the previous state of impartial union.

Ryden wanted to depart from his bond with Rosalina the second he found a chance, yet the drunken Phenex gripped him in a tight hug while her face gently rest against his shoulder—the woman's soft breathing noting her state of consciousness... or lack thereof, and yet her possessive grip on him still rivaled his baser strength.

Ridiculous... what the hell was this situation!?

Ryden sighed and merely focused on flexing his muscles the best he could – one of the many tricks on staunching a boner – while he idly watched Rivia take Nyx and Abigail to there make shift hammocks through a single rift.

Two seconds and she stepped back through the rift to stare at him and Rosalina with a mild look of amusement.

"Enjoying yourself?" she suddenly questioned with a hint of mirth in her tone.

Ryden's gaze said it all—no; he wasn't fully enjoying himself right now. Bad enough he felt like he was literally on the brink of sliding into Rosalina without her consent – based on the thinness of their clothing – yet considering they both were not wearing much else other than their casual attire—in his case, he was wearing a pair of pants with an array of bandages on his torso, while Rosalina was merely wearing her blouse and skirt... this left them both pretty bare compared to their usual state of dress.

He was basically shirtless, and she had a boob window in her blouse... smart minds would know how that would feel.

"Come now—you must have enjoyed a part of that" Rivia pressed with a smile while resting a hand on her hip.

Ryden gave her a half glare. "If I give you the answer you want, will you finally help me?" he partially growled out.

Rivia simply snickered at the desperation in his voice and stepped before the duo and gently rest her hand on Rosalina's neck. In a second, upon the woman's touch, Rosalina almost fell slack against him—her chest pressing strongly against his own, yet even still, the woman's iron grip loosened significantly, allowing him freedom to reposition the woman into a bridal carry.

Ryden sighed in relief, yet his vision caught a glimpse of Rivia's mild enjoyment. "Your one odd cookie you know that?" Ryden stated with an odd look directed at the now chuckling Abaddon devil.

"Perhaps—though if I really wanted to make things interesting, we wouldn't be having this conversation now would we?"

Ryden just stared at Rivia; dumbfounded by her means of aggression... was this the norm for devils? This sort of flirting felt akin to a couple's sexual instigation—yet Ryden saw nothing in Rivia's gaze that suggested they _get it on_ right then and there.

Seriously, though Rivia acted like a prim and proper noble amongst the rest of them – minus Rosalina of course—she still found a way to be the biggest pervert he knew.

He shook his head and handed the sleeping Rosalina over to Rivia, who graciously took the woman into her arms without argument.

"Before you depart Ryden—I'd like to have a word with you" Rivia suddenly said just before Ryden could douse the fire.

He paused – mid motion – and turned to regard a now suddenly serious Rivia Abaddon with a pair of confused eyes.

He knew he'd done the bipolar joke enough times to kill it, but good god was this a persistent issue.

He glanced around the area, confused by the change in tone, before he relocked his gaze with a silent Rivia Abaddon when he noted the coast was clear.

"Ooook... what do you want to talk about?"

Rivia remained silent for a moment before turning away from him. "I wish to discuss what happened back at the Prefab base and something else... that is all" was all she said before she disappeared into the rift, leaving him behind in total silence.

Ryden blinked, his eyes scanning the spot in which Rivia just occupied and then he scanned the ground at his feet before he suddenly recalled what had literally just happened to him. In a moment of immature annoyance, Ryden gripped his head in further established confusion—his brain suddenly sending him on a trip down memory lane without any sort of breaks.

What had happened with the dragon fruit was probably the most sudden change in setting that he'd ever experienced, it was so sudden that he honestly felt as though he had _whip lash_. Going from mild jovial banter and brief life stories to suddenly grinding his _Wang_ against a Neko-Rosalina's private area wasn't something he entirely expected; unconsciousness from fruit intoxication? More than likely the predicted outcome... recreating what a hot-dog feels in between a set of _plump_ buns? Definitely not what he expected.

It was a surprise to be sure... but a welcome one.

Ryden suddenly shook his head when the vivid memory of Rosalina's form invaded his mind with a violent passion; the softness of her chest, the voluptuous sensation of her body against his, the heat, the breathing—and finally, the feeling of her nether regions marred directly on his own... regardless of one's state of mind, or status within the world of sexual intercourse—be it veteran or virgin, that image and feeling will not be leaving anytime soon.

Resistance is futile...

And Ryden wasn't a pussy – no pun intended – as the memory was slowly turning into a fantasy... much to his more gentlemanly nature, yet regardless, it had happened... frontal hotdog is best hotdog.

However, now that he accepted his perversion—he had to consider the implications regarding possible recollections with Rosalina—as it may get REALLY awkward when she finds how close she 'd gotten with him in that moment of honesty... _was it honesty?_

Again, Ryden shook his head whilst gently flexing his muscles as to fight off another _awakening_ in his pants; yet while he fought his own desires, he suddenly remembered who had been the one to initialize the moment itself—which honestly didn't surprise him at all. Admittedly, he had forgotten the culprit in the midst of his fantasizing and memorizing the moment – whether that was against his rational side was a massive possibility – yet now that he could think, he quickly realized that Rivia had been the one to force Rosalina – correction; _entice_ – the intoxicated Phenex into grinding against him to the point of a possible release... believe him, the clothing they wore was extremely well made fabric... sensations and definite 'oddities' could be felt _very_ easily.

So... ignoring his potential sexual assault on Rosalina Phenex – something that only _he_ was worried about... _hopefully_ – he now had the distinct image of Rivia Abaddon gently massaging Rosalina Phenex's firm – and now identified _thicc_ – ass—and keep in mind, Rosalina had been _moaning_ the whole time Rivia had done it... imagine the images that would bring up.

Ryden had to deeply breathe out a sigh when an image of Rivia and Rosalina – buck naked and hugging – suddenly sprung up in his mind; sweaty, and clearly enjoying each other in more ways than normal...

Ryden vowed to never bring this moment up with _Fulgur—_ and even now he was thankful that their mental connection was only every possible when in close proximity; if _Fulgur_ had been here, he was sure the woman would be hounding his ass for not chasing after Rivia through the rift—intentions being perfectly clear as to what she wanted him to do.

And now that his mind had circled back to the present, he quickly realized the seriousness in Rivia's tone prior to her temporary departure...

He found himself scratching his head. "Seriously? How does one go from being perverted, to teasing, then to serious all in one moment?" he asked no one in particular... however.

"You'd be surprised how easy it is" a sudden voice called out from his flank.

Ryden sighed, understanding who it was. "I was wondering where you disappeared to" he started before he glanced back and spotted Mephisto pheles leaning against a tree, the devils previously established eyes of innocence now held in a more mature manner.

Ryden had suspected there to be more to the devil then initially perceived.

Never trust someone at face value...

Mephisto waved off the question. "I was dealing with business of my own; nothing that should concern you _Dragonborn_ " replied the devil with a small smirk of amusement.

"Fair enough... what do you need?" Ryden held his expression neutrally, poker faced—the action seemingly amusing the wild card devil in front of him.

"No need to be so defensive boy—I merely desire some answers to my questions" Mephisto intoned while pushing himself off the tree. "And only now have I found the chance to ask them... in private of course" Ryden had to fight a moment of surprise when the previously assumed _child_ seemingly morphed into a far older individual within a scant second—just when the devil stepped out of the shadows and into the light of the camp fire.

Ryden nodded, ignoring the change for now. "Shoot"

"How did you come across Rivia?"

Ryden didn't hesitate in his reply. "We saved her from a prison transport en route to _Lucifaad_ around a few weeks ago" for a brief moment, Mephisto's eyes slightly rose at the information – a sort of archaic fire springing to life in his heterochromatic eyes – before he nodded.

"I see..." he muttered before continuing. "And how exactly did you find said transport when it was on route to _Lucifaad_?—I may be uninformed of the happenings with this ridiculous civil war, but I do know for a fact Ajuka and his allies haven't so much as crossed a third of the thorns territory... so how exactly did you get there?"

"I was participating in the crucible trials when a small sect of Old-Satan's laid siege on the coliseum; it had turned out that someone I dearly wish dead assisted in the attack and helped produce a _Ruina Imperium—_ long story short, we defused the bomb and used a scar fissure from a devils previous teleportation sigil and followed it to _Lucifaad_... from then on, I gave the Old-Satan back there bomb"

Mephisto nodded. "Interesting..." he muttered before he clicked his tongue. "Now I'll ask the one thing that's been bothering me the most"

Ryden cocked his head to the side patiently. "And that would be?"

Mephisto's left eye twitched, clear annoyance suddenly marring his features. "How in the nine circles of hell did you manage to survive a meeting with Tiamat?!" shouted the man, his eyes twitching in sheer exasperation.

Ryden paused at the sudden change before he shrugged, ignoring the incredulous expression on Mephisto's face. "I met her when I was searching for a watering hole to help Rivia and a few other POW's—turns out the one I chose was the one Tiamat was using to bathe in..."

Mephisto almost flipped at the reveal. "You?—you walked in on her—what!?" he suddenly twisted around to do a brief lap, his voice muttering impossibilities and other nonsense before he quickly collected himself.

"You showed her the _Infernum_ _Armis_ didn't you?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

Ryden nodded.

"And what else? What else could you have possibly done too..." Mephisto paused, his eyes slowly rising into realization. "Wait..."

"I destroyed _Lucifaad_ in her name—promised her even, under the notion that she would help heal and hydrate Rivia and the POW's of course... I even requested some moderate dragonite for a second deal that she believed me capable of doing"

At that movement, it was clear Mephisto had a hard time believing such a story—yet considering the man was still breathing stood as proof enough; never the less, his interest was piqued with the latter half of his story. "And what was this second deal?"

Ryden held his neutral gaze with a lazy sort of edge. "To retrieve an apparent treasure of hers from the tomb of Valefor..."

Mephisto's eye twitched again. "And do you know where that is?"

He nodded. "The necropolis..."

"And do you have any fucking idea how stupid a task that is?"

"Yup—though it should be easier with fire... lots of fire"

Though his answer was minimal at best and even downright lazy to digest, Mephisto however immediately saw the plan of action laid bare to him right with that last response—leading his eyes to loosen in revelation. "I see now... this is all part of the plan then, right after your done with _Ashfeld_ —you'll move on to the necropolis with the newly acquired _Infernum_ _Ignis_ and use it to carve a path to the tomb of Valefor and retrieve the treasure... simple and flawless"

Ryden raised a brow at Mephisto's deduction; most of what he said was spot on right—yet the last bit was something Ryden didn't fully agree with. "I wouldn't say flawless just yet Mephisto—directly after _Ashfeld,_ we will be returning here to help revitalize the land for the dragons—and then after that well will begin the delicate operation towards escorting the four blackmailed families out of the region and into Anti-Satan hands... after that, then we'll siege the necropolis"

Mephisto nodded. "And what's on the line for this treasure?—what's it going to grant you?" he asked suddenly, and Ryden had to fight off a mild blush when he remembered the third deal with Tiamat—the challenge she'd issue upon his request for alliance.

"Ah... the second deal was so I could be granted even more dragonite; however the third deal I made—"

"A third deal?" again, the devils eyes twitched... _this guy was insane!_

Ryden nodded along, unaware of the devils opinion of his mental state. "Yeah, the third deal was an issue of challenge—at first I had offered Tiamat to join me and my team in our efforts against the Old-Satan's, however that changed when Tiamat offered me a challenge via combat" Mephisto surprisingly found himself blushing crimson at those words—yeah, he knew. "I accepted without thinking about the actual reasons behind her motives—and she told me to come back to her domicile when I finish acquiring all of the four _Infernum_ _Armis'_ and maximize my skill with this..." Ryden summoned his hand cannon – _Cerberus_ – to show a slightly shocked Mephisto. "After I destroyed _Lucifaad_ , she ended up granting me a small amount of dragonite as to 'invest' in my services... so, yeah" he dismissed Cerberus before Mephisto could fully download its features, yet even still, the devils eyes were wide with familiar recognition.

"Y-yeah—that's cool and all – congrats on getting inviting to a mating ritual with a female dragon king – but what I'm more interested now is that weapon you just showed me" Ryden blinked at the devil before he recalled _Cerberus_ to his hand.

"What about it? Do you recognize it from somewhere?"

Mephisto nodded as he stepped closer to examine the fire arm; his eyes roaming along the intricately crafted weapon as if it was some sort of ancient relic.

Mephisto's eyes shot up to him. "You forged this?"

"No—I had Ajuka forge it for me using the dragonite I acquired from Tiamat" Ryden blinked when Mephisto suddenly gave him a wide eyed look. "What?" he asked, curious of the devils line of question.

However, Ryden's eyes narrowed when only one possibility came to mind. "You've seen a weapon like this before haven't you?" he suddenly accused, to which Mephisto merely nodded at the question.

"I've seen dozens of varying designs such as that one in multiple crypts and caves—most of them being too far damaged to actually use, however I have been able to document their age and descriptions using photo imaging" Mephisto suddenly summoned a series of iridescent magic sigils onto his palm before several images sprang to view within a sphere.

Ryden's heart nearly sank... and his skin went frigid cold.

The designs of the weapons themselves varied in size and _fiction_ – a surprise in of itself – as the documented images collected by Mephisto depicted several dozen weapons varying from _Revolvers_ , _M1_ _Garand's_ , _1911_ _sidearm's_ , _trench guns_ and _Thompson M1A1_ sub-machine guns. The era of these weapons obviously came from WW2—however; the following slew of additional weapons took a massive jump forward in time...

...And towards _fiction_.

Ryden was dumbfounded at first upon seeing the more futuristic styled weapons, and even ponder his reality perception when his eyes locked on an _M45 tactical shotgun,_ which was then followed by a _MA5C assault rifle,_ a _M6C/SOCOM magnum_ and an _SRS 99 anti-material sniper rifle_. It was an impossibility, or a really bad joke, as all four of those varying weapons came from a god damn _video game_ – most specifically... _**Halo**_ _–_ and yet here he was, watching a devil slide along his images whilst listing off the weapons description like a narrator, and each description was flawless in accuracy.

He wasn't hallucinating, he wasn't going crazy... _this shit was real_.

Some motherfucka seems to have been here before him— _or was it him?_

Now that's a thought...

Ryden wasn't gonna lie and say he didn't ponder the idea of creating a few fictional weapons from the fabrication station back at the S.O.B; call it sort of childish enthusiasm—yet more specifically, he'd desired to create several stupidly overpowered weapons for his team with the mind clearing feature attached to the fabrication station; however he'd merely forgone the idea to fantasy when the idea of fucking up the Time-line came to mind... if he got too crazy, the devils may catch on in interest.

So yeah... he'd rather not see a version of Joanne of Arc wielding a fuckin _chainsword_ any time soon—or a _BFG_.

Ryden had to curse his own blunder after a moment of staring at the images—as each one in its entirety kept on forcing his eyes wider and wider in recognition; an expression that Mephisto was very quick in noticing.

The sigil went dead after a second, leaving Ryden to turn towards a very serious Mephisto Pheles. "I know what that look entails—you know _exactly_ what these weapons are; you know how they function, their purpose... you may even know when they were made... so tell me – _whoever you are_ – what are these things?"

Mephisto's eyes were locked coldly onto him, a form of seriousness that honestly unnerved Ryden to a certain extent; and the feeling only ever grew worse when he slowly realized he had no way out of the situation; he had to think quickly.

He couldn't lie and say he randomly came up with the weapon design and function—the devil was too sharp to fall for it. Hell, the idea of just inventing a revolutionary weapon such as the _gun_ was so deeply flawed that it honestly hurt to consider.

Humans were destined to invent the equalizer between themselves; their constant struggle to survive in their own violent world led them towards the use of stones, then to sticks—spears, slingshots, bows, and swords; with each era came a time of struggle, and each era came about a new form of equalizer used to outgun whatever danger available.

The gun was humanities finest tool of destruction; it kept the wielder alive, and made sure its enemies were pushing up daisies before its wielder. All in all, humanity was destined – as a weak species – to make it.

Devils didn't have a need for guns however—they had _magic_ , their means of projectile combat was already finalized and perfected; all they had left to work for was quality and quantity—nothing more, nothing less.

The gun wasn't theirs to invent—they didn't need it; so the invention of such a tool of war only stemmed from _prior knowledge_... he made a mistake.

"That isn't something you should be asking lightly boy"

Ryden blinked – as did Mephisto – when Tiamat stepped out from the shadows at the latter's flank; the female's eyes lingering momentarily on the red haired devil before she directed her sole focus on the one devil closest to death.

The dragon kings eyes didn't deceive her, nor did her instincts... Mephisto Pheles was on a very quick path to death with that line of questions.

 _Ryden's killing intent had risen..._

"What?" Mephisto questioned, surprisingly serious even though it was a dragon king he was speaking to.

Tiamat narrowed her eyes at the inquisitive devil dangerously. "Did I stutter, _boy_?" she growled as her hair and eyes slightly crackling with unrepentant lightning.

That did the trick.

"S-Sorry, lady Tiamat—I seem to have been enamored with a discovery... forgive my impoliteness" Mephisto quickly retracted his pressure and lightly dipped his head towards the dragon king.

It's in these moments when Ryden could clearly read the situation as it stood out; he could deduce what sort of individual each person was just by their conduct and posture... a sort of rapid noble training from Venelana and Zeoticus to help him read a devil during any sort of situation. Considering Ryden had a small bit – if you could call it small – of physiological study on body language and emotional reactions to stressful situations, the training stood as a final stroke to the perverbal nail into the perverbal coffin.

In short—Mephisto Pheles wasn't a conceding sort of devil; nor did he have any desire to perfect his bow. And considering the devil himself had even stood up to Tiamat for just a second before realizing his mistake went as far as to show how detached the devil was to extreme decorum—and manners.

Nobles possessed a muscle memory when it came to greeting a fellow noble – Venelana's words, not his – that practically forced a strict mannerism life style into each noble's lives. Had the situation involved Rosalina instead, then there would have been no threat directed towards her—as she would have bowed the second the dragon king approached.

This made it clear that Mephisto was a devil to be more wary of then prior understandings went; because as it stood to reason—its best to not fear a devil with manners then ones that don't.

Mephisto was a powerful devil by mystery alone—and even still his demonic energy made sure none mistook his innocence as genuine.

A Pandora's Box so to speak...

 _And Tiamat had made it bow..._

Ryden could feel it from where he stood, the pressure exuding off of Tiamat in droves—like a tidal wave of power that washed over both Mephisto and himself. Yet, while Mephisto remained silent on the matter – making sure his eyes remained on the ground – Ryden however had found himself slightly shaking... not from fear...

 _...But excitement_

It was stupid, irresponsible, and downright preposterous to feel any sort of excitement towards the literal titan of power before him; such feelings were derived from suicidal morons with more brawn then brains... combat junkies with nothing left to live for then the Euphoria of battle.

His instinct should be telling him to concede, to run, or to submit... however.

 _NO!_

 _FIGHT!_

 _CHALLENGE!_

 _CONQUER!_

 _ **DOMINATE!**_

Ryden's eyes slightly widened when his thoughts went on a rampage, single words ramming through the highways of his mind—sending waves of emotions and sensations to both his eyes and his body.

His rational side had considered the normal means of engaging the dragon king... most of which resulted in running in the opposite direction.

Yet something inside him... something stronger— _demanded_ him to _stand_ and _challenge, to conquer_ what stands before him; to **DOMINATE**.

Ryden didn't realize it, but externally, his body was shaking and his breathing was coming out in quite rags that only one individual could see; however internally, Ryden was fighting his rapid heart rate—and the heat that followed, which created a sensation of mild euphoria throughout his entire being.

 _What was this!?_

Ryden's eyes seemed to slowly lose focus, just as Tiamat watched the man slowly lose himself to something only she knew of... or rather... what a _dragon_ knew of.

Tiamat casually strolled forward – passed a silent Mephisto – and gently dismissed the man with a gentle pat on the head. "Forget this conversation devil—there are some secrets that shouldn't be unveiled... at least not yet anyway" she said with a slightly increase in amusement when Ryden's hazed eyes locked onto hers. "Leave... I wish to converse with Ryden alone"

Mephisto slightly tensed yet after a moment of silence, the previously imposing devil stood back up and turned to regard him with a set of determined eyes. "I'll let this slide for now—but sooner or later Gremory, you'll need to come forward with what it is your hiding" Mephisto sighed after a moment before he stepped off towards the darkness. "There is something ominous looming over the distance—something that's even making me nervous with each discovery I find"

Though Ryden's senses were running amuck – staunching his perception – he still managed to see the determined, yet fear ridden, eyes of Mephisto pheles glancing back at him. "One of those discovers cannot be ignored" he said with gravity to his voice.

Ryden noticed he'd moved to leave, yet suddenly, his instinct flared out in protest—and for a moment, his senses cleared. "Wait!" he called out, freezing the departing devil in his place.

"Hm?" hummed the mixed devil.

Ryden took in a heavy breath, steeling himself completely while also making sure not a single soul – other than theirs – was present. Thankfully... none were anywhere close to them, he could even sense Rivia some dozen meters away, far from ear shot.

Little did Ryden know, his demand for absolute secrecy yielded a reaction that shocked both himself, and the others present.

An azure energy shot down from his step towards Mephisto before it melded into the soil below—spreading out into a complete circle around the area which then rose upward into a complete dome of energy, the dome itself being 40 feet in diameter. Within, sound became isolated, and all outward sources of ambient noise suddenly snuffed out completely. Gravity became lighter, as gravel and rock slowly began to rise upward into the air—as if locked in stasis; and the energy within seemed almost _alive_ ; creating a form of territorial awareness in both of the experienced beings present.

 _Their instincts told them they were no longer in control_

In an instant... none of them could sense the outside world—nor hear it. And now they had been cut off from any sort of retreat, and where now completely at the mercy of whatever bounded field they were in.

All three occupants of the azure blue dome briefly glanced upward, two of which being slightly surprised by the sight of the obvious dome of energy; yet the last individual glanced towards the dome in shock—not at all expecting the outcome of his actions.

"Well that's new..." Ryden muttered as Tiamat and Mephisto glanced at him in confusion—the latter of which being more so then the former.

"This seal" Mephisto muttered as he grazed his hand along the glass-like surface only to feel a moderate sense of danger—forcing him to retract his hand before anything could happen. "No... This isn't a seal—it's a literal _reality marble_ " Mephisto whipped around towards a stunned Ryden, the expression written on the man clearly telling him he wasn't even aware of the impossibility of what had happened. "How did you do this?"

Ryden couldn't really answer that question without sounding like an idiot—so he shrugged. "I have no idea, it just happened" was all he said, leaving Mephisto and even Tiamat in stunned silence.

Mephisto's archaic knowledge regarding arcane arts was profound enough to warrant accommodation, so hearing someone say they accidentally created a pocket dimension almost hurt too much to ignore.

And Tiamat... well...

From behind Ryden, and out of visual viewing of Mephisto, Tiamat found herself fighting control over her body just as Ryden had before—yet in her case, the sensation she was feeling was clearly familiar, as her eyes locked solely on the man in front of her, a blush slowly marring her cheeks which was then followed by a hungry smirk. Heat emanated off her body in waves, forcing her breathing to come out in raspy moans of an unknown pleasure, yet even so, the pressure weighing on her forced her into silence.

And she willingly submitted to it... with a moan of course.

Unaware of the events behind him, Ryden sighed – ignoring the questioning look from Mephisto – and fully steeled himself for what he was gonna do.

It was stupid... but his gut was telling him to go with.

Here it goes...

"It's called a _gun_ " he said after a moment of silence.

The suddenness of the answer slightly threw Mephisto for a loop; first reality marbles and now the devil was coming forward with his secret? He had to blink away the slight whiplash that followed the last 20 seconds. "W-what?" he asked with a bit of a stutter... a side effect that Ryden was known to inflict.

"The answer to that mystery... the weapons you've found—there called _guns_... well—they each have a specific name and number, but the classification of those weapons are called 'guns'...their human made" Ryden could see the slowly rising corners of Mephisto's eyes before it evolved into shock.

"Human... _you_?" Mephisto was shell shocked, bamboozled—all sorts of surprised. "How is this... no human's can survive in this world without succumbing to sicknesses, I should know, I've seen how weak those creatures are even to their own world—but yet you?—that's not possible"

Ryden sighed, he should have know the devil would make that connection—in fact it was inevitable with the way their conversation had gone, and even then he was prepared to silence the devil with a flick of his wrist if he blurted out the truth.

How could he be able to explain that to Rivia wasn't lost on him; in fact he had to thank Tiamat greatly for arriving when she did, such an entrance had unknowingly saved the devils life. Yet now—with this dome up, he could freely explain himself and even set some rules on keeping the devil silent on the matter.

"It's possible, believe me—I was unmoved by the idea about seven months ago when I arrived in the territory of Malphes... damn near destroyed the whole territory with my landing"

"Landing?—wait... you said six months ago?" Mephisto's eyes widened.

Ryden nodded knowingly. "it's about seven now I think – I haven't been able to properly keep track of the time lately – but yeah... six or so months ago I landed in Malphes—apparently I looked like a falling star when I arrived" Ryden's eyes shimmered with mild amusement when Mephisto made the connection, he smirked at him. "I think you understand now..."

"No human could survive that landing..."

"I was born in _1995_ , _British_ _Columbia_ , I'm 23 years old—and I arrived here from the distant era of _2018_... I'm no god, nor angel, or fallen angel—my powers only ever started to manifest upon my arrival" Ryden made sure he could perfectly articulate his true origin as best he could, as each word spoken almost sent Mephisto over the edge of disbelief.

After he was done, Mephisto was silent... for a moment.

"This... this is insane" he muttered.

Ryden hummed. "Ajuka said the same thing—Sirzechs seemed to be the best one to receive this information, hell, even his parents took it better" at his words, Mephisto again recoil in shock.

"Ajuka knows?"

"I just said that..."

Mephisto suddenly twisted around and rubbed his face, clearly overwhelmed by everything. "I see why you withheld this information—humans aren't exactly fan favorites around here, yet this itself confuses me as to why you chose to reveal this information to _me_ in the first place... I ask why the sudden trust?—you don't know me, nor I you, yet here we are"

Ryden sighed at that—the crux of his reasoning. "I'm not gonna lie—the line of questions you piled onto me forced me into a corner; leaving me no other way but to reveal this information, yet I wasn't prepared to let such a secret loose freely out in the open... worst case scenario, I would've had to kill you" Mephisto raised a brow at the assured answer, yet Ryden waved off the incredulous stare. "Thankfully Tiamat stepped in before anything could get ugly"

"I find it rather odd you believe in such an assured vic—" Mephisto's eyes bulged when his throat suddenly contracted in on itself, tightening his Trachea just enough to the point of total asphyxiation. He tried to breath for a second, but nothing came out of his efforts; panic came suddenly before his breathing returned within a fraction of a second later.

Just as his breathing stabilized and he stopped gasping, Mephisto had to note that there had been an odd noise filling his ear the second his airway was blocked; it sounded almost as if the air itself had become denser—heavier.

Mephisto's eyes suddenly locked onto Ryden's, and then his gaze trailed over to his hand – namely his thumb and index finger – which was lightly pinching the air towards him. Ryden smirked when Mephisto returned his gaze to him—a pale look of shock written on his surprised features. He chuckled "Like I said... it wouldn't have ended well" he clarified.

Mephisto lightly coughed into his hand, noting that it was slightly shaking, before he stood up and fought back his primal fear of the man in front of him. "I see... was that telekinesis?" he asked.

"Yup..." was Ryden's simple reply.

Mephisto nodded.

 _That was a fearsome ability... and rare..._

The heterochromatic devil mentally shook himself off of the growing nervousness towards the man in front of him. So many years of being the mysterious danger had led him into a comfortable placement in every conversation he had, yet know that he knew what the being before him could do—easily nullified his own confidence.

 _How irksome..._

Ryden sighed, suddenly appearing apologetic. "Sorry about that... I just wanted to make sure you were aware of how serious I am about secrecy" he stated with a now newly determined expression. "Action's have always has been more effective than words in my opinion—and I wanted to make sure you knew how direct I'll be when – or _if_ – you decided this secret becomes too much to bare"

Mephisto lightly snickered. "A wise decision... however, you need not distrust my ability to keep secrets"

"Trust is a luxury I don't currently have at the moment" Ryden quickly shot back.

"Fair enough..." Mephisto nodded understandingly, yet his eyes returned to confusion. "However, you still didn't fully answer my first question... why tell me this?"

"It's because you seem less inclined to advise authority of my secret—as there is nothing to gain from it... other then my prejudice of course" Ryden gave Mephisto a stare—conveying the message clearly, before he continued, leading with a sigh. "The other reason is because of what you showed me... and it bothers me by what it may entail"

Mephisto nodded again. "What about it bothers you?" inquired Mephisto with a slowly rising bead of interest.

Ryden sighed again...

 _Why did it feel like he made a mistake...?_

He sighed a third time. "The guns you showed me—they come from two separate era's, however the first slew of weapons you showed me are actually historically accurate... the other ones after them however, are actually fictional depictions of weapons from fantasy—namely a video game" at Ryden's words, he immediately knew Mephisto grew lost.

"What's a video game?"

Ryden rolled his eyes. "Imagine it like an interactive movie but with an addition of arcade like motives"

"What's a movie?"

"Theatrical enactment of a real life event or fictional story"

"And what is this 'arcade' mean?"

"Oh for fuck sake's, forget it... just think of it as an advanced form of entertainment; and these guns are based exactly from their Video game counterparts" Ryden know knew why he felt like he made a mistake... how in the bloody blue blazes would he be able to explain the sheer ridiculousness of recreating fantasy weapons for practical use? Then again, he should probably shut the fuck up on that matter—considering his swordspear and hand cannon were based off of fiction in the first place.

As Ryden slowly began realizing the implications of what the pictures meant, and because he was the dumb motherfucker that already started the damn trend, Mephisto on the other hand didn't seem so affected by the realization.

"I'm not entirely sure I understand why this seems like an issue" but then it hit the devil hard. "Oh wait... if its fantasy in origin, then that means... and considering you are the only one aware of the origin of these things, then that also means... oh" Mephisto suddenly had a troubled look on his face, now matching Ryden's own completely.

"Seems like I'm going to be sent back even further at some point" Ryden suddenly rubbed the bridge of his nose, as if in pain. "God—what the fuck is going on right now?" he asked himself, ignoring the brief cringe of pain on Mephisto's face.

Regardless, Mephisto suddenly shook off his piqued _personal_ interest when the severity of the mystery became clear enough—leading him to approach the scenario more rationally and with a more analytical mind. First a human makes a miraculous appearance in hell – armed with terrifying powers and seemly unaffected by the environment... as well as extreme physical damage – and then said human unseals two extremely powerful weapons of hell, proceeds to fight a dragon king to a stale mate – other battles not included – and even seems to have attracted a female dragon king to some degree... and that didn't even factor in the apparent temporal nature of the situation; and the even deeper mysteries that followed.

Something was happening—and dare Mephisto believe it to be _prophetical_ , what with the murals and tapestries he'd seen; and most of them were closely tied with the _Infernum Armis_ —something the human was closely tied to.

This went beyond simple discovery...

Suddenly Mephisto's eyes widened when a critical bit of information slammed back into his mind, bringing about a slight chill when he recalled the time in which he literally witnessed the falling star that was Ryden's entrance... it was odd by its sudden arrival, and Mephisto was confused as to why such information had eluded him for some time now.

He could remember it clearly, yet for some reason, he hadn't acted on it until now... as if it had been blocked until this very moment.

Strange... he'd need to look into that some time down the road.

His eyes steeled over however – forgetting the odd return of a vivid memory – before he turned to a muttering Ryden with seriousness unseen before. "Ryden..." he called out with an iron-like tone; the human immediately regarded him with wide eyes... clearly unnerved by the sudden change in his tone. "Do you remember anything about your fall into hell—can you explain any sensations or emotions?"

Ryden blinked, confused, yet he answered swiftly... the tone in the devil alone was enough to slightly spook him.

"It's hazy, but I remember feeling _pain_... and _cold_ —rather odd considering I was wreathed in flames; at least I think I was." Ryden scratched his head in puzzlement before he suddenly remembered an odd sensation—or rather an emotion.

 _Weird_...

His eyes narrowed towards Mephisto—obviously expressed confusion. "It's odd, but I think I remember getting frustrated—hell, even a little angry... yet I think it only lasted for a couple seconds before the emotion vanished... then everything went black after the impact" as Ryden explained his wonderful adventures in crashing spectacularly into the Malphes territory with a brief moment of nostalgia, Mephisto slowly grew colder by the second.

"You didn't notice it then..." muttered the devil with far paler complexion then before.

Ryden titled his head, perplexed... and even more unnerved. "What?"

"You said you felt cold... and in pain, right?"

Ryden's eyes suddenly rolled, almost painfully. "Ok, I can only get so erect with suspense before it starts to hurt—so, just lay it down on me flat, cause nothing is gonna surprise me at this point... time travel and shit; you can't beat it" he suddenly sprung up harshly, yet Mephisto hardly seemed affronted by the tone.

"I saw the fallen star—the comet that you created when you entered into hell; however, one doesn't just simply fall from high atmosphere, because there _isn't_ a high atmosphere—only a roof, an impenetrable field of energy created eons ago by beings far older than us. And outside of the roof, is the dimensional gap... the feeling of pain and cold you felt, only comes from being exposed to the primordial energy of such a space" Mephisto paused as Ryden digested the information. "However, the one that governs the dimensional gap – _**the Great Red**_ – is the only one in current creation capable of piercing the reality between worlds... as far as I knew"

Ryden gulped. "As far as you knew?" he quoted.

Mephisto nodded, smirking now. "Yes... I said that because it would appear there are other beings capable of doing it... and I'm talking about _you_ " Mephisto suddenly snickered when Ryden looked shell shocked by that information, however, all pretense and humor vanished in order for the devil to explain further.

"Call it luck if you will, but I was studying the dragon's migration into the _Territory_ _of_ _Lucifaad_ – before there redirection towards _Lilith –_ when I witnessed the reality over my head shatter like glass—and in an instant, a shooting star came roaring out of the hole in space"

Ryden chuckled mirthlessly. "Must have been one hell of a sight" he stated

Mephisto gave him a dead serious look. "That's where your ignorance comes in... you're not aware of the thing that followed after you"

?!

Ryden's eyes widened. "I-I was followed!?" he suddenly questioned with a slight rise in panic.

The devil slowly nodded; lips now dry. "Yes..." he muttered with an honestly haunted expression on his face. "I can remember the sensation clearly—the deep burning malevolence, the anger, the hate—everything associated with whatever that came after you spread all over the territory like a blanket before it slowly seeped away when it passed over the border to the _Thorns_ _territory_ " now it was Mephisto to look slightly rushed. "You don't remember anything after landing? Nothing at all?"

Ryden slowly shook his head but stopped when his memory finally acknowledge his desire. "It's foggy, but I do remember getting up and walking towards a distant light... keep in mind, I was a simple innocent human completely foreign to the concept of free falling without a parachute, so surviving something like that was a bit... _jarring_ —to say the least" Ryden eyes slowly grew distant when he recalled his capture—but then he shook off the memory before it went further.

Mephisto seemed slightly relieved by his admission. "I guess my theory of it being a _living_ being can be forgotten—whatever followed you may be something of great power, because all throughout _Lucifaad_ recently, and even here in _Lilith_ , I've been discovering patches of _desolation_ in the environment; hinting to some form of over saturation of nether energy"

Ryden's eyes widened again. "I've found them as well... Nyx and Abigail reported finding a massive hole in a mining quarry in the _Territory of Thorns_ – yet it wasn't saturated in nether energy at that time – and we also discovered one in _Lilith_ just a few days ago, and _that_ one was completely saturated"

"So what could be causing this exactly?—it seems to be subterranean in nature, but why?"

Ryden shook his head. "I should be asking _you_ that _mister explorer_ —perhaps you should dive in next time when you find one"

"That wasn't directed to you... I'm merely taking all possible ideas into consideration; and diving in would be extremely unadvised"

"oh well—but I guess if you want to consider anything, then you should probably consider the reactions of the _Infernum_ _Armis'_ —apparently nether energy is a big no-no to them"

Mephisto eyed him closely. "They reacted?"

"Yeah, they even seemed terrified of it carrying on actually; so they ordered my ass to the sight of the corruption upon learning of it and had me purify the area completely" Mephisto's eyes widened, forcing him to rub his chin in consolidation.

"It seems whatever's creating these pockets of Nether energy stands as a sort of direct antithesis to the _Infernum_ _Armis'_ claim to the natural order—considering they hold almost the majority of the responsibility in creating the land around us; then I'm sure you can understand their zealous desire to defend it"

Ryden could understand the idea, but that wasn't entirely all it was. "That could be it, but when I pressed them for answers, they couldn't exactly recall why they felt so inclined to counter the Nether outbreak"

Mephisto sighed suddenly, almost appearing several millennia older then present before he regarded Ryden with a serious expression. "all of this theorizing won't help us create definitive answers, I'll need to dig deeper into this matter regarding the unidentified source of power that followed you through the dimensional gap; everything that's happening, your arrival here, the sudden unsealing of the _Infernum_ _Armis'_ , the odd environmental occurrences, and now the sudden connection with these ancient artifacts from this 'video game' you mentioned"

"Don't forget about the fact that I may or may not be sent back further in time... kinda seals the deal for me"

"We don't even know if it's you that's sent back in time"

"fair enough, but if I am, then I'm leaving behind a very clear message proving that I am... if you find anything stupid or confusing, show me... I know a thing or two regarding stupid"

Mephisto nodded with a slightly troubled look on his face. "Sure, I'll keep that in mind" he muttered before dropping the matter and sighing. "Well I guess I'm off to Malphes then—while I would have enjoyed the idea of staying to see _Infernum Ignis_ unsealed, this new discovery proves a far greater importance awaits elsewhere"

Ryden understood the devils approach to the subject, even becoming slightly surprised by the heterochromatic devils sudden change towards patriotism – if it could really be considered as such – yet considering the danger this new discovery brought easily outweighed any sort of personal interest, so that was a possibility.

"How will you cross borders?" Ryden suddenly asked, partially seeing a chance at a favor.

Mephisto's eyes squinted slightly, suddenly aware of where this going. "Through _Leviathia_ 's border—I know a few back ends that can easily get me to where I need—I'd say more but it's a secret I'm not willing to part with"

Ryden nodded understandingly. "If that's the case, then I'm wondering if you could do me a favor—in the notion of trust... I did reveal a secret and helped you discover answers to what would have been permanent mysteries; so what say you?" Mephisto could be seen scrutinizing Ryden with a look of mild rebellion and Ryden could understand that expression enough to know he was asking a lot—especially when it came to a devil that didn't hold authority or orders very high on his list of considerations, but yet even then... Ryden had stepped on a nerve that Mephisto couldn't easily ignore.

Not a bad nerve one per say; but it wasn't one that the devil could easily ignore...

"What is it?" the devil asked with a really strained expression.

Ryden knew this would annoy the devil.

"There's a family of devils hold up in the southeast region of _Lilith,_ deep in the forest—around a couple miles from the Marchosias manner. There are three combat servants guarding the location but they should be able to identify you as an ally if you tell them 'Dagger-1 sent you'... I would heavily appreciate it if you helped smuggle them back to _Leviathia_ —it would help speed up the process towards acquiring the _Infernum Armis'_ , as I won't need to worry about smuggling them back myself"

Ryden searched through Mephisto's eyes with a hard gaze, determined, and after a moment of staring Mephisto nodded in agreement.

"I don't take kindly to requests boy, but in the notion towards creating trust—I shall heed your request... but don't think of me as a charitable man, the only reason I'm doing this is because of your actions; nothing more"

That was good enough in Ryden's book.

"Thank you"

Mephisto suddenly grew confused however. "I'm curious though, how will you smuggle the other families out? I plan on departing the second this conversation ends so I'm curious as to how you'll manage"

Before Ryden could answer with his own honesty, Tiamat stepped out from behind him only to pause at his side. "I'll shall be the one to help with that..." she suddenly said with a lazy tone, however, contrary to first observation, Ryden could almost see slight _strain_ in her eyes from his point of view.

A second later, and then he became intimately aware of the dragons hand placement... and if he was being honest, he didn't take Tiamat to be an _ass grabber_.

As if on cue, the females hands slightly squeezed his rear, slightly forcing out a yelp of surprise from him—too which he countered by controlling himself as best he could.

"Isn't that right Ryden?" Tiamat questioned with a casual glance towards him—and in a second he knew her gaze was nothing but casual... draconic lust wasn't hard to miss—yet somehow, Mephisto was completely ignorant of the dragons apparent hunger.

She squeezed again.

"~YEAH!~" he started with a slight pitch to his tone before he coughed away his surprise. "I mean, yes, of course—Tiamat will be the one to help smuggle out the remaining families, no need to worry"

Ryden smiled – a strained smile – towards Mephisto, who simply nodded at the information and turned on a dime... clearly, the devil was now fully aware of what was brewing. "I shall take my leave then" he said with clear haste before waving over his shoulder, body slowly regressing to its earlier child-like state. "I'll be seeing you around Ryden" was Mephisto's final words before he practically phased through the dome of energy without issue.

Ryden had to blink away the ease in which Mephisto departed—clearly having been capable of escaping the situation whenever he wanted. He blinked again however, this time in a more panicked manner when he suddenly noted the heavy breathing suddenly escaping Tiamat's lips. He glanced towards the frisky dragon only to meet the hungry gaze of a madly blushing dragoness.

He had meant to try and break the dense ice with an apology for ignoring her, yet before he could voice his apology; the dragoness suddenly hauled him to the floor, mounting him in a tight straddle that proved inescapable; and in one fell motion, he was getting to know Tiamat just as intimately as he had with Rosalina—except this time there was a distinct _wetness_ pressing against his pelvis.

?!

"Hold up, are you—mhmm!"

Without any hesitation, Tiamat's lips mashed against his own in a primal and lustful manner—bereft of finesse and grace, and simply controlled by a hunger that had been brewing since a few minutes ago. Ryden hadn't been aware of it due to the depth of his conversation with Mephisto, but directly behind him, Tiamat had been brewing in pleasure and growing hunger that easily overwhelmed the dragoness into a heated state—courtesy of her own hidden kink.

The dragon's hands explored his bandage torso for a moment before she tore away at the pointless cloth to reveal Ryden's moderately toned stomach and abs. However, to Tiamat, the image of Ryden's arguably average build didn't deter in the slightest – no – in fact, the sight of Ryden's bare chest and stomach _invigorated_ the dragon further; and within moments, the hungered dragon lowered her assault down to the human's neck—trailing along her tongue in a lustful manner, leaving a gasping Ryden to try and process the moment as it was.

However his recovery only last for a second before the dragon quickly returned to sealing his lips and explore his mouth with such invigorated lust that it honestly started to awaken something in Ryden that he could quite ignore. He could note the dragons slightly elongated tongue exploring the inner workings of his mouth, trailing along his outer limits before completely dominating his tongue in a wrestling match—coiling and pinning his own completely before slowly releasing it. This action carried on for a moment before the dragons eyes widened in shock, a slight visible realization taking hold as she realized what she'd done.

Quickly, Tiamat parted the heated kiss—a slight trail of saliva connecting them which snapped when she stood up completely; a mad blush taking over her features as Ryden fought every ounce of himself not to question what the _fuck_ just happened.

Objective failed...

"What the fuck?" he suddenly asked both himself and the woman that had literally just assaulted him.

Tiamat remained silent and turned away from him, sparking a moment of confusion in the completely _awakened_ human. "So you jump me with the most intense make out session of my life and then pull away without explaining yourself... or carrying on?" he suddenly asked her, feeling both assaulted _and_ blue balled; however, his question only enticed a growl from the dragon king.

"B-be s-silent... T-that was... n-nothing" came the incredible weak excuse from the aforementioned dragon king.

Slowly, Ryden stood back up – mildly discarding the loose cloth covering his already healed burns – and went to approach the silent Tiamat only to be greeted with a heated glare and growl.

Now he'd experienced Tsundere before from Rosalina, however the look and energy coming off of Tiamat almost seemed to completely overwhelm his definition; leading him to believe something quite profound about the 'hard-to-open-up' Rosalina—and the now sexually confused dragon king Tiamat... two birds one stone—wow.

Ryden found himself licking his lips, both in thought and also because his lips felt dry suddenly—however, his action inadvertently supplied him with a slight taste of the woman before him. He paused, taken off kilter by the taste of _Dragon fruit_ before he suddenly eyed the dragon king with an accusing stare.

"Wait a minute—are you drunk?" Ryden had to admit that he himself seemed completely unharmed by the effects of Tannin's 'truth serum', however—if even Tiamat could fall victim to such a devious fruit then he had a few thousand drinking games to forget ever competing in.

No answer by the way—only low growls.

He blinked – several times – before he glanced up towards the dome and casually snapped his finger when he saw no point in keeping it up. Predictably, the dome shatter by his simple command—creating thousands of glass-like shards that seemed to disappear into the ether just before they hit the ground.

No reaction from Tiamat though.

He had planned to approach the dragon king, yet a slight gasp from behind him caused him to pause and glance over to see a completely shocked Rivia standing a couple feet from him. He blinked again – he'd been doing that a lot lately – and almost found himself giving Rivia a fish face expression from his own shock when he realized he'd gone and done another impossible act.

The reality marble... _oh yeah... he did that._

Ryden fought the need to blink again before he gave Rivia a slightly pained expression—especially when he noted Tiamat had turned to regard the new arrival with a still present glare—and blush... that was still there, and it didn't help the image and implication of what he'd been doing... _bollocks_.

Rivia – for her part – had simply been confused on Ryden's disappearance—even having noted that the camp fire had vanished along with him, yet after a second of waiting – mostly in confusion – for some form of answer to come up, she instead received a reply in the form of reality shattering like glass—revealing a fish faced Ryden and a deeply blushing Tiamat... who was clearly frazzled by... many things.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously into a deadpan – a disappointed one mind you – before a cloud of ominous energy leaked off of her body like a shroud, directed solely on Tiamat. Ryden suddenly felt very small—especially when Rivia of all people suddenly sported a murderous expression—a dangerous combination to go with Rivia's demonic energy.

As if sensing the challenge, Tiamat suddenly began sparking with lightning, her own eyes locking with Rivia's in an equal look of murderous intent—and in an instant, both woman were bare inches apart, dark murderous gazes locked silently in a conflict none could comprehend—nor dare interfere.

Ryden held his breath, both mentally preparing to step in if things became bloody and also mentally prepping his final words for his inevitable demise... however, something else happened...

Rivia's eyes twitched dangerous. "I see you have started to lose control of yourself— _pathetic_ " Ryden flinched at the viscous assault from the blonde devil, yet if her words had any effect on the dragon, it only stood to fuel Tiamat's response.

"Lose control you say? Hardly—I'm merely acting on my desires, unlike you, _brat_ "

Tiamat's words held firm, even though her response lacked ferocity her tone possessed arrogance—which easily enticed Rivia's continued assault.

"Your desires match that of a loose fitted _harlot_ —unbecoming of a dragon king, or should I refer to you as _slut_ instead?" Ryden recoiled into a defensive stance, completely taken off balance by the sheer _venom_ exuding off of the woman in front of him. He could see literal lightning bolts shoot from their eyes in a hard conflict of wills, yet neither side possessed the means of surrender... it was a battle of the century.

Tiamat growled. "Mind your tongue _bitch_ , while you waste your time in silence—I have merely taking the chance at something you lack the courage to do" Ryden's eyes shot to Rivia, noting the unwavering conviction within her eyes.

"You over step your bounds _dragon_ —this was MY moment; take your wanton thirst and drown in it in solitude" Rivia's sharp words caused a deep growl from Tiamat, which also elicited a deep growl from Rivia.

"Drown in your own worthlessness _whore_ —you lack the conviction to move forward" Tiamat growled out.

"Cunt..."

"Bitch..."

Ryden was shaking, full on terrified of the situation as the two females slowly delved into single worded insults, the both of them practically forehead to forehead in proximity... he had to stop this—b-but how!?

He had to do it though—or they might _kill_ each other...

Before Tiamat and Rivia could literally jump each other in a maddened frenzy, they both suddenly heard the distinct sound of squeaking coming from somewhere—and within seconds, their eyes locked on a terrified Ryden; the man's voice having literally gone supersonic under the combined pressure of their womanly testosterone.

" _Stawp!—"_ Ryden squeaked—emasculated by the fact his voice had bitched out. "—Stop it please! Think of the children!" he squeak/bellowed whilst brandishing a small stick for defensive reasons; but yet his posture shook vigorously under the combined weight of the predatory gazes now locked on him.

Like cougars they stared onward—having suddenly acknowledged a combined opportunity to end their squabble.

Tiamat suddenly grinned widely—like a shark in blooded water. "Perhaps we should let _darling_ decide who the better...is" Tiamat offered with a low sultry voice.

Ryden missed the darling part almost the second Tiamat said it, as immediately afterwards, Rivia was on him – or more accurately – _her breasts_ were on him.

Soft boisterous globes of heavenly – or _demonic_ – mounds of flesh practically meshed into his face like clouds of awesomeness. Yet a second afterwards, a second set followed directly after Rivia's, both encompassing his face and also striving for dominance against each other.

Ryden had to take a minute to process the moment as it were. Currently, his face was forced directly in the soft—and clearly exposed, mounds of flesh attached to both Rivia Abaddon and Tiamat—a fucking dragon king. Both woman seemed to be fighting over who got to give him the most cleavage—which locked him in a small game of tug-of-war that shouldn't at all be that bad for what it was... however, considering the two woman possessed jugs far larger than most humans he knew, the experience was slightly more dangerous than it should be, as oxygen was not current in supply.

He tried to push them away – his trusty stick having been tossed to the side prior by Tiamat – yet every time he got he hands where they needed to be, they were instead redirected towards the woman's breasts.

Ryden's eyes widened when he found himself gripped Rivia's chest – both hands on the 'steering wheels' so to speak – which seemed to elicited a deep moan from the blonde devil that honestly unnerved him with how invigorated it was... he noted the distinct feel of erect nipples against his palms right before his hands suddenly found themselves pressed against Tiamat's—which also elicited a deep moan from the dragoness.

It was hard to comprehend how such a moment could occur—as a couple hours ago he'd literally stood up to Tiamat during their small conversation, yet now here he was, being straddled by Rivia Abaddon and Tiamat – the both of them having strong armed him into a seating position – which lead to the now literal titty message party.

What the fuck was this? Some kind of ecchi anime?—there was no _fucking_ way this could happen at random... blood should be running!

 _Sadly, his nose was doing the bleeding..._

However, considering he had breathing room, Ryden took in a deep breath—which yielded some form of relief, as just after a moment of further _booby bobbing_ , the two suddenly pulled him into a hug; effectively sandwiching him in-between their fleshy mounds... and he had to review the sensation whilst he had the chance... anime _was_ right... there really isn't any oxygen to be found.

It was still nice though... smelt like sexual frustration, natural fragrance, and blissful satisfaction... the latter of which being his final verdict of a double titty sandwich. The only downside being the lack of oxygen and the ever present feud between devil and dragon... honestly, the moment should've involved full package deal lingerie underwear, pillows, and a chorus of laughter from the woman involved.

Oh well... he could settle for what he got...

9/10 – IGN

" _Needs more oxygen"_

* * *

 **[Unknown amount of time later]**

* * *

Ryden's eyes flashed open, his mind suddenly reeling from an invigorated dream he must have had some time ago; if he recalled it just right—he could still feel the sensation of both Rivia Abaddon's and Tiamat's breasts pressing tightly against his face. And for a second, Ryden clenched and unclenched his hands when the phantom sensation of their boobs slowly resurfaced to mind—giving him a vivid idea as to what they both felt like.

Tiamat was firm – squishy sure, that's inherent – but her chest was just the right mix of firm and squishy that it practically imprinted itself in his mind.

Rivia however—her breasts seemed to dwarf Tiamat's by some degree; however her firmness was a degree less compared to Tiamat, but yet the sheer size of them easily created a sort of appeal... nothing beat a set of huge knockers.

"Was that a dream?" he softly asked himself when he remembered just who it was he was thinking about. For some time since their deployment into _Lilith_ ; Rivia Abaddon had been distant with her usual advances—more so then their first encounter back at the Bael territory. Nothing extreme had partaken during their nightly hours – other than the odd moment of sleepy eye contact – so it was a deep surprise to him to even consider Rivia's sudden decision to molest him with her twin weapons of mass erection fuel.

And Tiamat... since when in the nine circles of hell did that dragon feel the need to advance on him like that? A deep lust filled kiss and then a good helping of titty exposure didn't at all feel like something the proud dragoness would do—even willingly. And there was absolutely _no way_ the dragon king was drunk, Ryden didn't take Tiamat to be the kind of drunk that would do stupid shit—unless of course it was something she really wanted.

But now he had to consider the possibilities with that observation... if she wasn't drunk, then she... oh hell!

But if she _was_ drunk then that could... No... No that's impossible—that dragon hardly displayed an ounce of tipsiness to even hint to the possibility of intoxication, and everything she said both towards himself and Rivia hardly at all came out slurred... unless territorial instincts immediately nullified liquor.

It was far too vivid... it was real.

" _You're finally awake..._ " a familiar voice called out, momentarily freezing Ryden in his seat against... someone.

He kept his head upward – pointed to the sky – as he sighed and reached over his head to swiftly grasp at something firm and squishy... which elicited a small gasp/moan.

Ryden frowned and then nodded—content with his findings. "Soft and firm... and large—like... _ah_ , Rivia, I see you're enjoying this fine evening" he began as he gently continued to message the globe of flesh in his hands—uncaring to decorum, while he casually re-positioned his head on the woman's lap. "You mind telling me what all that was a minute ago?—you could even start by explaining why I suddenly passed out as well... that might help"

A hand gently grasped his offending limb, easily parting his grip with her breast before her hands lowered to grip the sides of his face gently—he fingers casually messaging the sides of his temples.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." came Rivia's calm reply...for a woman whom just had her chest region invaded by his hand, her tone was _awfully_ poised.

"Riiight" he drawled out as she continued to sedate him with her masterful fingers. "Should I be worried about the body then?" he asked whilst closing his eyes to enjoy the moment.

He heard a quite chuckle, an adorable sound if he had to say. "...No, before we parted ways, we kissed away our differences and even exchanged 'pleasantries' once we were sure you couldn't hear us"

Ryden snorted. "Damn..." Ryden opened with clear sarcasm before he glanced upward, his eyes meeting a set of golden eyes—amusement rife within them. "Should I be worried then? Tiamat's quite the kisser and I'd hate to see her steal you away... she even had me on the ropes"

Ryden smirked when Rivia's fingers briefly paused in their message before an icy tone whispered out from above him.

" _I see..."_

Ryden chuckled. "Easy now my dear Guardian—I seem to be sensing jealousy in you" he teased, effectively earning him a pinch on the cheek. "Take it easy now—you know I can't feel that" Rivia changed tactics and grip his cheeks and pulled roughly, yet even still, Ryden remained unmoved.

"Ha! Alas my dear guardian, your jealousy infused abuse cannot harm me!" Ryden jested boisterously before Rivia surrendered to his power and relinquished her hold on him—followed by a sigh.

Ryden eyes remained closed as he simply relaxed against Rivia's thicc thighs, yet even as he did so, he could mildly feel a hint of dejection in Rivia... if that sigh was anything to go by... he should probably fix that.

"For the record though—I'm not entirely sure what came over Tiamat when she jumped me; it just sort of happened" he supplied with a small remorseful expression. He'd seen the look of Rivia's eyes after his words, and if dejection could be written on her face—then someone was a damn mind reader, as her expression hardly at all shifted—honestly, to Ryden, she looked hardly effected at all.

The message carried on after his words; enticing him to sigh contently—leaving Rivia to charge ahead towards clarification... she too possessed curiosity towards Tiamat's sudden advance.

"Tell me... what do you think caused such a reaction?" Rivia questioned while calmly focusing on her task.

Ryden shrugged against her thigh. "No idea... I blamed that damn dragon fruit at first but it seemed she wasn't effected at all" Ryden idly scratched his cheek while Rivia recalled something else—something that shocked her.

"Perhaps it was that new ability... it's possible she may have been affected by its influence on reality" the Abaddon devil theorized with a small knowing smirk. "You may have overwhelmed that poor innocent _wench_ with your _otherworldly_ powers" Rivia giggled at her words, mildly throwing Ryden off with the venom laced in her tone.

"Ooook, glossing over the now apparent blood feud you have with Tiamat, I can kinda see the possibilities of that making sense... I mean she did state before that power trumped everything else, and Mephisto did say something of a 'Reality marble'—so it's possible that... _oh_ " Ryden's eyes rose into shock, while Rivia eyed Ryden with a differing degree of shock.

"Mephisto... you spoke with him?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh—Yeah I spoke with him... that 'little' apprentice of yours approached me before Tiamat showed up"

?!

.

.

.

" _I see..."_

Ryden wasn't aware of it, but his little admission spoke many things to the elder devil; many things that caused the woman to regard Ryden with a look of seriousness... and a small amount of hesitation.

"Ignoring Tiamat for now Ryden... what did Mephisto speak to about?" asked Rivia, eyes set in stone while her hands now cupped Ryden's cheeks without motion—merely holding him.

Ryden himself just blinked at the sudden change in subject, yet regardless he indulged the woman... cautiously.

"He asked me how I found you..." he replied, yet Rivia rolled her eyes at the answer.

"No—Mephisto approaches no one without the intent to indulge himself and his curiosities; that question was a mere distraction to his intentions... I'll ask again, _what did he truly speak to you about?"_

There was a long pause after Rivia pressed the issue, and for a moment, Rivia had to actually slap herself mentally for using such a forceful tone as she could see the deep hesitation in Ryden's eyes when she looked into them—and she could understand a desperate cry for dismissal if she saw one... but yet, _with what she knew_ , and what that devil also knew nearly went hand in hand in most circumstances; however, the difference between herself and Mephisto was almost entirely night and day.

She sought answers for the mystery of the _Infernum Armis'_ —while he sought answers to the ones that supposedly created them – if they had been created in the first place that is – however, Mephisto was an enigma, a wild card that showed up at her doorstep a thousand years ago seeking knowledge... claiming that he knew everything there was to offer, except her own secrets.

She could read people better than most... Mephisto wasn't interested in the history, nor the mystery, but the _power_ —he was just as interested in the _Infernum Armis'_ as Hallen Foras was – still is – because they both see the weapons as a means to gain power... authority.

Mephisto was the more dangerous however... a nameless devil without a family name and powerful enough to warrant caution; and that didn't factor in the devils lack of respect towards authority figures.

Her focus on the matter was directed solely on her own caution... even though the brat was younger than her by far, and seemed to look up to her as some form of role model; she was still no fool to believe it completely—without a contingency.

So to say her nerves grew cold when Ryden mentioned Mephisto's approach didn't exactly word the sheer extent of her caution... what that devil knew, she _must_ know—he could not be a step ahead of her.

Her instincts ordered her to make sure of it.

"Ryden... trust me that whatever it is you said to him will not be shared by me to no one else... not a single soul will hear what I hear now" Rivia reassured while she gently caressed his left cheek with her finger. She hadn't noticed it, but the man had gone unimaginably tense by her prior words... she had to admonish herself, such a folly was on her.

"Six months..." came Ryden's slow reply, ominous if his tone could be attested, and it even sounded as if it carried a tone of surrender as well.

Rivia blinked. "What?"

"Six months ago—there was a fallen star that mysteriously feel from the sky"

Rivia's eyes widened, she remembered such an event as it practically froze hell into a period of stunned silence before all hell literally broke loose. The fallen star had impacted the derelict territory of the Malphes – the apparent home of Ryden's late family – and immediately afterward, Old-Satan activity in the region grew exponentially; however neither of her own scouts were capable of determining what had fallen. The only thing she managed to do at the time was piss off the Old-Satan forces enough to warrant an invasion—an invasion that ended with her capture.

Rivia shivered at the memory... _never again._

"You may not know the full details regarding that event... considering what happened to you—but Mephisto said he witnessed its entrance into this plain of reality first hand—the origin of the fallen star coming directly from the _Dimensional gap_ itself.

Again, Rivia's eyes widened... the _dimensional gap_?! How was that possible? There was only one being capable of penetrating through the reality barrier with force alone, and _IT_ was barely known to even consider crossing into their reality, yet something else had managed to do so?

Rivia narrowed her eyes. "What else did Mephisto tell you?"

"He showed me images of destroy artifacts that correlate with a weapon in my possession" Ryden summoned _Cerberus_ and held up towards Rivia. "I'm actually shocked none of you ever commented on how I came up with such a _perfect_ and _functional_ weapon... it's almost as if I knew how to make it in the first place..."

Ryden's words were easy to read, to understand what he was hinting at; and now that she could truly take those words into consideration and fully review the weapon Ryden presented—the one he'd been using for some time now, easily started to formulate questions in her mind—and a deeper understanding as to the implications Ryden was getting at was also being made at the same time.

How does one invent a heavily complicated and mechanical weapon without trial and error; without mistakes and setbacks? Rivia knew of Ajuka Astaroth's abnormal intellect for some time before his rise into fame—yet even his bright mind came up with trial projects that inevitably failed... most times the fails only happened once or twice – a impressive record for someone so bright – yet even still, the message was there.

Not a single soul could invent something as complex as _Cerberus_ without a trial phase and several mistakes and or failures to follow. Yet all it took for _Cerberus_ was an hour of planning, a night of forging and several test shots and it was combat ready... no fails, _a pass with flying colors_.

That only meant one thing...

 _Prior knowledge_

Rivia had her question thought out and prepped, yet before she could voice it, Ryden's hand rose up to rest on her cheek before he gently pulled her down until she could almost feel his breath on her face; a set of cold and serious eyes locking onto hers with a severe tone of finality—even resolution.

"By absolute command as the _Arbiter_ , I swear you to absolute secrecy" he worded with a deadly tone, a tone that honestly made her shiver. The commanding nature, the dominating pressure both in his eyes and presence easily compelled her to agreeing.

"I understand _Arbiter_..."

He held her close for a moment before a sigh escaped him, a sort of resolute conviction rising in both his eyes and features; and even Rivia could feel the man's body tighten again before almost relaxing in surrender.

Once he calmed, his voice came out in a low whisper...

" _I was the fallen star..."_

.

.

.

Silence prevailed the revelation, a dreadfully still sort of silence that passed on for what felt like an eternity. For Ryden, his heart couldn't be pounding any bit harder; he was by all rights nervous of the situation, the reaction and the inevitable outcome of what was happening.

He was going to tell her... now that he revealed it was he who fell from the dimensional gap, there wasn't a chance that she would believe any sort of excuse he could make in order to keep his devil disguise, so he had to tell her; and deep inside himself, he could feel his emotions rise in agreement towards his next actions.

This would determine many things... but first, he needed her reaction.

"My name is Ryden Vale, I was born in the year 1995... 1,563 years from now" Ryden added calmly.

Though, he had to admit, revealing such information whilst using Rivia as a lap pillow did subtract the impact of the moment to an impractical degree. So to make the moment more serious, he picked himself up and twisted around to look a silent Rivia Abaddon in the eye—a _younger_ set of blue eyes locking with a set of shocked golden eyes.

He looked away after a moment, finding the sight of Rivia's gaze to be far more burdensome then it should have been.

He had to consider the implications, the damages and the lash back of her situation as it stood. Rivia had intentionally gifted him a present to consolidate her interest with him... whether it was because of power or character was an easy assumption; Rivia seemed to be the closest in regards to relationship status, as her personality seemed to be far more attracted to his personality then his power; and their sharing of experiences had helped them close the usually awkward gap as if they had a stone bridge between the other.

However, that very bridge was laced with C4... that shit could crumble any minute, and this moment was the deal breaker.

Rivia was silent for a moment, long enough for him to wonder in his thoughts and to even idly acknowledge the new scenery he was in. And for a moment, he was awestruck by the beauty of it all.

The deep night sky around them created a perfect back drop, allowing the calm atmosphere around them to build up with pure tranquility; nothing could be heard for miles, a luxury Ryden appreciated immensely—as the sounds of constant chatter and voices had grown annoying, and even with his time in urban jungles back in Canada and the states, the sound of moving cars and groaning highways had easily become a nuisance... this silence was a welcoming venture... the tension however wasn't.

His eyes traveled further, this time having located the main reason his interest in his new surroundings had sprouted. He had at first wondered why the light in the area had gleamed a brilliant blue, and once he locked his eyes on the small pond at his flank did he realize the culprit.

It was either magic, or bio-luminescent algae—yet regardless, the pond behind him shined a brilliant blue, perfectly illuminating the area in a perfect saturation, hell, he could even see slight particles of pollen rising and floating gently in the air, creating a sort of _mystical_ wonder to the area.

Healthy grass lined the entire pond area, filling the perfect image with a lush green color that he couldn't help but admire.

What was this? Was this something Rivia had found? Or did he miss it in his small travels around the dragon valley?

His eyes went foggy all the sudden in response to his rapid slew of questions – as if he was blinded by something – which forced him to rub his eyes for a second before relocking his vision back onto the pond itself.

This time however... _there was someone in it_

Correction... _on it_

He sat there frozen, eyes wide like dinner plates as he regarded the now mysterious figure that seemed to stand on the surface of the water like it was but glass. Ryden grew confused by the sudden addition, his eyes blinking furiously as he tried to process the image before him.

It was a woman – a beautiful woman – draped in the most luxurious samite gown he'd ever seen, looking as if it was made out of the purest of fabrics. Emerald green eyes shone with mirth as his own eyes locked with the mysterious woman, silky dark hair shimmered like passing water, parting just enough to show off a set of pointed ears... like an elf's.

Confusion... nothing but confusion...

Ryden blinked again, and the woman thought it right to finally speak.

" _Good fortunes to you, Sir Vale..."_

Ryden had long since passed the record of rapid blinks per second—honestly, the sheer suddenness of the woman's arrival had created a sort of deep confusion and whiplash that didn't at all help him in the current moment.

Right now Rivia was probably contemplating her next moves now that she had a good idea at what he was—she was probably making the connections right this second. Yet here he was all the sudden, being greeted by yet _another_ bombshell of a woman calling him ' _Sir Vale'_ as if she knew him completely... when will the time of ground shattering surprises end?

Ryden desired to wallow away such a notion—already feeling drunk off of revelations alone already, any more surprises and he might shit himself.

" _Heheh... you are much livelier than I expected"_

Ryden wanted to reply, but he could still feel Rivia sitting behind him—silent; he didn't need to start sounding insane right about now.

" _You need not fret over speaking Sir Vale, in time you will meet with me and we shall regale our own words at that time, however, you must forgive me of my curiosity... I've grown quite anxious upon learning of your – shall we say –_ _ **excitable**_ _entrance"_

 _Excitable was saying it lightly..._

The woman's eyes shimmered with continued mirth.

" _Indeed..."_ the woman started – surprising Ryden – before lightly bowing towards him. _"As brief as this was, I'm rather accosted by my own roles as of this moment, so before I leave I shall grant you some advice..."_

 _Great, some odd part of my brain roll playing as a pond lady thinks it's high time to get witty..._ Ryden rolled his eyes at his own thoughts, sparking a slight chuckle from the apparition.

" _Continue on the path you have set for yourself, be true to whom you are, and look no further then to those you surround yourself with... loved ones should be held dear, not with fear"_

Ryden remained silent, both verbally and mentally as the woman gave him a motherly sort of smile; clearly happy for the speechlessness her advice had left him.

" _Until then Ryden Vale... farewell"_

With a blink of the eye, the image of the woman vanished... and time resumed anew.

Ryden's back was to Rivia, form froze in clear shock at the sudden arrival and words of the mysterious woman; yet before he could truly ponder the woman's message—a softness suddenly pressed itself against him, sleek effeminate arms gently wrapping around his neck in a soft hug while a set of lips gently brushed his ear with a warm breath.

If he could stiffen anymore then he had, then he would have, but right now, he was spent—leaving him to only melt into the soft embrace of the woman behind him; shell shocked by both the sudden greeting of the mysterious woman and the words she spoke of.

"I guess what I felt was true... you truly are a human" Rivia whispered, yet her words made no rise out of the man she was holding; instead, he merely hummed in acknowledgement... far to mentally tired to give a damn.

"When did you figure that out?" Ryden asked.

"The prefab base—your little stunt with my demonic energy" she revealed with a small smirk. "Did you think that I was unaware of your little bout of curiosity—you should have known that was me all along..."

"Ah..." Ryden hummed as he calmly relaxed against the woman, completely unmoved – physically that is – by the blonde devils reveal; instead, all he had was a simple question. "...You angry?"

He felt her shake her head after a moment. "No... I can understand why you kept this secret, I'm just glad you admitted it instead of trying to hide it..."

Ryden nodded and said nothing... well, he tried to. "For what it's worth—I'm sorry"

"For?—" Rivia replied in confusion before she gently shook her head, as if dismissing the notion all together after a moment of consideration. "Ah... forget any of that Ryden, I have only know you for a couple weeks now—such a secret doesn't affect me as much as you may believe... now if you were an Old-Satan spy on the other hand, then that would be different" Rivia spoke mostly in jest, clearly sensing the small ounces of remorse and guilt creeping into Ryden's tone, however her words pressed the issue slightly further.

"You are not affected by me being human?" Ryden suddenly questioned while turning to regard her with wide eyes; a bead of hope in his tone.

Rivia smirked—and dare she say her smile looked like her mothers.

Her own instincts flared to life, a maternal instinct hardly ever used—which led her to pulling Ryden to her chest like a mother would an anxious child. She didn't know exactly why the idea felt so natural, but judging by Ryden's sudden reaction to it, she guessed it was a much needed response to his question.

Ryden feel silent, his eyes being hidden by the angle in which he now rested and Rivia felt it right to finally explain her response. She even smirked when her hand gently rose to the man's hair; soft and gentle locks interweaving between her fingers as she stroked his head soothingly.

With a contented sigh, Rivia finally spoke.

"Unlike most of my kind, I hold no resentment towards any species as a whole; how could I when my very own species partook in a war that beheld prejudice over reason? Unlike most of my kind, I neither hate nor condemn—I merely accept the situation as it is and move on. Because if I choose to hate a species—then I merely choose hate itself." Rivia paused to consider her words – it had been a while since she'd even thought of this matter – however, after a second, she nodded contently when her chosen path found itself known to her.

"During the Great War I made many enemies—yet I also made allies, both amongst the fallen angels, and the Angels themselves... though, don't tell them that; it's sort of a secret" for a moment, Ryden's eyes rose to see Rivia giving him a playful expression before it suddenly changed to reminiscent. "If I recall it right, I had once confronted a fallen angel named _Azazel_ ; he was a vulgar man—always trying to seduce me with silver plated words and barbed comments towards my rather immaculate physic that apparently rivaled his sisters... I didn't ask who that was if you were wondering."

Ryden fought a snicker.

"But get this—even with all those words, I could tell his mind was elsewhere, and all it took was for me to noticed the state of his men—his allies, his _sisters_ and _brothers_. Azazel was apparently their leader at the time, I didn't really know or cared as much; I just knew that the little critter always managed to lure out the Archangel _Raphael_ —which was a man I had desired to slay. But I guess at the time, the leader of the fallen angels was more preoccupied with the safety of his kind, rather than fight me fully... so I spared him" Rivia slightly snickered at her words end.

"Should have seen the man's face; he went from lecherous to shocked in the span of a second. Only the two of us could tell which one was fighting fully and the other desperately; Azazel had been placed in a corner and I had all the time to end him, but yet I chose to end the fight in a draw" Rivia paused, somewhat forlornly. "Its honesty sad to see such relief on a being once ordained to the heavens, a being that once held mercy and kindness above all.

"I had told him upon questioning that I bore no hatred towards his species, nor the angels; and that I desired no such stains of mercilessness to bear upon my blade... I had enough already"

"He was surprised of course; to hear the rumored _Devil Reaper_ actually possessed a heart... I ignored that and recalled my forces to other matters, leaving him to tend to what I guessed to be his wife"

"I don't understand..." Ryden began, giving Rivia pause—yet upon the man glancing towards her, he could tell she already had her answer prepped. "How does that correlate to your choice about me?" he asked, more curious of the woman's answer then anything now.

Rivia merely smiled. "The actions of any known species have always been dictated by power, greed and Pride; and the Great War started because of a _petty_ pride; and it was Lucifer's _pathetic_ family issues that resulted in the major conflict, leading my species into a bloody battle that birthed nothing but _hatred_. Our actions shouldn't be dictated by the choice of the few, because if you knew the amount of devils that despised the war heavily, and the fallen that rebelled against the conflict—and the angels that fell to the ranks of the fallen _because_ they possessed the courage to speak out to that ball of cartilage called ' _The Father'_ , then you'd understand my point..."

Rivia smiled warmly to a silent Ryden, the man neither noticing the expression or the shimmer in her eyes as his face was pressed tightly to the woman holding him; almost possessively.

"I don't care if you're human, your species has done nothing but commit the sin of survival; you are beings cursed to roam the lands of earth without a singular leader to help guide you; tainted by a treachery that ended with your kinds condemnation because of the ignorance of one, and the petty jealousy of another" Rivia's grip grew tighter. "I refuse to fall prey to such baseless hatred; to hate something without reason or understanding , to condemn something – _someone_ – without understanding it—it is the height of hubris!"

"If I were to be like them, to hate what I don't understand and believe myself right, then I... then I... _then I wouldn't_ _have been able to fall for you_ "

!?

.

.

.

He... Ryden didn't expect that... at all...

From within Rivia's now tight grasp, Ryden merely stared off into space blankly; blinking in shock and confusion as the woman's words slowly seeped into his mind, processed, and repeated over and over as he continuously replayed the woman's words at the same speed. This wasn't something he expected from Rivia, a confession such as this was supposed to be reserved for something further down the line; but yet here they were.

Though arguably he did receive an _engagement_ present from the woman holding him... which constituted affection... and commitment... and a pledge – at least, he thought it did – and a clear sign that the woman wished to be with him more so then a simple guardian—all of that should have dulled the moment even just a little, but that was naive thinking. Of course the affection was there, naked spooning, cuddles and the odd sexual innuendos did help in bridging the gap between himself and the woman immensely but at that level, it might as well be construed as friendly, with a side helping of immense blue balls... Ryden never did say the sleeping naked part was easy... he always made sure to wake up facing _away_ from the woman due to reasons pertaining to _natural reactions._

.

.

.

 _Wait..._ Ah... right... _that could be it_...

Now of course this was spit balling but... well he should probably get the answer for himself—before he made a serious assumption.

"Uh... um... what – _er_ – what—ok... why did you fall for me?" he asked with a very clear stutter. His mind was working but his lips were a bit laggy right now.

Rivia didn't miss a beat in her reply, either not offended by his rather amateurish question or simply uncaring to it—either way, Ryden got his answer.

"No devil I know exudes your level of charisma; and I only remember experiencing such a thing _twice_. The first time involved a man with _daddy_ issues, and the other merely used the image of a true leader as a facade to lull his sheep into believing his course of action was right. I can't help but notice the underline of treachery within them both... yet you... your words, its... _pure._ Every word you utter, every plan you form, every idea you come up with – regardless of the risk and danger – you always make it sound easy, you never use the smile as a mask to hide a deeper greed, you instead carry yourself with a confidence that I can't help but admire... and..." Rivia paused after a moment, a small shudder of... _something_ , coursing through her for a moment.

"The story about you and this knight Valeria... and the family that you saved... I..." again another shudder passed over the woman, and this time, her grip tightened further—followed by a frustrated growl. "Why can't more of you exist?—why must there be only one of you?" she suddenly asked with heat in her tone.

Ryden merely replied by grasping her arm slightly, grabbing her attention in an instant. "There is only one of me Rivia—and he's right here... _trying to breathe_ "

.

.

.

"Heh—Hehehe... hehehehe—Hahahahaha" Rivia shook jovially against him, grip loosening, as she laughed openly at his casual reply; and for a few more moments, the woman carried on with her laugh, releasing the pent up frustration with each chortle before she slowly relaxed—repositioning him so he could easily regard her on his own.

Yet that changed quickly.

"Yes... there is only one of you..." she muttered before leaning in close with a slightly glazed expression. "And he's all mine... _for now at least_ "

The moment and the intimacy involved had long since numbed Ryden to the outside world. With every spoken word from Rivia regarding herself, his character and her stance on his true heritage had easily dulled the world down to the point that Ryden could only see the woman sitting in front of him. He was no lie detector, but he could see genuine frustration, admiration and affection in the woman's golden eyes... everything she said was true, originating from a heart that had seen and felt far too much heart ache.

And then he had his answer... the reason this woman had fallen for him so quickly and without much attention; quite honestly Ryden had merely attracted the woman by just being himself... on a small note, Ryden suspected that he had already made that connection.

...Regardless

He was no ladies man back in his time, with only one amateurish relationship under his belt he didn't exactly bring in the ladies as much as some of his other friends did. One of his other friends – _Gabriel_ – always seemed to find his way into a woman's heart like he knew the back door, or had some kind of VIP access.

Clearly, he wasn't the best at this, and he knew he wasn't; but he didn't need to be like Gabriel in order to do what he'd done.

 _Because In a world of pain and war..._

 _It only takes the slightest of good deeds to create a saint..._

Upon realizing this, Ryden didn't fight Rivia when she pushed herself onto him; nor did he clam up when her lips met his. Instead, he embraced her—tightly and without quarter, using every ounce of his own confidence and impartial experience to strengthen the moment as it was. Without noticing, Ryden fell backwards onto the soft grass, followed closely by Rivia as she pressed herself tightly against him.

Ryden didn't really keep tabs of how long he was ensnared with Rivia and her aggressive advance on his lips, but once their lips parted for just a moment—he'd found himself at a loss of breath.

No words came from either of them for a moment, the both of them merely gazing at the other before Rivia reclaimed Ryden's lips in a far more aggressive kiss, pushing her tongue into his mouth with reckless abandon. With no other desire present, Ryden quickly responded with his own; guarding and countering Rivia's tongue before pushing back into her mouth—establishing his dominance.

A moan escaped Rivia's sealed lips; the brief sound echoing out softly as Ryden flipped them over, reversing the position, which enticed a second moan from the now submissive Rivia Abaddon. Their lips parted a second time, allowing Rivia enough time to deeply suck in some much needed air. Ryden however, kept the pressure going upon watching the sensual rise and fall of Rivia's healthy bust—and without any hesitation, he buried himself into the nape of the woman's neck, kissing and suckling the woman's healthy skin.

Rivia's breathing sharpened by the action, her breathing coming out in small rags as Ryden traced his kisses all along her neck before moving down her collar—ensuring every inch of her nape was explored. In response to Ryden's advance and burst of lust, Rivia wrapped her arms around Ryden—actively exploring his build hungrily before her mind almost went blank when a rough hand took a hold of one of her breasts, messaging it far more vigorously than before.

Rivia's hands gripped against Ryden tightly, her fingers scraping along his impervious back before Ryden parted her top just enough to fully expose her bosom. Cool air nipped at her exposed globes, impartially erecting them, before Rivia's breath hitched when Ryden immediately took a hold of her now exposed breasts and fondled them like mere play things; the sensation of his hand on her flesh amplifying the stimulation far more than before.

Before Rivia could release a moan, Ryden sealed her lips again, this time completely dominating the kiss with complete control whilst keeping his grip completely enraptured by the woman's exposed breasts.

Rivia couldn't think properly; every thought seemed to vacate her mind whenever Ryden changed the tone of foreplay; erecting an unseemly noise from both herself and her inner pervert. She moaned again when Ryden fiddled with one of her nipples, pulling and pushing it, before his other hand slid down her back slowly, only ever stopping briefly upon reaching her rear, yet even then, his hand continued to explore every inch below her belt—only leaving her nether regions be... much to her annoyance.

Rivia moaned again, now becoming aware of her steep arousal upon thinking on that final thought, and immediately pulled Ryden down into her lips, sealing her haggard breathing within a sloppy smack between a set of lips. Ryden smirked at Rivia's hungered growl before he quickly complied with the woman's desire.

He held off his _tonsil assault_ , giving Rivia enough room to explore him to her heart's content before he ambushed her roughly, pushing her invasive tongue back with gusto; however his ambush only lasted for a moment, as Rivia fought back eagerly.

Ryden disregarded the woman's breasts and rear after a moment of struggling. Instead, he found purchase with the woman's wrists—too which he immediately pinned above Rivia's head, giving him complete freedom. Yet in response to his actions, Rivia wrapped her legs around his waist—her action coming out slow at first, before her now exposed legs sensually slid up along Ryden's own legs before locking tightly against his waist, pulling his pelvis against her own.

For a moment, Ryden froze when he felt his awakened length become pressed tightly against Rivia—the sensation being eerily similar with what he'd felt with Rosalina and Tiamat—which easily gave Rivia enough time to re-establish dominance.

This time, Ryden moaned when Rivia took control and flipped them over, her hips bucking slightly against him eagerly while her lips and tongue completely overpowered the struggling man below her. However, after a moment they parted for air – leaving only a few inches of space between them. In the silence, only the sound of haggard breathing could be heard between the entwined couple; the deep gasps of breathing coming out in bouts of heated air that kissed the other in small gouts—yet neither of them noticed it. All they saw was each other, their faces now deeply flushed under the weight of their actions, further heating the moment as it was. Soon enough, their awareness slowly returned, and the both of them noticed the saliva and drool that had been mixed uncaring in their fervor, the contents of their lust caking both of their lips.

Ryden huffed tiredly uncaring of his sloppy appearance, while his eyes remained locked with a calming Rivia's—the woman's own eyes now possessing a sort of hunger found in a satisfied predator, and after a moment, a lustful glint sprang up behind her mirth filled eyes... a small brief moment of deep hunger gracing her usual immaculate features

Slowly, she licked her lips clean – sensually enjoying the action – before a soft satisfied moan escaped her upon finishing. Once done, her lips slowly enveloped Ryden's for a moment before she pulled back with a soft nibble to Ryden's lower lip—pulling it back slightly before releasing it with a mild purr to follow.

After a moment of continued silence – filled with haggard breathing – Rivia gently rested herself against Ryden; neither furthering her position against his obvious erection or retreating from it. However, the sensation was enough to elicit a chuckle from Rivia when the man below her groaned at the sensation. It was a humorous for moment, but she ultimately forgot about it when she found her spot on top of Ryden and contently lulled out the world—happy there were no interruptions.

Silence followed shortly after and for Rivia, all was good in the world, no interruptions, no impending dangers, no nothing... for Ryden however... it was slightly different...

 _Jesus fucking Christ... and here I thought Tiamat could kiss!_

In a constant state of euphoria, Ryden's mind replayed the last several minutes over and over, desperately replicating the mental image of his moment of extreme intimacy with the woman on top of him yet no matter how hard he tried, his thoughts remained on the moment as it was—merely choosing to instead enjoy the company then dwell on what had happened.

With that thought, Ryden sighed deeply – contently – as he matched his own breathing with Rivia's and basked in the woman's warmth for as much as time deemed it; however, with the silence of the moment—his mind began to wonder back to the previous topic he'd been on prior to the present situation – if he could call it that anyway... he was rather new to the whole romantic movie type moments— _bear with him_.

As much as it seemed shallow or simple, but Ryden honestly had to consider the fact that not a single devil he knew had ever been exposed to his degree of kindness—or charisma. Well perhaps that was being a little narcissistic, it's not like there weren't people like him in hell – there was probably a shit load of selfless white knights running around – however Ryden was mostly refereeing to the passionate nature of those... how could he put it?— _untouched_ by the cynical side of the world?

Wait... now he felt like a naive boy... well, that wasn't exactly that far from describing him but that's not it...

No...

Ryden slowly grew pensive, an expression of confusion quickly noticed by a content Rivia.

"Something wrong?" she asked while remaining where she was.

Ryden shook his head before he released another sigh when Rivia gently slid her hand across his chest to cup his cheek. "I'm confused – mostly –... I never really expected... uh... _this_ to happen so quickly" he spoke honestly, mildly confusing Rivia—as evident by a soft frown.

"I take it... humans from your time take this much slower?" she asked with now affirmed curiosity.

The response she got was a small chuckle.

"Heheh... it honestly depends—I've known couples that hooked up within hours, and I've heard stories of couples that never really got together until a couple months after meeting. A lot of tip toeing and beating around the bush in my time"

Rivia's frown became slightly skewed. "That last bit Sounds... almost familiar" she muttered after a moment, a knowing smirk suddenly rising on her lips.

Ryden pinched her side when the meaning of her words clicked, enticing a slight jolt from her. "Competition is great and all, but that's just plain mean" he stated with a grin.

Rivia snickered. "Hehehe... I don't know what you're talking about"

Ryden shook his head but never the less dropped that particular matter... for all of two seconds.

"Speaking of competition... that's also new to me"

Rivia hummed at his words, playing with the subject for a moment before she sighed contently. "What about this seems new? Don't humans compete for the attention and affection of a significant other? Or am I wrong?"

Ryden grew pensive again. "oh we do, the compete for attention and affection is absolutely correct—it's just... multiple partners isn't exactly how it normally ends in my time – humans nowadays sure as shit do it – but in my time, it's perceived as something immoral... and, also—can make you look kinda douchy" in response to his words, Rivia merely hummed curiously at the information.

"I see..." she started before raising her head enough to lock eyes with Ryden. "I'm not sure exactly the difference between humans and devils are when in comparison with perceived relationships, but if I had to guess... we may just desire _power_ and _security_ more so than humans; considering your species natural physical limits, the desired outcome of the union may be different compared to what we devils desire"

Ryden nodded. "Tiamat said your kind and dragons relate on that matter more than any other species... but that can't be it right?" Ryden's question elicited a slight glint in Rivia's eyes.

"Hmm... for some, perhaps that is all they seek—but it isn't all we look for..." Rivia lowered her head back down to Ryden's chest and sighed, relaxing. "I guess I may just simplify it... we devils seek singular equality; power meets power—and power is created upon union; and in our eyes—we don't truly care how many of us – woman I mean – choose the same male... or even female in some cases" Ryden frowned at that, sparking a glint of perversion from Rivia.

"How does that—"

"Magic..." was all she said, a small chortle of perversion echoing out from her chest.

Ryden left it at that, especially when Rivia slightly pressed her pelvis against his when he chose to question it further... and to be perfectly honest with himself; Ryden didn't exactly like the implication of what she was saying.

But before he could delve into that forbidden realm of pornography, Rivia continued. "It's also possible that humans don't feel the same feeling we get when being around our selected partner... kinda like a sent or feeling of sorts" upon finishing that statement, Rivia shoved her face further into his nape, practically inhaling his sent before returning to rest against his chest with a contented sigh. The action was sudden to say the least, and Ryden couldn't exactly un-see the slight glow in Rivia's golden eyes when her gaze momentarily locked with his. Safe to say he found himself blushing hard at that and suddenly blinked curiously at a question that arose in his head.

"What do I smell like?" he asked, a little bit more quietly then intended—yet regardless, Rivia answered.

"Campfire, a little bit of Rosalina's perfume, dragon fruit and... _Tiamat_ —and also myself" Rivia licked her lips. "Not a terrible combo, but it has its attraction"

Ryden blinked at the random moment. "Nice..." he said simply before he returned to the prior moment. On an off handed thought, Rivia seemed easily distracted right now... neat.

"So what's this feeling thing you mentioned?"

"Oh... it's mostly like an aura, the stronger the devil—the more pleasant the aura..."

Ryden felt slightly at odds with that notion...

"Does it affect anything?"

This time, upon his question, Rivia raised her head to regard him with a half trouble, half deadpanned, expression. Her look being no less inclined to the build up of his increasingly more obvious paranoia; and now it was clear she was annoyed by it—at least, that's what Ryden believed.

"What's this all about?" she asked with a look that he could not ignore or avoid.

Instead, he sighed in surrender, seeing as his trail of questions was easily noticed... not that it wasn't hard to notice anyway. Yet regardless, his questions had been enough to help alleviate most of his growing worries, however his incessant side had not deigned to leave; regardless of how plausible Rivia's answers were.

So he spilled...

"Sorry..."

"Don't apologies for something you haven't even said yet—explain"

"...It's about the multiple partners' thing; it bothers me on how easy it is here—how simple it is for someone strong to simply attract potential partners by just having inherent strength; with humans, the notion of attraction comes with personal potential and skill, as well as charisma. But to see something difficult come about so easy for another, I can't help but question the genuine emotions behind it... this aura, does it affect the mind? Does it influence attraction?" Ryden searched Rivia's eyes for a moment upon finishing his little tirade, yet nothing came of it, instead Rivia blinked her eyes at him in mild contemplation before she slightly huffed in amusement.

"You're over thinking it... its how we've been for as long as we've existed" she said with a dismissive tone.

"...but are you happy with it?"

Rivia couldn't help but react to the question with a set of wide eyes.

"W-what?"

Ryden didn't hesitate, as his own eyes regarded her own with true genuine care; a curious expression mixed with a token of nervousness. "I said _are you happy with it?—_ this predetermined notion, are you happy with the arrangement?"

Rivia couldn't exactly place the feeling she was getting from the question itself; as no one had ever truly thought of such a thing. And as unlikely as that notion was, it still stood true to her when she thought of the many stories that her sisters had spoken of a little too loudly for privacy tastes. Among her sisters, she was the only one that didn't find a partner during the Great War—none attracted as much as Nocris Phenex. But regardless and against most stories of the 7 sisters... they were _NOT_ virgins.

However, Rivia never did find them questioning the notion of sharing a man—nor did they voice their disapproval when they watched their chosen man chase after another... quite honestly they seemed amused by the devils actions more so then annoyed.

The more you know...

But now – Rivia blinked – now she found herself lying upon a man that actually questioned something that most devils ignored. _Are you happy with it?_ The question itself was generic and frequent, yet the context was new. No devil asked their female partner if they were happy about their new addition—they didn't because it was inherently – and unanimously – answered with a yes; not verbally, but no female ever really hated it... only one had...

 _One out of billions that is_... and a single change doesn't exactly spark complete rebellion against something most devils perceive as natural—no, it's merely interesting and partially tragic.

And above all else...

Rivia paused before she came to that remembrance, retaining the meaning in Ryden's words well enough to understand his direction, however, even still; her own spot on the topic never changed. So in the end, she smirked down towards Ryden—her arms now framing the man's head, before she placed a gentle kiss on his lips; staunching the man's nervousness right then and there... yet she was not finished.

This child – _this naive and young child_ – needed to be reminded of something very important...

Rivia's eyes shone briefly as she directed a knowing grin towards Ryden before she closed the distance between her lips and his—yet she didn't complete the intended action.

"Do you want to know something you may not be aware of?" she asked with a slight husky tone.

Ryden nodded, slowly. "Color me interested..." was all he said, forcing a slight chuckle from Rivia.

"I knew Venelana way back before Sirzechs was born..." she started with a growing grin when Ryden frowned at the information.

"I'd assume so—I mean you did fill me in on that woman's apparent perversion... not that I'm surprised" Ryden scratched his cheek, remembering the escapades involving that woman and the apparent stories Rivia told him about.

Rivia herself chuckled at the reminder. "It takes experience to know of one's perversion..." was all she muttered... silencing Ryden entirely.

He lay there, silent and confused, before it slowly sank in... And the surprise was _legendary_.

?!

"Wait? What!?" he howled in a whisper, amusing Rivia by the expression on his face alone. "You mean to tell me? That you and Venelana..." Ryden paused in order to fight off his confusion... and it was only confusion—disgust was not present... for some reason.

That image wasn't a terrible thought... but it was a shocker for Ryden.

Rivia for her part merely shrugged. "No big deal really, Venelana was pitching the idea of me joining her with Zeoticus – not a bad idea mind you – and we ended up in a rather _'heated argument'_ that involved a couple hours of... well you know the rest" Rivia smirked almost darkly when Ryden's young little mind was invaded by the image of something _Fulgur_ had fantasized about—yet before he could go further, Rivia added in a little something extra; courtesy of her inner pervert.

"She was good – and aggressive for such a coy little thing – yet I still managed to pull off a victory that may or may not have ended with her unconscious..." she added while licking her lips in fond memory of that particular encounter.

"R-Rivia, please... I don't need to know about that" Ryden slowly drawled out in horror, yet in an instant, Rivia was responding.

"Oh but you do... because you've forget something important Ryden" she began before she leaned in further, down towards the man's right ear; and close enough for him to feel the heat of desire roll of her breath.

Slowly, her fingers began to soothingly fiddle with his hair, distracting him while she continued. _"In all of your worries, you failed to remember something crucial about me... something that's been far easier to grasp"_

"And what is that?"

" _I'm a devil..."_

The reminder didn't exactly enact a massive reaction from Ryden, but it did remind him who – or _what_ – he was talking too. In his honest defense, devils and humans acted almost unnervingly similar, yet now it was clear their perception and approach to otherwise more difficult subjects was fueled by literal sins. Not that these were bad per se, humans have for some reason elected to demonize them completely, even though those very same humans use most of them every day... they call them sins, and yet—yeah he'll just leave it at that.

Enough was said, and now he understood...

In the end, he was over thinking his paranoia—blanketing his own era's fear and negative outlook onto something socially accepted _by a different species_... it worked here – apparently – and it seemed to not at all involve the robbing of freewill. Instead, the _devils_ had managed to discover a balance between lust and love with the added assistance of natural evolution— the end result of this match made in hell, somehow managing to make something far more sticking then simple love with a pinch of lust involved.

In hell, it was a half mix of _lust_ and _love_ – perfectly balanced as all things should be – and added to that mix was a large helping of _power_ for incentive and survival—which also helped speed up the evolutionary growth of devil kind itself. So as Rivia had said— _mutual equality_ ; power meets power, and thus power creates even greater power.

 _Devil kind in a nutshell..._

But he'd been over this already—what Ryden truly wanted was to make sure he wasn't influencing the decisions of the girls around him with just his power alone... for Tiamat, this was different; that dragon had been involved in power flexing for god knows how long, and had been mostly exposed to the raunchiest of personalities one could think of.

Bite him... Ddraig didn't exactly sound like the most upstanding dude to base off relationships with—quite the opposite. And it would take an empty emotionless idiot without a brain to consider _power_ as the sole motivation for relationships. For attraction your god damn right that's needed, ain't no fat fuck without strength gonna be picking up all the chicks – nor attracting the dudes if their female – unless they got the big brain and the charisma of a team captain on a collage state football team, then _that's_ a different story.

Thankfully though, it seemed his worries were unfounded... however that didn't mean he would lean back and accept the multiple partner shenanigans without adding in his own approach to it. He'd absolved himself to this notion over some time, and a few hours of council with _Ventus_ and _Fulgur_ had eased him into accepting this path with only a bare amount of clenched teeth.

Rosalina was slowly growing on him... and he knew it would probably get better... _if_ she takes him being human well; and that was still in the pending booth, yet regardless, Ryden could tell Rosalina was a free spirit at heart, and yet her fear of expressing that inner desire was what kept her from truly becoming what she was... he just needed to keep pecking at it.

Rivia on the other hand... well, yeah... that was an obvious answer.

He wouldn't lie and say Rivia hadn't grown on him; and though their bond hadn't exactly expanded beyond the military venue, he could see the woman perceived him as something worth striving for beyond simple loyalty to a cause—and now in this moment, the contentment she expressed and the happiness she seemed to feel now that she had managed to share an intimate moment with him – finally! – was clear enough that she was already sold on him to begin with... and that wasn't including the engagement present.

And in some time further—he would be too... they just needed to get to know each other first... perhaps a date when they returned to allied lines? Maybe Sirzechs would give them some leave to help them unwind... hell; he still needed to meet Rivia's sister.

 _Wait...Why did he think of that...?_

Ryden shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts before he gently pecked Rivia on the cheek, giving the woman a moment of surprise before she smirked and nestled into the nape of his neck again—clearly aware of his answer with that mere action alone.

With one calming sigh, Ryden finalized his own ideal when noting the smile on Rivia's face as she re-positioned herself to his left, her body still remaining at his side as tightly as before, yet now it was more relaxed. However, amongst these little things, the image of serenity and tranquility written in her features burned something deep inside Ryden's psyche as he stared at her now—his nervous now allowing him to fully accept the moment without fear, easing his own heart into a warm fire while the image itself led to a single absolute resolve.

 _No matter what... he would make sure that smile remained..._

Regardless of the tradition, and regardless of futility, he would make sure the woman in his arms kept that smile... same as any other—he would make sure they knew happiness.

 _ **This he swore!**_

A soft thumb caressed his cheek, the perpetrator being Rivia herself as she silently studied the emotions written on Ryden's face with her own expression of warm contentment. She saw conviction and resolve harden behind a set of eyes that shone with a familiar light, and in the wake of such a sight—Rivia couldn't help but feel her heart flutter when his gaze locked with hers, _and the resolve and conviction never faded_.

 _This man..._

" _Never change..."_ Rivia muttered as she slowly nestled herself into Ryden, seeking the warmth of a man she continuously found herself falling for. " _Stay just as you are..."_

Just as Rivia's head met his chest, her eyes shut into a peaceful sleep; contentment and happiness written on her face as slow gentle breaths escaped her lips and warmed the man's chest with each exhale.

Ryden watched her in silence with a small smirk, fully aware of her final words before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in gently.

" _...As you wish"_

His words reply came out in a whisper, a gentle sound that tugged at Rivia's lips, and soon enough, Ryden followed after Rivia and fell into oblivion.

* * *

 **[?]**

* * *

" _It was the expression on your face pushed me into the realms of protection... an expression that which I would cherish far more then I knew..._

 _It's really something of a feeling when someone shows such emotion, such joy towards a quality that not many really take notice of and accept someone regardless of_ _ **what**_ _they are..._

 _I can't express in words how relieved I was to know that you had accepted me; a part of me guessed that you'd already fallen for me too deeply to care about such a thing, but I knew that was pushing it..._

 _But it still shocked me to hear it... your confession... even after learning of what I was..._

 _In my time, I wasn't much of a stand out guy to be honest... just an average Joe among familiar fellows that acted just as I did... and in that case, amongst those masses, my own uniqueness didn't exactly stand out as much as it did back then..._

 _But to you, Rivia... I realized I was something more than what even I had expected; something that only you noticed before even I did..._

 _I blame that damn age gap..._

 _..._

 _Over the years, I took into account of the time and date of the human world based upon events and seasons and managed to triangulate that particular day to a single event... a holiday of human traditions, though I'd ignore the church regarding this one... its kinda stolen anyway—but don't remind them... you know how ornery those bastards get..._

 _So I guess while I have your attention... as well as the others I'm assuming... then..._

 _ **Merry Christmas**_ _my loves..." XOXO_

 _-forever Yours, Ryden Vale Gremory_

.

.

.

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **MERRY CHRISTMAS!**_

 _ **So in the spirit of the holiday, I busted my ass to get this chapter done before Christmas. I mean, I was getting pinged by a bunch of update notifications regarding a few stories that I follow so I was like "fuck this, let's get a Christmas upload!"**_

 _ **Sadly, I don't think it's exactly everything I had planned, a lot of the revel scenes were minced up and pathetic for a little while before I remembered how human interaction worked and bang, I got a good gist on a small 'filler' episode that not only gets a little steamy from time to time (I hear you perverts hollering for some perversion! Merry Christmas you filthy animals...) so I dang gone done it.**_

 _ **Though... I've discovered how shit I am at doing chapters that really don't progress towards some plot stuff... so I had no choice but to thicken the plot by getting Rivia filled in on Ryden's human side and also drop some real shit regarding a few more future events.**_

 _ **Halo weapons? Further time travel? Tiamat romance progression? Rivia is a massive pervert?**_

 _ **Just like turkey dinner I'm just stuffing shit in at this point... had I not planned a lemon scene in the future then it would've been getting it really juicing up in here... but alas, you all shall suffer the Lawbringers Christmas blue balling! Buahahahaha!**_

 _ **But I guess that last little bit could be a good replacement... nothing but a little sap every once in awhile...**_

 _ **So... I'll be editing this chapter some time down the road, in the mean time, enjoy the holiday! Or any other holiday you follow and keep it classy boys and gals...**_

 _ **PEACE!**_


End file.
